Present system

Sanskrit Verbs and There are three verbal systems: present, aorist, and perfect.
The stem and the endings of the verb are formed differently in each.
the Present System Each system has its own set of tenses and moods.

Subjunctive mood (leṭ)

Imperative mood (loṭ)

Indicative mood

Optative mood (liṅ)

● The ten present-stem classes (gaṇa) correspond to ten Finite verbal form ितङन्तम ्
present tense (laṭ)
different combinations of vikaraṇas.
● All of these vikaraṇas are reserved for the active Root + Suffix + Ending
(kartari prayogaḥ); a separate vikaraṇa yaK is used for
the passive (karmaṇi prayogaḥ) and impersonal (bhāve
धातःु िविकरणः ितङ ् imperfect tense (laṅ)

prayogaḥ) Stem अङ्गम ्

● Some stems are subject to vowel gradation:
● strong stem: before paramaipada ekavacana NB: In the chart below, capitalized letters are Pāṇinian diacritics (anubandha) which are not
● weak stem: before all other endings part of the suffix, but give us information about how to use the suffix. Bold represents guṇa.
strong stem weak stem

In gaṇas 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9, the stem changes, and always ends in a

भवि॰

consonant (including i/y and u/v), or historically ended in a

1. bhvādigaṇaḥ ŚaP dhātu + -a- ==

Because they end in the “theme vowel” -a-, they are called

consonant (krī-nā- < *kri-naH-). These are called athematic.

In gaṇas 1, 4, 6 and 10, the stem always has the same form.
2. adādigaṇaḥ luK dhātu + ∅ ए॰ dhātu + ∅ इ॰
3. juhotyādigaṇaḥ Ślu abhyāsa + dhātu + ∅ ु
जहो॰ abhyāsa + dhātu + ∅ ु
जहु॰
4. divādigaṇaḥ ŚyaN dhātu + -ya- िदिव्य॰ ==
5. svādigaṇaḥ Śnu dhātu + -no- ु
सनो॰ dhātu + -nu- सनु ॰ु
6. tudādigaṇaḥ Śa dhātu + -a- तदिु ॰ ==
7. rudhādigaṇaḥ ŚnaM dhātu + -na- (CV-na-C) रुणध॰् dhātu + -n- (CV-n-C) रुन॰्

thematic (or akārānta).

8. tanādigaṇaḥ u dhātu + -o- तनो॰ dhātu + -u- तन॰ु
9. kryādigaṇaḥ Śnā dhātu + -nā- क्रीणा॰ dhātu + -nī- क्रीणी॰
10. curādigaṇaḥ ṆiC dhātu + -aya- चोरय॰ ==

●
aso 09.25.2012
 Participles
Endings (ितङ ्) These are the primary endings, used in the present tense (laṭ). These suffixes go
परस्मैपदिम ् आत्मन ेपदिम ् Notes
on the weak stem.

एक॰ िद्वि॰ बहु॰ एक॰ िद्वि॰ बहु॰ the “theme vowel” -a- (in gaṇas 1, 4, 6 and
●
परस्मपै दिे
10) is lengthened to -ā- before endings that
Athematic -a(n)t-:
प्र॰ ित तः अिन्त प्र॰ ते आते अन्ते
start with -m- or -v- (e.g., bhavāmi) ● kurv-an
● the prathamapuruṣa bahuvacana endings ● kurv-antam
have several variants:
kurv-atā etc.
म॰ िस थः थ म॰ से आथे ध्वे
●
● -ati/-ate in gaṇa 3 (reduplicating
Thematic -(n)t-:
presents) ● bhava-n
● -anti/-ante everywhere else (the -a- of
bhava-ntam
उ॰ िम विः मः उ॰ ए विहे महे
●
the ending is deleted after a stem ● bhava-tā etc.
ending in -a-)
Feminine formed by
-ī suffix on weak
These are the secondary endings, used in the imperfect tense (laṅ). stem (kurv-at-ī,
परस्मैपदिम ् आत्मनपे दिम ्
bhava-t-ī, etc.)
Notes
एक॰ िद्वि॰ बहु॰ एक॰ िद्वि॰ बहु॰ आत्मन ेपदिे
● the prathamapuruṣa bahuvacana endings
have several variants:
-an/-anta in thematic presents
त् ताम ् अन ् प्र॰ त
Athematic -āna-:
प्र॰ आताम ् अन्त
●

● -an/-ata in gaṇas 2, 5, 7 and 8 ● kurv-ānaḥ

● -uḥ/-ata in gaṇa 3 ● kurv-ānam
NB the ending -uḥ causes guṇa of a
स् तम ्
kurv-ānena etc.
म॰ त आथाम ् ध्वम ्
●

म॰ थाः
●

preceding syllable (e.g., ajuhavuḥ) Thematic -māna-:

● the ātmanepada uttamapuruṣa ekavacana ● bhava-mānaḥ
ending -i combines with a preceding -a-
उ॰ अम ् वि म
bhava-mānam
उ॰ इ वििह मिह
●

or -ā- to become -e. ● bhava-mānena etc.

Feminine formed by

Augment (अट ्) The imperfect (like the aorist) adds an augment before the root.
-ā suffix (kurvānā,
bhavamānā)
● Before consonants, this augment is simply a- (e.g., akaravam). Participles have verbal
● Before vowels, the augment takes the form of vṛddhi of the following vowel rection (they can govern
(e.g., a + ita = aita, a + ṛcchat = ārchat). accusatives, etc.) and as
adjectives, agree with their
● The augment comes between any upasarga and the dhātu (e.g., abhyāgacchat). head in gender, number,
and case.

aso 09.25.2012