Worksheet: प्रत्‍यय

A प्रत्‍यय is a suffix added to a root word (धातु or प्रातिपदिक) to form new words or modify the meaning of the original word. In Sanskrit grammar, प्रत्‍ययs are classified into two main categories: कृत् प्रत्‍यय and तद्धित प्रत्‍यय. कृत् प्रत्‍यय are added to धातुs to form nouns, adjectives, and indeclinables, while तद्धित प्रत्‍यय are added to nouns and adjectives to form new nouns or adjectives. Examples include adding 'क्त्वा' to a धातु to form an indeclinable (e.g., गत्वा from गम्) and adding 'मतुप्' to a noun to form an adjective (e.g., बलवत् from बल).

The क्त्वा प्रत्‍यय is used to form indeclinables (अव्यय) from धातुs, indicating an action completed prior to the main verb. It is added to the root form of the verb. For example, from the धातु 'गम्' (to go), we get 'गत्वा' (having gone). Similarly, 'पठ्' (to read) becomes 'पठित्वा' (having read). This प्रत्‍यय is used to show sequence in actions, such as in the sentence 'गत्वा पठति' (Having gone, he reads). The क्त्वा प्रत्‍यय is always added to the root form of the verb and the resulting word is indeclinable, meaning it does not change form based on gender, number, or case.

तद्धित प्रत्‍यय are suffixes added to nouns or adjectives to form new nouns or adjectives, often indicating possession, comparison, or relation. For example, the प्रत्‍यय 'मतुप्' (मत्) is added to nouns to mean 'having' or 'possessing', as in 'बलवत्' (one who has strength) from 'बल'. Another example is 'तरप्' (तर) for comparative degree, as in 'श्रेयतर' (better) from 'श्रेय'. तद्धित प्रत्‍यय can also form abstract nouns, such as 'त्व' (ता) in 'गुरुत्व' (heaviness) from 'गुरु'. These प्रत्‍ययs are essential for expanding vocabulary and expressing nuanced meanings in Sanskrit.

The ल्यप् प्रत्‍यय is used to form indeclinables (अव्यय) from धातुs, similar to क्त्वा, but specifically when the verb has a prefix (उपसर्ग). It indicates an action completed prior to the main verb. For example, from 'प्र + नम्' (to bow), we get 'प्रणम्य' (having bowed). Another example is 'आ + गम्' (to come) becoming 'आगत्य' (having come). The ल्यप् प्रत्‍यय is added to the modified root form of the verb, and the resulting word is indeclinable. This प्रत्‍यय is crucial for constructing complex sentences where multiple actions are described in sequence.

The तुमुन् प्रत्‍यय is used to form infinitive forms of verbs, indicating purpose or intention. It is added to the root form of the verb. For example, from 'गम्' (to go), we get 'गन्तुम्' (to go). Similarly, 'पठ्' (to read) becomes 'पठितुम्' (to read). This प्रत्‍यय is often used in sentences to express the purpose of an action, such as 'पठितुं विद्यालयं गच्छति' (He goes to school to read). The तुमुन् प्रत्‍यय forms indeclinable words that do not change based on gender, number, or case, and they are essential for expressing intentions or objectives in Sanskrit.

The क्त and क्तवतु प्रत्‍ययs are used to form past participles from धातुs, indicating completed actions. The क्त प्रत्‍यय is used for passive voice or impersonal constructions, while क्तवतु is used for active voice. For example, from 'कृ' (to do), क्त gives 'कृतम्' (done), and क्तवतु gives 'कृतवान्' (one who has done). Similarly, 'पठ्' (to read) becomes 'पठितम्' (read) with क्त and 'पठितवान्' (one who has read) with क्तवतु. These प्रत्‍ययs are vital for constructing sentences in different voices and for describing completed actions with reference to the subject or object.

स्‍त्री प्रत्‍ययs are suffixes added to masculine nouns to form their feminine counterparts. Common स्‍त्री प्रत्‍ययs include 'आ' (टाप्), 'ई' (ङीप्), and 'ती' (क्तिन्). For example, 'अश्व' (horse, masculine) becomes 'अश्वा' (mare, feminine) with 'आ'. 'नद' (river, masculine) becomes 'नदी' (feminine) with 'ई'. 'भवत्' (being, masculine) becomes 'भवती' (feminine) with 'ती'. These प्रत्‍ययs are essential for gender agreement in Sanskrit and for forming feminine forms of nouns and adjectives, ensuring grammatical consistency in sentences.

