Learning Sanskrit - Declension - 2 (I)

Declension: Examples of nouns and adjectives ending in "A" and "Ā"

 Nouns and adjectives ending in "A" (masculine)

Two usual examples now: "aśva" (horse) and "Rāma" (the celebrated incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu).

Aśva -- Horse

Rāma

* The original termination "ena" changes to "eṇa" by the 18^th Rule of Consonant Sandhi.
** The original termination "ānām" changes to "āṇām" by the 18^th Rule of Consonant Sandhi.

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 Nouns and adjectives ending in "A" (neuter)

Two usual examples now: "dāna" (gift) and "jñāna" (knowledge). Note that these nouns and adjectives are declined in a similar way to those ending in "a" (masculine), except in Nominative, Vocative and Accusative cases.

Dāna -- Gift

Jñāna -- Knowledge

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 Nouns and adjectives ending in "Ā" (masculine)

Firstly, two usual examples now: "gopā" (cowherd) and "baladā" (an epithet of god Indra --Lord of Heaven--, meaning "strength-giver"). Note that both of nouns have roots ("pā" --to protect-- and "dā" --to give--") as their latter member. Secondly, an example of a noun ("Hāhā", the name of a Heavenly Musician or Gandharva) ending in "ā" but with no root as its latter member. Remember that there are two possibilities regarding masculine nouns and adjectives ending in "ā":

1) As far as those having a root as the latter member are concerned, the final "ā" is to be dropped before the terminations only from the Accusative (pl.) case on.
2) But, if the latter member is not a root, that "ā" is not dropped, "except in dual number!" Thus, you will find that Accusative (pl.), Dative (sing.), Ablative (sing.), Genitive (sing.) and Locative (sing.) have been changed in accordance with the 2^nd and 3^rd Primary Rules of Vowel Sandhi. In other words, you have to combine that "ā" not being dropped with the respective termination of the abovementioned cases: ā + aḥ = āḥ (Accusative pl.); ā + e = ai (Dative sing.); ā + aḥ = āḥ (Ablative sing.); ā + aḥ = āḥ (Genitive sing.) and ā + i = e (Locative sing.). Thank God this kind of nouns and adjectives are rarely seen.

Gopā -- Cowherd
(This kind of noun has a root --"pā" or "to protect" in this case-- as its latter member)

Baladā -- Strength-giver (an epithet of god Indra)
(This kind of noun has a root --"dā" or "to give" in this case-- as its latter member)

Hāhā -- the name of a Gandharva or Celestial Musician
(This kind of noun has no root as its latter member. The set of declensions is similar to that one used with masculine nouns and adjectives ending in "ā" and having a root as their latter member --See "gopā" and "baladā" above--, except in Accusative pl., Dative sing., Ablative sing., Genitive sing. and Locative sing. In the table below, I have highlighted the changes in green color.)

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 Nouns and adjectives ending in "Ā" (feminine)

Two usual examples now: "Rādhā" (the celebrated cowherdess beloved by Lord Kṛṣṇa) and "Ramā" (good fortune --an epithet of Mahālakṣmī, the goddess of fortune--).

Rādhā -- The celebrated cowherdess beloved by Kṛṣṇa

Ramā -- The goddess of fortune (an epithet of goddess Mahālakṣmī)

* The original termination "ānām" changes to "āṇām" by the 18^th Rule of Consonant Sandhi.

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 Some sentences including declined nouns
and adjectives ending in "A" and "Ā"

To adequately finish this interesting document, a few simple sentences including nouns and adjectives ending in "a" and "ā":

शिवो दिव्यपुरुषो भवति - Śivo divyapuruṣo bhavati / Śiva (śivaḥ) is (bhavati) the Divine (divya) Person (puruṣaḥ) / "Śiva" and "puruṣa" are masculine nouns ending in "a". "Divya" (divine) is a masculine noun ending in "a" in this case. Finally, "bhavati" is the conjugation for the 3^rd person sing. Present Tense of the root "bhū" (to be, become).

यत्र यत्र धूमस्तत्र तत्र पावकः - Yatra yatra dhūmastatra tatra pāvakaḥ / Lit. "Wherever (yatra yatra) there is smoke (dhūmaḥ), in that place there is (tatra tatra) fire (pāvakaḥ)" (i.e. "Where there is smoke, there is fire") / "Dhūma" and "pāvaka" are both masculine nouns ending in "a".

यथा वृक्षस्तथा फलम् - Yathā vṛkṣastathā phalam / Lit. "Like (yathā) the tree (vṛkṣaḥ), like (tathā) the fruit (phalam)" (i.e. "A chip off the old block" or "Like father, like son") / "Vṛkṣa" is a masculine noun ending in "a", while "phala" is a neuter noun ending in "a".

