Pratyay (प्रत्यय) refers to a suffix or an affix that is added to a root word to further generate meaningful words. Pratyay is also known as a verbal derivative, because it is used to indicate tense, mood, voice, case, gender, and number.
Pratyayas are an essential aspect of the Sanskrit language. It is because of the Pratyay only we have an extensive vocabulary in Sanskrit and it is because of the Pratyay infinite nuber of words can be formed that too in several variations within the vicinity of Grammar. Take this example for instance:
The root word “gam” means to go, and by adding different pratyay, we can form words such as “gacchati” (he/she/it goes), “gantum” (to go), “agamayat” (he/she/it caused to go), and so on.
There are different types of pratyay in Sanskrit, such as verbal suffixes (tense, mood, voice), nominal suffixes (gender, number, case), and so on. The study of pratyayas is an important aspect of Sanskrit grammar and helps in understanding the language better.
Let’s get a little technical here and I would require a little patience from you…
Pratyay is math
Ever heard of a language whose dictionary cannot cover all its words? And that language has the possibility of translating any word (even internet slang invented yesterday) into 35 different ways all describing the same meaning with different perspectives?
A language, unlike English, doesn’t need a council or an authority group to stamp over the invention of a new word but would it be sufficient if the person has followed all the sandhi and other panini rules? The answer is the endless possibilities this language, Sanskrit, offers in terms of vocabulary. So, should we start learning and memorising Sanskrit vocabulary at a young age and go on until we are ripe old hoping to know it all only that someone creates the (n+1) th word?
Don’t let this overwhelm you. Maharshi Panini was extremely kind to give us just about 4000 sutras and 2000 धातुs to work with. And that is all that is needed!
So, what are these धातुs?
What are Dhatu and why do we need it to learn Pratyay?
Dhatu is essential to understand Pratyaya because each Dhatu has a specific set of rules that governs the addition of different Pratyay to it, and these rules may vary depending on the Dhatu’s class and type thus forming meaningful words.
For example, the Dhatu “gam” means to go, and by adding different Pratyay, we can form words such as “gacchati” (he/she/it goes), “gamayati” (he/she/it causes to go), and so on. Each of these words has a different form and meaning, which is determined by the Pratyay added to the Dhatu “gam.”
So basically (Dhatu) धातुः is the root of a word. When we call some word as a root, it means that it cannot be broken down further. It’s indivisible. It is in its true, original and natural form. This is called प्रकृति: (Prakriti)
Let us understand what प्रकृति: is. Let's take an analogy. Every Indian has a gold necklace. Take a beautiful one for an analogy here. But at one point this gold neclace was just a lump of gold metal (I am aware of the other metals used 😂). This gold in its pure and original form is known as prakriti and when it’s worked upon and a necklace is made of it (with other metals and some metallurgical rules), the necklace becomes the विकृतिः (Vikriti).
Now if we look at some Sanskrit words like पठति हसति ददाति etc, these words are derived from some root words (धातुः), for example: पठति comes from the dhatu पठ् (to read/study), हसति from हस् (to laugh) and ददाति from दा(to give). The dhatus पठ् हस् and दा cannot be broken down further and hence, rightfully they are known as root words.
And as mentioned earlier there are 2000 of them. But will the pure gold lying around become a necklace by itself? Is the pure gold useful by itself? We know the answer. We need to add a few things and work on it. So, what really transforms these धातुs into words of the Sanskrit language? What lends the magic touch?
The Pratya – प्रत्ययाः!
Read to know why Sanskrit is one of the most beautiful language.
How are the Pratyay formed?
Imagine you are standing under a wish fulfilling mother tree. You have dhatu पठ् in your pocket. And you cry out to the tree and say, “oh mother! of what use is the पठ् dhatu to me if there is no one to study?” Mother tree cannot bear to see her child cry, so she quickly drops a Pratyay (प्रत्यय) { and poof! You got the पाठक: (one who does the act of reading or studying).
Types of Pratyay
There are three types of Pratyay in Sanskrit: nominal suffixes (prātipadika-pratyaya), verbal suffixes (lakāra-pratyaya), and indeclinable suffixes (avyaya-pratyaya). Each type of Pratyay serves a unique grammatical purpose and has a distinct form.
