Vibhakti - Declensions in detail

 Many Sanskrit students find declensions hard to remember. Is one supposed to memorize them?

Whenever I see a noun which is not subject, I start mumbling राम: रामौ रामा: रामं ..

That is not right. May be one should understand what these are and how to form these.

Let us start with Nominative case

Nominative case प्रथमा विभक्ति

A noun is in nominative case when it is the subject of a sentence. 

रामः गच्छति| 

Here रामः is the subject of the sentence and it is in nominative case.

Accusative case द्वितीया विभक्ति

The noun which is the direct object of the sentence is in accusative case. 

रामः जलं पिबति| 

 

Rama drinks water. 

 

Here what does he drink? He drinks water. Water is the object of the sentence. 

 

1. बालकः पाठं लिखति|          Boy reads lesson.
   
2. वानराः तरून् आरोहन्ति|      The monkeys climb trees.
   
3. मुनयः हरिं भजन्ति|            The sages pray to Hari.
   
4. गुरुः उत्तराणि अवदत्|         The teacher told the answers.
   
5. रमा श्लोकम् गायति|           Rama sings the shloka.
6. शामः पुत्रौ वदति|             Ram tells his two sons. 
   

पाठं, तरून्, हरिं, उत्तराणि, श्लोकम्, पुत्रौ are all in accusative case and are objects in the sentence. 

 

You can also observe that in 2 and 4, the objects are plural. 

The accusative case for the noun  राम 

 

रामं     रामौ     रामान्

 Instrumental case - तृतीया विभक्ति 

The instrumental case is used to indicate by means of or instrumentality.

 e.g.

I write with a pen. 

Examples:

1. कृषकः हलेन कर्षति|        The farmer farms  with plough.
2. भक्त: अञ्जलिना वन्दते|  The devout prays with folded hands. 
3. वयं नेत्राभ्याम् पश्यामः|   We see with two eyes.
   
4. सर्पः दन्तैः दशति|           The snake bites with teeth.
   
5. वस्त्रं तन्तुभिः भवति|      The cloth is made from threads.
   
6. भीमः गदया ताडयति|       Bhima hits with his mace.
   
7. जननि अङ्गुल्या सीव्यति| Mother sews with fingers .
   
8. रात्रि: चन्द्रिकया शोभते| The night is beautified with moonlight. 

 The instrumental case for राम

 

रामेण   रामाभ्याम्   रामै:   

Dative case - चतुर्थी विभक्ति

Dative case is used for indirect object. It shows recipient of an action. Or purpose of action.

 

e.g.  Maria gave Scot water.

 

Here Scot is receiver of water. It is dative case.

 

Examples :

1. वैद्यः रुग्णाय औषधं यच्छति |   The doctor gives medicine to the sick person.
   
2. धनिकः निर्धनाय धनं यच्छतु|    Rich person must give money to the poor.
   
3. कवयः किर्तैः काव्यं लिखन्तु |    The poets write poem for the fame.
   
4. स्त्रियः उद्योगाय स्परधन्ति |    Women compete for the job.
   
5. शक्तिः परपीडनाय न भवति|     Strength is not for hurting others.
   
6. मोदकं तुभ्यं रोचते वा?            Does laddoo interest you? (do you like laddoo)
   
7. पुष्पाणि तरुणीभ्यः रोचन्ते|       Flowers are interesting to young women. 
   
8. अग्नये नमः|                        Salutations to the fire God. 
9. त्वं चतुराय असूयसि|              You are jealous of the wise.
   

Ablative case - पञ्चमी विभक्ति

 Ablative case is used for origin or source. It indicates away from. It is also used in comparison. 

 He comes from the village. 

Here from the village is in ablative case. 

1. वृक्षात् पर्णम् अपतत् |         A leaf fell down from a tree.
   
2. वृक्षेभ्यः फलानि पतन्ति|      From the tree, fruits fall down.
   
3. गौरिः आलस्यात् न पठति|   Gauri does not study because of laziness.
   
4. अहं चोरेभ्यः अत्रस्यं | I got scared of robbers.  
5. लक्ष्मणः शत्रुघ्नात् पुर्वः|   Lakshmana was born before Shatrughna. 
6. वैशाखः चैत्रात् परः |  The month of Vaishaka comes after Chaitra.
7. नार्यः आतपात् ग्लायन्ति| Women become pale due to sun's heat

 Genitive case : षष्ठी विभक्ति

 Genitive case is used for possession. It answers the question whose. 

The water of a river flows.  

of a river  is in genitive case.

Examples

1. सूर्यस्य उदयः भवति| The sun rise happens
2. नद्या जलं प्रवहति |  Water of the river flows.
3. बुद्धेः तीक्ष्णतां पश्य| Look at the sharpness of the mind. 
4. अतिथेः आगमनं भवति| The arrival of guest occurs.
5. देवानां गुरुः ब्रहस्पतिः | The teacher of Gods is Brahaspati
6. बन्धुनां गृहं विशालं अस्ति| The house of relative is big.
7. एतानि नारिणाम् आभरणानि| These are the jewels of the women.  

                                                                 

Locative case - सप्तमी विभक्ति

The locative case is used for location. 

e.g.

He lives in a village.  in a village is locative

Examples:

1.  कमलानि कासारे सन्ति | The lotuses are in the lake
2. वाहनानि मार्गेषु सञ्चरति|  The vehicles move on the road
3. तरुणाः नद्यां तरन्ति| Young men swim in the river
4. गजः वने सञ्चरति|  The elephant roams in the forest. 
5. नार्यः सभायां गायन्ति|  The women sing in the assembly

Vocative case : सम्बोधना विभक्ति

 Vocative case is used for calling a person. 

e.g.

Hey Ram, come here. 

Examples

1. हे राम, अत्र आगच्छ| Hey Ram, come here
2. हे गुरो, अहं नमामि| Teacher, I salute you. 

 

Vocabulary

बालकः	boy
पाठं	lesson
लिखति	writes
वानराः	monkeys
तरून्	tree
आरोहन्ति	they climb
मुनयः	sages
भजन्ति	they oray
गुरु:	teacher
उत्तराणि	answers
अवदत्	told
श्लोकं	verse
गायति	singsa
पुत्रौ	two sons
वदति	tells
कृषकः	farmer
हलेन	with the plough
कर्षति	ploughs
भक्तः	devotee
अञ्जलिना	with folded hands
वन्दते	prays
वयं	we
नेत्राभ्याम्	with two eyes
पश्यामः	we see
दन्तैः	with teeth
दशति	bites