BG 1.4-6 'A śloka a day' #SAH #SanskritGrammar

Duryodhana enumerates the Pāṇḍava-allies

अत्र शूरा महेष्वासा भीमार्जुनसमा युधि |
युयुधानो विराटश् च द्रुपदश् च महारथः ||4||
धृष्टकेतुश् चेकितानः काशिराजश् च वीर्यवान् |
पुरुजित् कुन्तिभोजश् च शैब्यश् च नरपुंगवः ||5||
युधामन्युश् च विक्रान्त उत्तमौजाश् च वीर्यवान् |
सौभद्रो द्रौपदेयाश् च सर्व एव महारथाः ||6||

atra śūrā maheṣvāsā bhīmārjunasamā yudhi |

yuyudhāno virāṭaś ca drupadaś ca mahārathaḥ ||4||

dhṛṣṭaketuś cekitānaḥ kāśirājaś ca vīryavān |

purujit kuntibhojaś ca śaibyaś ca narapuṃgavaḥ ||5||

yudhāmanyuś ca vikrānta uttamaujāś ca vīryavān |

saubhadro draupadeyāś ca sarva eva mahārathāḥ ||6||

Here are heroes, mighty archers, equal in battle to Bhīma and Arjuna; Yuyudhāna and  Virāṭa, and Drupada the great warrior. Dhṛṣṭaketu, Cekitāna, and the brave king of  Kāśi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Śaibya, a bull among men; mighty Yudhāmanyu, the brave Uttamaujā, the son of Subhadrā and the sons of Draupadī, all indeed great warriors.

अत्र here
शूराः heroes (masc, nom, plural)
महेष्वासाः mighty archers (masc, nom, plural from महा+इषु+√अस् (4P) great 'throwers' of arrows) 
भीमार्जुनसमाः equal to Bhīma and Arjuna (masc, nom, plural, ajd) 
युधि in battle (locative, fem, sing)
युयुधानः Name of a Pāṇḍava-ally (masc, nom, sing) 

विराटः Name of a Pāṇḍava-ally (masc, nom, sing)
च and
द्रुपदः  Name of a Pāṇḍava-ally (masc, nom, sing)
च (connector of noun and adjective)
महारथः epithet/adj of Drupada
धृष्टकेतुः Name of a Pāṇḍava-ally (masc, nom, sing)
चेकितानः Name of a Pāṇḍava-ally (masc, nom, sing)
काशिराजः Name of a Pāṇḍava-ally (masc, nom, sing)
च (connector of noun and adjective)
वीर्यवान् the brave
पुरुजित् Name of a Pāṇḍava-ally (masc, nom, sing)
कुन्तिभोजः Name of a Pāṇḍava-ally (masc, nom, sing)
च and 
शैब्यः Name of a Pāṇḍava-ally (masc, nom, sing) 
च (connector of noun and adjective)
नरपुंगवः bull among men (adj)
युधामन्युः Name of a Pāṇḍava-ally (masc, nom, sing)
च and
विक्रान्तः Name of a Pāṇḍava-ally (masc, nom, sing)
उत्तमौजः Name of a Pāṇḍava-ally (masc, nom, sing)
च (connector of noun and adjective)
वीर्यवान् the brave
सौभद्रः Abhimanyu
द्रौपदेयाः sons of Draupadī
च and
सर्व all (सर्वे in sandhi)
एव indeed (often used as a metrical or rhythmic filler)
महारथाः great warriors (masc, nom, plural)

BG 1.3 'A śloka a day' #SAH #Grammar

पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणाम् आचार्य महतीं चमूम् |
व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता ||3||

paśyaitāṃ pāṇḍuputrāṇām ācārya mahatīṃ camūm |

vyūḍhāṃ drupadaputreṇa tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā ||3||

Behold, O teacher, this great army of the sons of Pāṇḍu, arrayed [in battle formation] by your wise student, the son of Drupada 

आचार्य ācārya O teacher (vocative; note no visarga)

पश्यैतां paśyaitāṃ (पश्य एताम्)  

पश्य Look (at), perceive; (2nd person, imperative, active √paś) 

एताम्  this (fem, acc, singular - refers to the army)

पाण्डुपुत्राणाम् pāṇḍuputrāṇām of the sons of Pāṇḍu (masc, genitive, plural)

चमूः (fem, noun, sing)
महतीं चमूम् mahatīṃ camūm [look at the] great, mighty army (fem accusative)
व्यूढां  vyūḍhāṃ [the army] arrayed in battle formation (fem, acc, sing past passive participle vi √vah adj for  चमूः )