- Nominal Suffixes (Prātipadika-Pratyay)
- Verbal Suffixes (Lakāra-Pratyay)
- Indeclinable Suffixes (Avyaya-Pratyay)
Let’s take a closer look at each type of Pratyay and their examples with Sanskrit words.
#1. Nominal Suffixes (Prātipadika-Pratyay)
Nominal suffixes, also known as prātipadika-pratyaya, are used to indicate the gender, number, and case of a noun or adjective. These suffixes are added to the base of a word to form a new word with a different meaning. The most common nominal suffixes include -aḥ, -ā, -i, -u, -ṛt, -ya, -s, -ḥ, and -t.
Examples of nominal suffixes (Prātipadika-Pratyaya) in Sanskrit:
- -aḥ: देव + अः = देवः (deva + aḥ = devaḥ)
- -ā: गृह + आ = गृहा (gṛha + ā = gṛhā)
- -i: नदी + इ = नदी (nadī + i = nadī)
- -u: श्व + उ = श्वः (śva + u = śvaḥ)
- -ṛt: विद्या + ऋत् = विद्यृत् (vidyā + ṛt = vidyṛt)
- -ya: पुंस् + य = पुंस् (puṃs + ya = puṃs)
- -s: गो + स् = गोः (go + s = goḥ)
- -ḥ: धनुः + ः = धनुः (dhanuḥ + ḥ = dhanuḥ)
- -t: गुरु + त् = गुरुत् (guru + t = gurut)
Verbal Suffixes (Lakāra-Pratyaya) Verbal suffixes, also known as lakāra-pratyaya, are used to indicate the tense, mood, and voice of a verb. These suffixes are added to the base of a word to form a new word with a different meaning. The most common verbal suffixes include -ti, -tām, -tā, -syāt, -tu, -tum, -tavatu, -tuṃ, and -yat.
#2. Verbal Suffixes (Lakāra-Pratyay)
Verbal suffixes are used to indicate the tense, mood, and voice of a verb. They are added to the stem form of the verb, and the resulting form is called the lakāra. There are several verbal suffixes in Sanskrit, and some of the most common ones include:
- -ti: This suffix is used to indicate the present tense of a verb. For example, the Sanskrit word “bhavati” means “he is”.
- -tām: This suffix is used to indicate the imperative mood of a verb. The imperative mood is used to give commands or make requests. For example, the Sanskrit word “gacchataam” means “let them go”.
- -tā: This suffix is used to indicate the potential mood of a verb. The potential mood is used to express possibility or ability. For example, the Sanskrit word “karotaa” means “he is able to do”.
- -syāt: This suffix is used to indicate the optative mood of a verb. The optative mood is used to express a wish or desire. For example, the Sanskrit word “jīvansyāt” means “may he live”.
- -tu: This suffix is used to indicate the future tense of a verb. For example, the Sanskrit word “bhavishyati” means “he will be”.
- -tum: This suffix is used to indicate the infinitive form of a verb. The infinitive form is used to express the purpose or aim of an action. For example, the Sanskrit word “karitum” means “to do”.
- -tavatu: This suffix is used to indicate the subjunctive mood of a verb. The subjunctive mood is used to express doubt or uncertainty. For example, the Sanskrit word “karotavatu” means “let him do”.
- -tuṃ: This suffix is used to indicate the gerund form of a verb. The gerund form is used to express an action that is taking place at the same time as another action. For example, the Sanskrit word “karitvā” means “having done”.
- -yat: This suffix is used to indicate the passive voice of a verb. The passive voice is used to indicate that the subject is receiving the action of the verb. For example, the Sanskrit word “kriyate” means “it is done”.
Examples of Sanskrit verbs with verbal suffixes (Lakāra-Pratyaya):
- Bhavati: “he/she becomes” (present tense)
- Karotu: “let him/her do” (imperative mood)
- Kṛtaḥ: “done” (past participle)
- Syāt: “he/she might be” (potential mood)
- Ichchhati: “he/she desires” (desiderative mood)
- Vaktum: “to speak” (infinitive)
- Bhavitavatu: “may he/she be” (optative mood)
- Kṛtvā: “having done” (gerund)
- Likhyate: “it is written” (passive voice)
Also check the Sanskrit number and counting system.
