SanskritDhatu rupa: verb tables
A Sanskrit verb grows from a root, called a धातु (dhatu). From the root पठ्, "to read", come पठति (he reads), पठामि (I read), पठिष्यति (he will read) and hundreds of other forms. The full table of a root in one tense is its धातुरूप (dhatu-rupa).
The verb ending tells you the person and the number, so the pronoun is often left out: पठामि alone means "I read". There are three persons and three numbers, giving nine forms in each tense. Note that Sanskrit lists the persons in the opposite order to English: "he" first, "you" second, "I" last. Unlike Hindi, the verb does not change with gender: बालकः पठति, बालिका पठति.
The tenses and moods are called लकार (lakara), because their technical names all begin with "l". Five are taught first.
लट् (lat): present. "He reads."
| पुरुष (person) | एकवचन (one) | द्विवचन (two) | बहुवचन (many) |
|---|---|---|---|
| प्रथम पुरुष (he, she, it) | पठति | पठतः | पठन्ति |
| मध्यम पुरुष (you) | पठसि | पठथः | पठथ |
| उत्तम पुरुष (I, we) | पठामि | पठावः | पठामः |
लृट् (lrit): future. "He will read."
| पुरुष (person) | एकवचन (one) | द्विवचन (two) | बहुवचन (many) |
|---|---|---|---|
| प्रथम पुरुष (he, she, it) | पठिष्यति | पठिष्यतः | पठिष्यन्ति |
| मध्यम पुरुष (you) | पठिष्यसि | पठिष्यथः | पठिष्यथ |
| उत्तम पुरुष (I, we) | पठिष्यामि | पठिष्यावः | पठिष्यामः |
लङ् (lang): past. "He read."
| पुरुष (person) | एकवचन (one) | द्विवचन (two) | बहुवचन (many) |
|---|---|---|---|
| प्रथम पुरुष (he, she, it) | अपठत् | अपठताम् | अपठन् |
| मध्यम पुरुष (you) | अपठः | अपठतम् | अपठत |
| उत्तम पुरुष (I, we) | अपठम् | अपठाव | अपठाम |
लोट् (lot): command or request. "Let him read. Read!"
| पुरुष (person) | एकवचन (one) | द्विवचन (two) | बहुवचन (many) |
|---|---|---|---|
| प्रथम पुरुष (he, she, it) | पठतु | पठताम् | पठन्तु |
| मध्यम पुरुष (you) | पठ | पठतम् | पठत |
| उत्तम पुरुष (I, we) | पठानि | पठाव | पठाम |
विधिलिङ् (vidhiling): should, may. "He should read."
| पुरुष (person) | एकवचन (one) | द्विवचन (two) | बहुवचन (many) |
|---|---|---|---|
| प्रथम पुरुष (he, she, it) | पठेत् | पठेताम् | पठेयुः |
| मध्यम पुरुष (you) | पठेः | पठेतम् | पठेत |
| उत्तम पुरुष (I, we) | पठेयम् | पठेव | पठेम |
How the forms are built
- Present: root + अ + ending: पठ् + अ + ति = पठति.
- Future: the same endings as the present, with इष्य (or स्य) put in: पठ् + इष्य + ति = पठिष्यति. So if you know the present, you know the future.
- Past: अ is added in front and the endings are shortened: अ + पठ् + अ + त् = अपठत्. That front अ is the mark of the past.
- Command: the plain पठ is "read!" to one person; पठतु is the polite "please read" used with भवान्.
Twenty common roots with "he/she does" (present)
| Root | Present | Meaning (Hindi) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| भू | भवति | होना | is, becomes |
| अस् | अस्ति | होना (है) | is |
| गम् | गच्छति | जाना | goes |
| आ + गम् | आगच्छति | आना | comes |
| पठ् | पठति | पढ़ना | reads |
| लिख् | लिखति | लिखना | writes |
| वद् | वदति | बोलना | speaks |
| खाद् | खादति | खाना | eats |
| पा | पिबति | पीना | drinks |
| दृश् | पश्यति | देखना | sees |
| श्रु | शृणोति | सुनना | hears |
| कृ | करोति | करना | does |
| दा | ददाति | देना | gives |
| नी | नयति | ले जाना | leads, takes |
| स्था | तिष्ठति | ठहरना, खड़ा होना | stands, stays |
| उप + विश् | उपविशति | बैठना | sits |
| क्रीड् | क्रीडति | खेलना | plays |
| हस् | हसति | हँसना | laughs |
| चल् | चलति | चलना | walks, moves |
| ज्ञा | जानाति | जानना | knows |
Roots such as गम्, पा, दृश्, स्था change their look in the present (गच्छति, पिबति, पश्यति, तिष्ठति) but then take the ordinary endings: गच्छामि (I go), पिबसि (you drink), पश्यन्ति (they see). A few, such as अस्, कृ, दा, श्रु, ज्ञा, belong to other classes and have their own tables; the commonest forms of अस् are अस्ति (he is), असि (you are), अस्मि (I am), सन्ति (they are).
Parasmaipada and atmanepada
The endings above (-ति, -तः, -न्ति) are called परस्मैपद. Some roots take a second set, आत्मनेपद (-ते, -एते, -अन्ते): लभते (he obtains), वर्तते (he is), मन्ये (I think). You will meet both in the shlokas: श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानम्, "the one with faith obtains knowledge".
How to learn
Chant the present table until it is automatic: पठति पठतः पठन्ति, पठसि पठथः पठथ, पठामि पठावः पठामः. Then put another root through the same endings: लिखति लिखतः लिखन्ति... Finally, join subject and verb correctly: सः पठति, तौ पठतः, ते पठन्ति, त्वं पठसि, अहं पठामि, वयं पठामः.