द्रुपदपुत्रेण  drupadaputreṇa by the son if Drupada (masc, instrumental, sing)

तव tava your (genitive, sing) 

शिष्येण  śiṣyeṇa by your student

धीमता dhīmatā [by] wise, intelligent adj. for Drupadaputra

Please note the agreement between the nouns and adjectives:
एताम् व्यूढाम् महतीम् चमूम् (feminine accusative singular)  
धीमता शिष्येण द्रुपदपुत्रेण (masculine instrumental singular)

Rāmāyaṇa 1.1.1-2 "A śloka a day #SAH #SanskritGrammar

श्रीमद्वाल्मीकिरामायणम्

Śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇam

बालकाण्डम्

Bālakāṇḍam

प्रथमः सर्गः

Prathamaḥ Sargaḥ

नारदवाक्यम्

Nāradavāykam

तपःस्वाध्यायनिरतं तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरम् 

नारदं परिपप्रच्छ वाल्मीकिर्मुनिपुन्गवम्

को न्वस्मिन् सांप्रतं लोके गुणवान् कश्च वीर्यवान्

धर्मज्ञश्च कृतज्ञश्च सत्यवाक्यो दृढव्रतः

tapaḥsvādhyāyanirataṃ tapasvī vāgvidāṃ varam

nāradaṃ paripapraccha vālmīkir munipuṃgavam

ko nv asmin sāmprataṃ loke guṇavān kaś ca vīryavān

dharmajñaś ca kṛtajñaś ca satyavākyo dṛḍhavrataḥ

[The hermit] Vālmīki, dedicated to austerities, asked Nārada, the best of munis, the best among experts skilled in speech [and] devoted to austerity and study [of the Vedas]:  

"Who is in this present world endowed with virtues? Who is brave, knows the dharma, is grateful, speaks the truth, and is firm in his vows?" 

My big problem (as a Hindi speaker) when I first read the first verse - I couldn't tell who was asking whom the question. And which descriptions went with which 'muni' Then I was given a small (actually, very big) hint. Work out what is in the nominative case (प्रथमा विभक्ति) and what is in the accusative case (द्वितीय). That is the key. In nominative are two words - tapasvi and Vālmīki. He is the doer/asker. In the accusative is Nārada, the one being asked, and all qualifiers in accusative are connected to him.  

तपःस्वाध्यायनिरतं - [to him] who is devoted to [Vedic] studies and [religious] austerities

तपः austerity, discipline (masc., nom., sing.)

स्वाध्यायः recitation/self-study (masc., nom., sing)

निरतं engaged in, devoted to, pleased by (accusative past participle [ni + √ram] as adjective)

तपस्वी  ascetic (masc., nom., sing)

वाग्विदाम् of [those] skilled in speech (genitive, masc. plural) stem = वाग्वित् 

वरम् best (accusative adj., agreeing with Nāradam)*

नारदं - (accusative, because otherwise, being a masculine, it would have been नारदः I cannot stress this enough)

परिपप्रच्छ = परि + पप्रच्छ  asked about = (perfect of √प्रछ् to ask; perfect, 3rd person, sing. agreeing with Vālmīki) [Pari = prefix = about.]

वाल्मीकिर्मुनिपुन्गवम् (वाल्मीकिः+मुनिपुङ्गवम्)

वाल्मीकिः Valmīki, (masc, nom, the doer/asker)

मुनिपुङ्गवम् to the bull [best] among munis (this is in accusative so it refers to Nārada NOT to  Valmīki. If it referred to Valmīki, the ending would be मुनिपुंगवः masc. nom. with a visarga, since puṃgava is masc.)

को who? (masc, nominative, sing, This is कः in sandhi.  

नु now then/certainly (avyaya/indeclinable) 

अस्मिन् in this (locative, masc.,sing., of idam 'this') nu+asmin in sandhi become  न्वस्मिन् 

सांप्रतं  now, at present (adverb) 

लोके  in this world ( locative, neut, sing.)

