BSEH Secondary Sanskrit flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Savarna-dirgha sandhi

A vowel followed by a like vowel (a/ā, i/ī, u/ū) merges into the corresponding long vowel. Example: vidyā + ālayaḥ = vidyālayāḥ.

Guṇa sandhi

a/ā followed by i/ī becomes e, by u/ū becomes o, by ṛ becomes ar, by ḷ becomes al. Example: rāma + iti = rāmeti.

Vṛddhi sandhi

a/ā followed by e/ai becomes ai, by o/au becomes au. Example: sadā + eva = sadaiva; ekā + ekam → ekaikam.

Visarga sandhi

Final -aḥ becomes -o before voiced sounds, and -o ' before a vowel. Example: rāmaḥ gacchati = rāmo gacchati; rāmaḥ api = rāmo 'pi.

Yan sandhi

i/ī + vowel → y, u/ū + vowel → v, ṛ + vowel → r, ḷ + vowel → l. Example: iti + api = ityapi; madhu + api = madhvapi.

a-stem masculine rāma

rāmaḥ, rāmam, rāmeṇa, rāmāya, rāmāt, rāmasya, rāme, he rāma; plural rāmāḥ, rāmān, rāmaiḥ, rāmebhyaḥ, rāmebhyaḥ, rāmāṇām, rāmeṣu.

ā-stem feminine latā

latā, latām, latayā, latāyai, latāyāḥ, latāyāḥ, latāyām, he late; plural latāḥ, latāḥ, latābhiḥ, latābhyaḥ, latābhyaḥ, latānām, latāsu.

a-stem neuter phala

phalam, phalam, phalena, phalāya, phalāt, phalasya, phale, he phala; plural phalāni, phalāni, phalaiḥ, phalebhyaḥ, phalebhyaḥ, phalānām, phaleṣu.

Pronoun aham (I)

aham, mām, mayā, mahyam, mat, mama, mayi. Plural: vayam, asmān, asmābhiḥ, asmabhyam, asmat, asmākam, asmāsu.

Pronoun tad (that)

saḥ/tat/sā, tam/tat/tām, tena/tayā, tasmai/tasyai, tasmāt/tasyāḥ, tasya/tasyāḥ, tasmin/tasyām; plural te/tāni/tāḥ, tān/tāni/tāḥ.

i-stem muni

muniḥ, munim, muninā, munaye, muneḥ, muneḥ, munau, he mune; plural munayaḥ, munīn, munibhiḥ, munibhyaḥ, munibhyaḥ, munīnām, muniṣu.

Present tense laṭ of bhū

bhavāmi, bhavasi, bhavati, bhavāvaḥ, bhavatha, bhavanti. Meaning 'I am, you are, he is' - the base paradigm for a-stem roots.

Imperfect laṅ of bhū

abhavam, abhavaḥ, abhavat, abhavāma, abhavata, abhavan. The augment a- precedes the root and secondary endings are used.

Imperative loṭ of bhū

bhavāni/bhava, bhavatu, bhavāma, bhavata, bhavantu. Expresses command, request, or blessing.

Potential vidhiliṅ of bhū

bhaveyam, bhaveḥ, bhavet, bhavema, bhaveta, bhaveyuḥ. Expresses possibility, wish, or polite request.

Ktvā (absolutive)

Suffix -tvā or -ya forms an indeclinable meaning 'having done'. Examples: kṛtvā (having done), gatvā (having gone), dṛṣṭvā (having seen).

Tumun (infinitive)

Suffix -tum forms an infinitive expressing purpose: draṣṭum (to see), gantum (to go), paṭhitum (to read). Often used with icchati.

Kartari vibhakti rule

The agent of an active verb takes the nominative (prathamā): rāmaḥ phalaṃ khādati. In passive, the agent shifts to instrumental (tṛtīyā).

Karmaṇi (passive) usage

Object of active becomes nominative subject of passive; agent takes tṛtīyā. Example: rāmeṇa gr̥haḥ kriyate = 'a house is built by Rama'.

Sampradāna (dative)

Caturthī case marks the recipient or beneficiary: gurūya dadāti (gives to the teacher), rāmāya likhati (writes to Rama).

Apādāna (ablative)

Pañcamī case marks the source or point of separation: grāmāt āgacchati (comes from the village), vr̥kṣāt patati (falls from the tree).

Tatpuruṣa compound

Prior member stands in a case relation to the latter; resolve by vigraha. Example: rājaputraḥ = rājñaḥ putraḥ (king's son); grāmāgataḥ = grāmāt āgataḥ.

Dvandva compound

Coordinate members joined as a pair or group, often dual or plural. Examples: rāmalakṣmaṇau (Rama and Lakshmana), mātāpitarau (mother and father).

Bahuvrīhi compound

The compound denotes an outside referent, not its members. Example: pītāmbaraḥ = 'one whose garment is yellow' (Krishna). It functions as an adjective.

Avyayībhāva compound

An indeclinable (avyaya) is the prior member and the whole is indeclinable: pratidinam (daily), upagrāmam (near the village), yathāśakti (according to ability).

Sanskrit to English order shift

Sanskrit is SOV; English is SVO. Identify the verb and its person/number/tense first, then map cases to subject, object, and oblique roles.

Hindi case equivalents

Prathamā→कर्ता/कर्म, dvitīyā→को, tṛtīyā→से/के द्वारा, caturthī→के लिए, pañcamī→से, ṣaṣṭhī→का/की/के, saptamī→में/पर.

Quotative iti

iti closes quoted speech or marks a cited expression. Example: rāmaḥ uvāca 'sukhaṃ jīvati' iti - translate the quote first, then the frame.

Anuṣṭubh metre

Eight syllables per pāda, four pādas; the most common epic metre used in the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata.

Upamā alaṅkāra

A simile marked by iva, yathā, or sadṛśa: 'mukhaṃ iva candraḥ' - 'the face like the moon'. It compares two distinct things explicitly.

Rūpaka alaṅkāra

A metaphor that identifies rather than compares: 'candraḥ mukham' - 'the moon is the face'. No iva or yathā marker appears.

Subhashita structure

A short verse stating a general truth, often with a phalaśruti closing line. Common themes: vidyā, satya, dāna, kāla, mātrā.