Skip to main content

Sentence formation in Sanskrit

Introduction

  • Examine the logic for Sentence Construction in Panini's grammar.
  • There is a logic or method in constructing a sentence.

Basic Logic of Sentence Structure

  • Verb Requirement:

    • A sentence must have a verb (explicit or implicit).
    • Verb denotes an action.
    • Without an action, there is no sentence.
    • Example: "Dosa" alone is meaningless without a verb.

  • Association of Verb with Other Words:

    • Verbs must be associated with other words.
    • These other words denote the participant and other attributes connected to the action.
    • Every language has this feature.

  • Comprehensiveness:

    • merely uttering Come/ Leaves has many ambiguities.
    • uttering Ram comes or Yussuf comes with his friend is more comprehensible.

Basic Building Blocks of a Sentence

  • The verb is fundamental to the sentence.
  • Verbs cannot hang alone; they require other parts of the sentence.

Sanskrit Sentence Structure

  • Examine how Sanskrit and Indian languages structure sentences.
  • Compare with English.

English Sentence Example

  • “The fat boy eats the tasty food with the hand”.

  • Sanskrit Translation:

    • sthula balaka svadu bhojanam hastena khadati

    • sthula balaka = a fat boy

    • svadu bhojanam = tasty food

    • hastena = with the hand

    • khadati = eats

Word Order Flexibility in Sanskrit

  • Jumbling the word order in English leads to nonsense.

  • Jumbling the word order in the Sanskrit sentence does not change the meaning.

  • Reason:

    • Sanskrit cases are attached to the verb.
    • The adjective can be identified by the cases.
    • Cases are built into the verb itself.

Karaka

  • Sanskrit uses a concept called Karaka.
  • Karaka is used by Panini to construct unambiguous and grammatically correct sentences.
  • A participant involved in the action in some manner is called karaka.
  • Karaka help to link the words in a sentence to the action is involved in some manner is called Karaka
  • Everything links around the action that is basic formation!

Example: Sentence Breakdown Using Karakas

  • The picture in the slide shows “yantra karaka apakaroti vahana karyalaya pratahkala”
    • karaka =doer .
    • What is removed: "yantram" (machine/object), 2nd case *What are the actions:""removes away"".
    • Which aids (vahana/ with the vehicle) 3 rd. *"" Where (karyalaya -the place"" 5th case .
    • When ""Pratha h Kala -the time "" in the morning . 7th case. *So you can jumble the words and still the meaning stands.""

Cases in Sanskrit

  • Analyze 6 karakas.

  • 1st Karaka - Doer (kartā):

    • The cause of the action.
    • Where the action is resident.

  • 2nd Karaka - Object (karma):

    • The locus of the result of the action.
    • yantram (machine) 2nd case

  • 3rd Karaka - Instrument (karana):

    • Aids in the attainment of the action.
    • Makes the action easier.
    • Aids instrument of work and or a vehicle for a help to get things done.

  • 4th Karaka - Receiver (sampradāna):

    • Where the object really goes or gets associated.
      • Missing in example.

  • 5th Karaka - Separation (apadāna):

    • You separate it from somewhere .
      • Office (Place from where you took the instrument.)

  • 7th Karaka - Time and Context (adhikarana):

    • The substratum on which everything is happening.
    • The context in which it is working.
      • ""Pratha h Kala """

  • The 6th case is not a karaka and is related to owner ship ""somebody"" and that is you can inter- connect

Sanskrit

  • Cases are attached to the verb itself.

  • Thus, you can put them in what ever way and all things link tightly together such that there is no conclusion

NLP Benefit

  • The structure could be read for machines and so, the words does not matter
  • This can contribute for NLP systems because of very tight links that Panini offers.
Back to top