गुणवान्  endowed with/possessed of virtues, [good] qualities (masc., nom, sing)

कश्च and who? (कः in sandhi with च)

वीर्यवान् endowed with heroic qualities (masc, nom, sing)

धर्मज्ञश्च (धर्मज्ञः+च) Knower of dharma (masc., nom., sing) 

कृतज्ञश्च (कृतज्ञः+च) grateful/correct in conduct (masc, nom, sing) 

सत्यवाक्यो (सत्य+वाक्यः) Whose speech is true 

दृढव्रतः He whose vow is firm

BG 1.2 'A śloka a day' #SAH #SanskritGrammar

Saṃjaya receiving divyadṛṣṭi to relay the battle account

संजय उवाच

दृष्ट्वा तु पाण्डवानीकं व्यूढं दुर्योधनस् तदा |
आचार्यम् उपसंगम्य राजा वचनम् अब्रवीत् ||2||

saṃjaya uvāca

dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkaṃ vyūḍhaṃ duryodhanas tadā |
ācāryam upasaṃgamya rājā vacanam abravīt ||2||

Saṃjaya spoke:

Seeing, indeed, the army of the Pāṇḍavas, drawn up in battle, [King] Duryodhana approaching his teacher, said these words.

संजय saṃjaya (masc, nom, sing. like रामः visarga dropped before उ of उवाच Sandhi rules)
उवाच uvāca  [He/she/it] said (3rd sing. perfect, active, √vac  see table 2) 
दृष्ट्वा dṛṣṭvā having seen/seeing (gerund from √dṛś)

तु  tu indeed, surely (indeclinable)
पाण्डवानीकं pāṇḍavānīkaṃ army of the pāṇḍavas (masc, acc, sing, tatpuruṣa compound)

व्यूढं vyūḍhaṃ drawn up in battle, arrayed (masc, acc, sing. passive past participle from vi+√uh)
दुर्योधनः  duryodhanaḥ (masc, nom, singular like रामः note that before त of तदा, the visarga becomes a स्)

तदा tadā then, at that time
आचार्यम् ācāryam [to the] teacher [Droṇa] (noun, masc, acc, sing) 
उपसंगम्य upasaṃgamya having approached/approaching (gerund from upa+sam+√gam)
राजा rājā the royal person [duryodhanaḥ] (masc, nom, sing)
वचनम् vacanam word, speech (noun, neut. acc. sing.)
अब्रवीत् abravīt [he/she/it] spoke/said (3rd sing. *imperfect*, active from √brū see Table 1)

 Table 1 Conjugation:√brū (Class2 parasmai pada) present & *imperfect*

Table 2 Conjugation of √vac (Class 3 PP) perfect:

BG 1.1 'A śloka a day' #SAH #SanskritGrammar

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः |
मामकाः पाण्डवाश् चैव किम् अकुर्वत संजय ||1||

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca:

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ |

māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva kim akurvata saṃjaya ||1||

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said:

धृतराष्ट्रः dhṛtarāṣṭra (masc, nom, singular like रामः* visarga dropped before उ of उवाच sandhi rules)

उवाच uvāca (3rd singular perfect active √vac) [He/she/it] said

धर्म-क्षेत्रे dharma-kṣetre (n, loc. sg) in/on the field of dharma (genitive tatpuruṣa cpd)

कुरु-क्षेत्रे  kuru-kṣetre (n, loc. sg) in/on the field of kuru (genitive tatpuruṣa cpd)
समवेताः  samavetāḥ  (m nom pl ppp sam ava √i) come together, assembled. visarga is dropped before  य of युयुत्सवः  sandhi rules)

युयुत्सवः (m nom pl desiderative adj √yudh) desiring to fight. Battle hungry
मामकाः māmakāḥ  (m nom pl) mine, my (visarga stays before पाण्डवाः sandhi rules)
पाण्डवाः pāṇḍavāḥ (m nom pl) the sons of Pāṇḍu (visarga becomes श् before succeeding च)

चैव caiva (च +एव) च and  एव indeed; used as a metric filler
किम् kim (interrogative) what; note the म् assimilates with the अ of अकुर्वत and becomes म and not an anusvāra)
अकुर्वत akurvata  (3rd plural imperfect ĀP √kṛ) [they] did

संजय! Saṃjaya (Vocative case, hence no visarga. Top tip to locate direct speech!)

* Please refer to this table to understand the case विभक्ति of the substantives that end with 'अ/a'  like क्षेत्र, etc.

Table generated using http://sanskrit.inria.fr/

Dharma, Artha, Kāma, Mokṣa - XXIV

Several other caveats about presuming the tight compartmentalization across the four varnas of brahmanas, kshastriyas, vaishyas and shudras are in order and for our purposes, we can ignore the tangential point about varna also referring to complexion.  Manu Samhita (such as 5.16-18) has a listing of permissible diet for brahmanas.  This has fish like पाठीन (sheat-fish) and रोहित (rohu carp) and the flesh of animals like porcupines, hedgehogs, iguanas, rhinoceros, tortoises and hares. Who caught the fish?  Who hunted and killed the animals?  As the duties of brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras have been described, it couldn’t have been any of these four categories.  Of course, Sanskrit has words like धीवर for a fisherman and व्याध for a hunter.  But where are they in the four-fold classification?  