सिंहो व्याधस्य बाणेन हतः - Siṁho vyādhasya bāṇena hataḥ / The lion (simhaḥ) was killed (hataḥ) by the arrow (bāṇena) of the hunter (vyādhasya)" / "Siṁha" is a masculine noun ending in "a". In turn, "bāṇena" and "vyādhasya" are the Instrumental sing. of "bāṇa" (arrow) and the Genitive sing. of "vyādha" (hunter), respectively. Both "bāṇa" and "vyādha" are masculine nouns ending in "a". Finally, "hata" is the past participle of "han" (to kill), but here it is dealt with as a masculine noun ending in "a" (hataḥ) as it is related to "siṁhaḥ" (the lion that is killed).

कृष्णो राधायाः प्रीतः - Kṛṣṇo rādhāyāḥ prītaḥ / Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇaḥ) is dear (prītaḥ) to Rādhā (rādhāyāḥ) (i.e. "Rādhā loves Kṛṣṇa dearly") / "Kṛṣṇa" is a masculine noun ending in "a". The word "rādhāyāḥ" is the Ablative sing. of "Rādhā", a feminine noun ending in "ā". Finally, "prīta" is the past participle of "prī" (to love), but here it is dealt with as a masculine noun ending in "a" (prītaḥ) as it is related to "kṛṣṇaḥ" (the subject of the sentence).

सर्पेण दष्टा गोपा मृताः - Sarpeṇa daṣṭā gopā mṛtāḥ / The cowherd (gopāḥ), who was bitten (daṣṭāḥ) by a snake (sarpeṇa), has died (mṛtāḥ) / "Gopā" is a masculine noun ending in "ā". The word "sarpeṇa" is the Instrumental sing. of "sarpa" (snake), a masculine noun ending in "a". Finally, both "daṣṭa" and "mṛta" are past participles of "daṁs" (to bite) and "mṛ" (to die) respectively, but here they are dealt with as masculine nouns ending in "ā" ("daṣṭāḥ" and "mṛtāḥ") as they are related to "gopāḥ" (the subject of the sentence).

रमया दानानि दत्तानि - Ramayā dānāni dattāni / The gifts (dānāni) are given (dattāni) by Ramā --the goddess of fortune-- (ramayā) / "Ramā" is a feminine noun ending in "ā". The word "dānāni" is the Nominative pl. of "dāna" (gift), a neuter noun ending in "a". Finally, "datta" is the past participle of "dā" (to give), but here it is dealt with as a neuter noun ending in "a" ("dattāni") in plural number, as it is related to "dānāni" (the subject of the sentence).

राधाया मित्रा दीना भवन्ति - Rādhāyā mitrā dīnā bhavanti / The friends (mitrāḥ) of Rādhā (rādhāyāḥ) are (bhavanti) sad (dīnāḥ) / "Mitrāḥ" is the plural number of a masculine noun ending in "a", that is, "mitra" (friend). The word "Rādhāyāḥ" is the Genitive sing. of "Rādhā" (the cowherdess beloved by Lord Kṛṣṇa), a feminine noun ending in "ā". "Dīnāḥ" is the plural number of "dīna" (sad), a masculine noun ending in "a". Finally, "bhavanti" is the conjugation for the 3^rd person pl. Present Tense of the root "bhū" (to be, become).

And a long one to finish this set of simple sentences:

स्वसेनया रावणस्य देशमाक्रम्य रामः सीतां बन्धनान्मुमुचे - Svasenayā rāvaṇasya deśamākramya rāmaḥ sītāṁ bandhanādmumuce / Having invaded (ākramya) the country (deśam) of Rāvaṇa (rāvaṇasya) with his own (sva) army (senayā), Rāma (rāmaḥ) rescued (mumuce) Sītā (sītām) from (her) confinement (bandhanāt) / "Rāma" (the subject of this sentence) is a masculine noun ending in "a". The word "sva" indicates "one's own" (in this case, "his own", that is, "Rāma's"). "Senayā" is the Instrumental sing. of "senā" (army), a feminine noun ending in "ā". In turn, "rāvaṇasya" is the Genitive sing. of "Rāvaṇa" (the name of the celebrated chief of the demons and archenemy of Rāma). The term "deśam" is the Accusative sing. of "deśa" (country), a masculine noun ending in "a". "Ākramya" is the indeclinable past participle of "ākram" (to invade) and it is to be translated as "having invaded". "Sītām" is the Accusative sing. of "Sītā" (the name of the Rāma's wife). The word "bandhanāt" is the Ablative sing. of "bandhana" (confinement), a neuter noun ending in "a". Finally, "mumuce" is the proper conjugation for the 3^rd sing. Perfect Tense (which indicates remote past) of the root "muc" (to rescue, set free, etc.). I could also have written "mumoca" instead of "mumuce". Both of ways to conjugate "muc" (3^rd person sing. Perfect Tense) are correct.

Well, this document is finished. Study it over and over again until you can completely understand how to decline nouns and adjectives ending in "a" and "ā". See you soon.

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 Further information

This document was conceived by Gabriel Pradīpaka, one of the two founders of this site, and spiritual guru conversant with Sanskrit language and Trika philosophy.

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