Recursive Operations in Sanskrit

Introduction

• In this section we examine another aspect of Paninian grammatical operations.
• Ashtadhyayi employs Recursive Logic to process grammatical applications.
• One example: the logic of Samasa (a method of creating compound words).

Samasa

• Samasa means creating compound words from a group of nouns.
• Like in other languages, Sanskrit can combine one or more noun forms into a single noun (a compound word).
• The process of creating a single noun from several nouns is called Samasa.

Recursive Logic in Samasa

• Seeing the Samasa principle as an example below.
• This is how Panini applies recursive logic to obtain compound words.

Example: "shastra" and "nipuna"

• Consider two words:

  • shastra : in shastra (scripture)
  • nipuna: expert

• Let us say we want to put these two words into two Nouns into a single Noun.

• Purva-pada: First word (shastra).

• Uttara-pada: Second word (nipuna).

Root, Suffix, Word

• In Sanskrit, noun forms are generated from a noun root using suffixes.
• Example: Root, Ram + suffix > word Rama .

Dismantling Suffixes

• Suffixes of the two words can be dismantled to obtain the respective noun roots.
• Dismantle suffixes to get the noun roots.

Apply Suffixes back to root

• Remove the Suffixes, and the root can become a real word again

Combining roots

• The compound word can be obtained by combining the purva-pada and the uttara-pada.
• shastra + nipuna = shastra-nipuna.
• shastra-nipuna becomes a new noun root.

Generating Different Forms

• Apply suffixes to this new noun root.
• Get all the different forms (as seen earlier).
• You can do it any number of word.

Generalizing the Process

• Let W be the set of noun roots to combine.
• Remove suffixes to get noun roots (w1, w2, w3... wn).

Recursive Compound Word Formation

• Compound word can be very recursively done.
• At stage “n”, there already be a compound word from the previous stage > Sn-1 .

Adding the Nth root

• Simply add the noun root of the n th stage to the compound root at the nth stage.
• Sn = Sn-1+ wn

Recursive Logic

• Read inputs n and W = w1 + w2 :Set of noun roots to be combined.
• Let the first noun root be the purva-pada and let the compound word be the purva-pada >a single word =a compound word.
• For i = 2 to n
• Uttara-pada = wi (take the i =2 >take second one =w2 .
• Simply add it to the previous word (Sn-1) >you get the new word at stage I stage (Stage2).
• Now replace purva-pada + the new compound word +take the next word uttara-pada and one can go like that until exhaust the word

Illustration with five Nouns

• Recursive logic = Sn= w1 +w2+w3 ... wn
• The noun root for the compound word.
• Attach suffixes.
• What structure is what is this structure?
• Possible that is what is the structure
• dipa, placed, sthithasya :dipa placed in belly .udara
• Ghata,
• of pot, pierced =nanachidrasya

Combining the root with suffixes

• Remove all the Noun to generate the roots.
• To generate nouns which sort of combined :nanachidra + udara+ sthitha +dipa

Applying recursive Algorithm

• Use the recursive algo=n=5
• W, letters that you have.
• PP = nanachidra
• purva-pada ,
• 1st compound,

Implementing recursive Algo

• i=2
• i=3
• i=4
• i =5 =the final noun root= nanachidra, ghata, ghat =udara sthitha, dipa.
• Attach now different cases ( 1, 2, 3 ) and do what needs to be done.