Chapter 4 of Yajnavalkya Smriti has a long list of names of children who are born as a result of the father and the mother belonging to different varnas.  The table is indicative.[1]  When the offspring of mixed parentage inter-married, the taxonomy became finer and finer and more and more complicated and this table is actually rather simple.  Since the Dharmashastra texts spent such a great deal of time on the semantics and taxonomy, inter-varna marriages must have been fairly common, despite the avowed intention of marriage and children within the same varna.  The more interesting question is a different one.  Were these professions earmarked for these offspring because their fathers and mothers belonged to specific varnas?  Or did these professions exist and did the ideal or normative system try to fit it into the accepted template by giving all kinds of names to children of mixed parentage?  This isn’t a question to which there is a ready answer.  If the primary determinant is the functional one of professions, then varna is nothing but specialization in society and division of labour.  However, if the primary determinant is birth or heredity, then such specialization is not determined by skills of individuals, but by the accident of their birth.

Father	Mother	Name of offspring	Profession
Brahmana	Kshatriya	Murdhavasikta	Managing horses, elephants, chariots
Brahmana	Vaishya	Ambashta	Medicine
Brahmana	Shudra	Nishada/Parasava	Fishermen/hunters
Kshatriya	Vaishya	Mahishya	Astrology/music
Kshatriya	Shudra	Ugra	Use of weapons
Vaishya	Shudra	Karana	Composer/bard
Kshatriya	Brahmana	Suta	Charioteer
Vaishya	Brahmana	Vaidehika	Guards/carpenters
Shudra	Brahmana	Chandala	Executioner

There is a story in the dana dharma section (a sub-segment of Anushasana Parva) of the Mahabharata. The sage Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa was walking along a road and came upon a worm.  A conversation ensues between the two and Vedavyasa asks the worm why he has been born as a worm. The worm replies, “In earlier times, I was also a man.  I was an extremely rich shudra.  I was not a brahmana.  I was cruel and wicked in the means I used to earn subsistence.  I was harsh in speech.  I was deceitful and unwise.  I hated everything in the universe.  I violated agreements in pursuit of riches.  I was devoted to appropriating the possessions of others. In my household, I did not tend to servants and guests.  I was malicious and cruel and desired to keep the tasty objects for myself.  I did not faithfully offer food at sacrifices meant for the gods and the ancestors.  I did not desire to give any riches.  Nor did I give any food.  I did not protect frightened people who sought refuge and sought protection with me.  I violently cast aside those who were terrified.  I did not save those who were frightened.  On seeing the prosperity of other men, their riches, grain, beloved wives, vehicles and wonderful houses, I indulged in futile acts of jealousy.  I was jealous on seeing the prosperity of others and I desired that they might suffer. .. Earlier, I engaged in these acts, driven by the many qualities of cruelty. Remembering that, I am tormented, just as one is at having to give up a beloved son.  I have not known the fruits of any auspicious deeds I performed.  But I worshipped my aged mother and on one occasion, I worshipped a brahmana, when he came to my house.  He possessed the qualities of good conduct.  Since I worshipped that brahmana as a guest, I have not lost my memory.  It is evident that good act has led to this bit of happiness.”[2]  Blessed by Vedavyasa, the worm went through birth in all the other kinds of species – porcupine, lizard, boar, animal, bird, shvapaka, vaishya and finally, kshatriya.  Vedavyasa told the worm, “Those born as inferior species[3] become shudras. Shudras become vaishyas and vaishyas become kshatriyas.  A kshatriya who discharges his conduct proudly becomes a brahmana.”  

There are plenty of similar stories from the Puranas, suggesting that varna is a function of previous deeds and is therefore fixed in this birth.  Through the cycle of death and rebirth, one climbs up the species ladder and up the varna ladder.  Therefore, varna is a function of birth and this is how the varna system is usually depicted.  However, within the sacred texts, there is a strong counter view too and that also needs flagging.

---

[1] https://archive.org/stream/yajnavalkyasmrit00yj#page/196/mode/2up.  The Yajnvalkya Smriti is dated to between 3^rd and 5^th century CE.  The names of the offspring are from Yajnavalkya Smriti.  The professions are from other commentaries.  These different commentaries differ a bit in detail sometimes, but not very much.

[2] The translation is from The Mahabharata: A Translation, Vol.10, Bibek Debroy, Penguin, 2014.

[3] Sub-human.