The यत् प्रत्‍यय is used to form adjectives meaning 'fit to be' or 'worthy of'. It is added to धातुs or nouns. For example, from 'पा' (to drink), we get 'पेय' (fit to be drunk, drinkable). From 'गम्' (to go), 'गम्य' (reachable) is formed. This प्रत्‍यय is also used to form potential passive participles, indicating capability or suitability. For instance, 'दृश्' (to see) becomes 'दृश्य' (visible). The यत् प्रत्‍यय is crucial for creating adjectives that describe the potential or fitness of an action or object, enriching the expressive capacity of Sanskrit.

The अण् प्रत्‍यय is used to form patronymics or metronymics, indicating descent from a father or mother. It is added to proper nouns. For example, from 'वसुदेव', we get 'वासुदेव' (son of Vasudeva). From 'देवकी', 'दैवकी' (daughter of Devaki) is formed. This प्रत्‍यय often causes vowel strengthening (गुण) in the base word. It is also used to form abstract nouns, such as 'गौरव' (dignity) from 'गुरु' (heavy). The अण् प्रत्‍यय is essential for indicating lineage and for creating abstract nouns from concrete ones, adding depth to Sanskrit vocabulary.

The मयट् प्रत्‍यय is used to form adjectives meaning 'made of' or 'full of'. It is added to nouns. For example, from 'सुख' (happiness), we get 'सुखमय' (full of happiness). From 'स्वर्ण' (gold), 'स्वर्णमय' (made of gold) is formed. This प्रत्‍यय is also used to indicate abundance or composition, such as 'तेजोमय' (full of brilliance) from 'तेजस्'. The मयट् प्रत्‍यय is vital for describing the material or quality of objects and for creating vivid, descriptive adjectives in Sanskrit, enhancing the language's expressive power.

क्त्वा and ल्यप् are both used to denote prior action (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया). However, क्त्वा is used with simple roots, while ल्यप् is used when the root is preceded by an उपसर्ग. For example, 'गत्वा' (having gone) uses क्त्वा, whereas 'प्रणम्य' (having bowed) uses ल्यप् because of the उपसर्ग 'प्र'.

तुमुन् प्रत्यय is used to express purpose or intention (हेतुर्थ). It is added to the root to form an infinitive. Examples include 'गन्तुम्' (to go), 'पठितुम्' (to study), and 'द्रष्टुम्' (to see). These forms are indeclinable and used to indicate the purpose of another action.

शतृ and शानच् are present participle suffixes. शतृ is used with परस्मैपदी roots (e.g., 'पठन्' - reading), while शानच् is used with आत्मनेपदी roots (e.g., 'सेवमानः' - serving). They both indicate an ongoing action but differ based on the root's voice.

क्त and क्तवतु् are used to form past participles. क्त is used for impersonal or passive constructions (e.g., 'कृतम्' - done), while क्तवतु् is used for personal or active constructions (e.g., 'कृतवान्' - has done). The choice depends on whether the action is viewed as passive or active.

तव्यत् and अनीयर् are used to express duty or obligation (विध्यर्थ). तव्यत् is more common (e.g., 'कर्तव्यम्' - must be done), while अनीयर् is used in specific contexts (e.g., 'पठनीयम्' - should be read). Both are passive in nature and often translate to 'should' or 'must'.

ण्वुल् (e.g., 'ग्राहकः' - receiver) and तृच् (e.g., 'दातृ' - giver) both form agent nouns. ण्वुल् often implies a habitual or professional doer, while तृच् is more general. ण्वुल् causes vowel strengthening (गुण), whereas तृच् does not.

मतुप् (e.g., 'बुद्धिमान्' - wise) and वतुप् (e.g., 'धनवान्' - wealthy) form possessive adjectives. मतुप् is used with स्वरान्त stems, while वतुप् is used with अकारान्त or हलन्त stems. Both mean 'possessing' the quality denoted by the stem.

तरप् forms comparatives (e.g., 'श्रेष्ठतरः' - better), and तमप् forms superlatives (e.g., 'श्रेष्ठतमः' - best). They are added to adjectives to compare two or more than two entities, respectively.

स्त्रीप्रत्यय like टाप् (आ), ङीप् (ई), and ङीष् (ई) are added to masculine stems to form feminine nouns. टाप् is used with अकारान्त stems (e.g., 'बालकः' → 'बालिका'), while ङीप्/ङीष् are used with ऋकारान्त or नकारान्त stems (e.g., 'गुरुः' → 'गुर्वी').

