SANSKRIT TENSE

Also known as: The recent past , bhūta (“past”), luṅ

Traditionally, the recent past tense refers to any past action regardless of time period:

• अश्रौषम्
• aśrauṣam
• I heard.

But recall that Sanskrit has three past tenses. Since the ordinary past tense traditionally refers to non-recent (anadyatana, “not of today”) events, and since the distant past tense refers to distant (parokṣa, “unwitnessed”) events, only this tense can refer to very recent past events. That is why we call it the recent past tense.

Making the stem

We make the stem of the recent past tense in many different patterns. Some roots use certain patterns, and other roots use other patterns.

Some roots are completely unchanged:

• भू → अभूः
• bhū → abhūḥ
• become → you have become

Others use a -a vowel:

• गम् → अगमः
• gam → agamaḥ
• go → you have gone

A third group doubles in a special way:

• नश् → अनीनशत्
• naś → anīnaśat
• perish, be destroyed → it has perished

A fourth group strengthens with the suffix siṣ:

• नम् → अनंसिषम्
• nam → anaṃsiṣam
• bow → I have bowed

A fifth group uses sa:

• श्रु → अश्रौषम्
• śru → aśrauṣam
• hear → I have heard

Also known as:Distant past , parokṣe bhūta (“remote past”), liṭ

The distant past tense usually describes historical or legendary events:

• नी → निनाय
• nī → nināya
• lead → led (long ago)

Certain types of Sanskrit literature use the distant past tense often. For example, the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata both use the distant past tense extensively.

Rules of doubling Also known as: dvitva

Generally, we make the stem of this tense-mood by doubling the root. Then we apply some basic rules to simplify the first copy of the root.

Although each of these rules is basic, there are quite a few of them. As usual, we recommend that you don't waste time memorizing these rules. Instead, simply get a feel for the kinds of changes that occur. As you read more Sanskrit, you will naturally start to assimilate and internalize them.

When doubling, long vowels become short:

• दा दा → ददा
• dā dā → dadā
• give

• नी नी → निनी
• nī nī → ninī
• lead

Aspirated sounds become unaspirated:

• धा धा → दधा
• dhā dhā → dadhā
• place

All consonants after the double's vowel are removed:

• बुध् बुध् → बुबुध्
• budh budh → bubudh
• awaken

• अस् अस् → आस्
• as as → ās
• be, exist

And if a root starts in multiple consonants, only one of them is kept. We usually keep the second consonant:

• स्तु स्तु → तुष्टु
• stu stu → tuṣṭu
• praise

• स्था स्था → तस्था
• sthā sthā → tasthā
• stand

But if the second consonant is nasal, we keep the first:

• स्मृ स्मृ → सस्मृ
• smṛ smṛ → sasmṛ
• remember

Sounds pronounced at the soft palate (ka) shift to the hard palate (ca):

• गा गा → जगा
• gā gā → jagā
• sing

ṛ, ṝ, and ḷ become a:

• कृ कृ → चकृ
• kṛ kṛ → cakṛ
• do

• तॄ तॄ → ततॄ
• tṝ tṝ → tatṝ
• cross

• कॢप् → चकॢप्
• kḷp → cakḷp
• be fit for

Roots that allow samprasāraṇa will use it:

• वच् वच् → उवच्
• vac vac → uvac
• speak

• यज् यज् → इयज्
• yaj yaj → iyaj
• sacrifice

• वद् वद् → उवद्
• vad vad → uvad
• say

For details on samprasāraṇa, see our lesson on the special tenses in karmaṇi and bhāve prayoga.

Finally, here is a common exception:

• भू → बभू
• bhū → babhū
• become

There are various other small rules. But these are the basic patterns. Rather than memorize these changes, read over the examples above and get a basic feeling for what kinds of sound changes occur.

Also known as:The distant future tense , the first future, anadyanate bhaviṣyan (“future not of today”), luṭ

The distant future tense traditionally refers to future actions that will not happen soon. In Sanskrit, it is called an-adyatana (“not of today”). Here is an example of the distant future tense:

• रामो नेता।
• rāmo netā.
• Rama will (eventually) lead.

Compared to the simple future tense, the distant future tense describes events that are further away. It also has a more definite sense than the simple future:

Also known as: causative roots, ṇijanta (“ending in the ṇic affix”)

In the core lessons, we learned that we can create new verb roots from existing ones. These derived roots modify the root's basic meaning in some way. Once we have a derived root, we can use it the same way we would use any verb root.

One of the most common derived roots is the causal root. You can see some examples of it below:

• नी → नायि → नाययति
• nī → nāyi → nāyayati
• lead → make lead → they make (someone) lead

• चर् → चारि → चारयति
• car → cāri → cārayati
• walk → make walk → they make (someone) walk

Some causal roots might have a more idiomatic meaning:

• गमयति
• gamayati
• makes go; passes (time)

Also known as: sannanta (“ending in the san affix”)

Desiderative roots have a complex name but express a simple idea. Simply, they express the idea of wanting to do something.

• जिगमिषामि
• jigamiṣāmi
• I want to go.

A few roots create this derived root without any sense of “wanting”. These derived roots usually have special idiomatic meanings:

• तिज् → तितिक्षति
• tij → titikṣati
• be sharp → endures

• गुप् → जुगुप्सति
• gup → jugupsati
• protect → detests, despises

• मन् → मीमांसति
• man → mīmāṃsati
• think → investigates

Also known as: denominative verbs, nāmadhātu (“nominal roots”)

There are various suffixes that turn a nominal stem into a verb root. Here, we will share some common suffixes.

First is the suffix ya:

• पुत्र → पुत्रीयति
• putra → putrīyati
• son → wants a son

• कवि → कवीयति
• kavi → kavīyati
• poet → wants a poet

Also known as: frequentative roots, yaṅanta (“ending in the affix yaṅ”)

Intensive roots show that an action was done in an intense or frequent way:

• लपति → लालप्यते
• lapati → lālapyate
• laments → repeatedly laments

With verbs of motion, the intensive implies crooked or difficult motion:

• जङ्गम्यते
• jaṅgamyate
• goes crookedly