#3. Indeclinable Suffixes (Avyaya-Pratyay)
Indeclinable suffixes are used to indicate the meaning of a word without changing its form. These suffixes are called avyaya-pratyaya. There are various types of avyaya-pratyaya used in Sanskrit, such as kriya, sampradana, sambandha, anubandha, and so on.
Kriya-pratyay:
This type of suffix is used to indicate the meaning of a word in relation to an action or verb. Some examples of kriya-pratyaya are -tu, -ni, -va, and -tā.
Example:
- भू-तु: (bhū-tu) means ‘to become’, as in पशुः भूतुं गच्छति (paśuḥ bhūtuṃ gacchati), which means ‘the animal is becoming’.
- नाश-नीय: (nāśa-nīya) means ‘destructible’, as in देहः नाशनीयः (dehaḥ nāśanīyaḥ), which means ‘the body is destructible’.
Sampradana-pratyay:
This type of suffix is used to indicate a gift, offering, or presentation of something. Some examples of sampradana-pratyaya are -ya and -ma.
Example:
- आरोह-य: (āroha-ya) means ‘to ascend’, as in पर्वतं आरोहयामः (parvaṭaṃ ārohayaamaḥ), which means ‘we are ascending the mountain’.
- अनुज्ञात-म्: (anujñāta-m) means ‘permission’, as in आपदा नानुज्ञातं तव (āpadā nānujñātaṃ tava), which means ‘the disaster is not permitted by you’.
Sambandha-pratyay:
This type of suffix is used to indicate a relationship or connection between words. Some examples of sambandha-pratyaya are -tva and -bhāva.
Example:
- सम्बन्ध-त्व: (sambandha-tva) means ‘relationship’, as in पत्नी-पति सम्बन्धत्वं सुखाय (patnī-pati sambandha-tvaṃ sukhāya), which means ‘the relationship between husband and wife is for happiness’.
- द्वेष-भाव: (dveṣa-bhāva) means ‘hatred’, as in द्वेषभावात् प्रणश्यति (dveṣa-bhāvāt praṇaśyati), which means ‘he perishes due to hatred’.
Here are some interesting Sanskrit words for everyday use.
How the Pratyay changes the meaning and grammatical function of a word?
Let’s take the word बालकः (bālakaḥ) which means “a boy”. This word is formed by adding the nominal suffix -aḥ to the root word बाल (bāla), which means “child”. The suffix -aḥ indicates that the word is a masculine singular noun. So, by adding the suffix -aḥ to the root word बाल (bāla), the meaning and grammatical function of the word changes from “child” to “a boy”.
Similarly, let’s take the word गच्छति (gacchati) which means “he/she/it goes”. This word is formed by adding the present tense verbal suffix -ti to the root verb गम् (gam), which means “to go”. The suffix -ti indicates that the word is in the present tense and refers to the third-person singular. So, by adding the suffix -ti to the root verb गम् (gam), the meaning and grammatical function of the word changes from “to go” to “he/she/it goes”.
It’s worth noting that there are many different Pratyayas in Sanskrit, each with its own unique function. They can be added to verbs, nouns, adjectives, and even other Pratyayas. By understanding the function of each Pratyaya, one can better comprehend the meaning of Sanskrit words and construct more complex sentences.
To give an example of Pratyayas in Devanagari script, let’s take the word विद्यालय (vidyālaya) which means “school”. This word is formed by adding the suffix -alaya to the root word विद्या (vidyā), which means “knowledge”. The suffix -alaya means “a place of” or “a house of”. So, by adding the suffix -alaya to the root word विद्या (vidyā), the meaning and grammatical function of the word changes from “knowledge” to “a place of knowledge” or “school”.
In conclusion, understanding the function of Pratyayas is essential in learning Sanskrit and constructing meaningful sentences. By adding suffixes to root words, one can change the meaning and grammatical function of a word, making it a versatile and nuanced language.
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