त्व (e.g., 'बालत्वम्' - childhood) and तल् (e.g., 'महत्ता' - greatness) form abstract nouns denoting states or qualities. त्व is neuter, while तल् is feminine. त्व is more common and can be added to any stem, whereas तल् is restricted to certain stems.

The क्त प्रत्यय is used to form past passive participles, indicating an action that has been completed, often in a passive sense. For example, 'गत:' means 'gone'. The क्तवतु् प्रत्यय, on the other hand, forms past active participles, indicating an action that has been completed by the subject, often in an active sense. For example, 'गतवान्' means 'he went'. Both change the verb to an adjective form but differ in voice (active vs. passive).

The तव्यत् and अनीयर् प्रत्यय are used to express obligation or necessity. In the given sentence, 'श्रोतव्यः' (from श्रु + तव्यत्) means 'should be heard' or 'must be heard', indicating an obligation. Similarly, अनीयर् can be used to form words like 'गमनीयम्' (must go), also conveying necessity. These प्रत्यय transform the verb into an adjective that implies duty or necessity.

The शतृ् प्रत्यय is used to form present active participles (e.g., 'पठन्' - 'reading'), indicating an ongoing action by the subject. The शानच् प्रत्यय forms present passive participles (e.g., 'सेवमानः' - 'being served'), indicating an ongoing action experienced by the subject. शतृ् is used with parasmaipada verbs, while शानच् is used with atmanepada verbs, showing the difference in voice and the relationship between the subject and action.

The मतुप् and वतुप् प्रत्यय are used to form possessive adjectives from nouns. मतुप् is added to nouns ending in a vowel (e.g., 'श्री' becomes 'श्रीमत्' - 'one who has श्री'), while वतुप् is added to nouns ending in a consonant (e.g., 'धन' becomes 'धनवत्' - 'one who has wealth'). मतुप् often results in the insertion of 'मान्', whereas वतुप् results in 'वान्'. Both indicate possession but are applied based on the ending of the noun.

The तरप् प्रत्यय is used to form the comparative degree (e.g., 'प्रशस्यतरः' - 'more praiseworthy'), while the तमप् प्रत्यय forms the superlative degree (e.g., 'प्रशस्यतमः' - 'most praiseworthy'). These प्रत्यय are added to adjectives to indicate varying degrees of comparison. तरप् is used when comparing two entities, and तमप् is used when comparing more than two, highlighting the highest degree.

The यत् प्रत्यय is used to form adjectives that indicate origin or relation to a body part or place. For example, 'दन्त्यम्' (from 'दन्त' - tooth) means 'relating to teeth', and 'ओष्ठ्यम्' (from 'ओष्ठ' - lip) means 'relating to lips'. These adjectives describe something originating from or related to the noun they are derived from, often used in grammatical or anatomical contexts.

The टाप् (आ) and ङीप् (ई) प्रत्यय are used to form feminine gender nouns from masculine ones. टाप् is added to nouns ending in 'अ' (e.g., 'अश्व' becomes 'अश्वा'), while ङीप् is added to nouns ending in 'इ', 'उ', or consonants (e.g., 'नद' becomes 'नदी'). These प्रत्यय change the gender of the noun and often its ending, aligning it with feminine grammatical rules.

The त्व and तल् प्रत्यय are used to form abstract nouns indicating a state or quality. त्व forms neuter nouns (e.g., 'गुरुत्वम्' - 'heaviness'), while तल् forms feminine nouns (e.g., 'गुरुता' - 'heaviness'). Both convey abstract concepts but differ in gender and the resulting noun's form. त्व is more common in scientific or philosophical contexts, whereas तल् is often used in everyday language.

The क्त्वा and ल्यप् प्रत्यय form indeclinables that indicate actions completed before the main verb. क्त्वा is added to simple roots (e.g., 'कृत्वा' - 'having done'), while ल्यप् is added to prefixed roots (e.g., 'प्रणम्य' - 'having bowed'). Both show that the action they denote occurs prior to the main action, providing a sequence of events in a sentence.

प्रत्यय play a crucial role in Sanskrit by modifying roots and stems to create new words, convey grammatical relationships, and express nuanced meanings. They allow for the formation of various parts of speech (nouns, adjectives, verbs) from a single root, enhancing the language's flexibility. For example, from 'गम्', we get 'गतवान्' (he went), 'गमनीयम्' (must go), and 'गन्तव्यम्' (to be gone), showcasing the language's expressiveness. Their systematic application enables precise and rich expression, making Sanskrit highly versatile.