Language/Sanskrit/Grammar/Plurals

Sanskrit Grammar - Plurals

Hi Sanskrit learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about plurals in Sanskrit Grammar. Knowing how to form plurals is important to communicate effectively in any language. We will see how to form plurals of different types of nouns in Sanskrit. We will also discuss some interesting facts about the Sanskrit language and culture. So, let's get started!

Introduction

In Sanskrit, like in any other language, there are singular nouns and plural nouns. A singular noun refers to one person, thing, or concept, whereas a plural noun refers to more than one person, thing, or concept. In this lesson, we will learn how to form plurals of different types of nouns in Sanskrit Grammar.

Plural Forms

In Sanskrit, there are four types of plural forms depending upon the ending of the noun -

Ākārānta Plurals

Ākārānta Plurals are those nouns whose last letter (ending of the word) is ā, like रामा (Rāmā - Ram singular). To form a plural of such nouns, replace the last letter (ā) with the letter (ās) in the nominative singular case, which will result in the following declensions -

Sanskrit	Pronunciation	English
रामाः	rāmāḥ	Rāma and others (all masculine nouns)
रामास्तु	rāmāstu	Rāma and others (all neuter nouns)

Example:

• Person 1: रामः क्रीडति। (Rāmaḥ krīḍati - Rama plays.)
• Person 2: रामाः क्रीडन्ति। (Rāmāḥ krīḍanti - Rama and others play.)

Ikārānta Plurals

Ikārānta Plurals are those nouns whose last letter (ending of the word) is i, like गुरु (Guru singular). To form a plural of such nouns, replace the last letter (i) with the letter (ayaḥ) in the nominative singular case, which will result in the following declensions -

Sanskrit	Pronunciation	English
गुरवः	guravaḥ	Gurus
गुरवोऽपि	guravo'pi	Even the Gurus (all masculine nouns)
गुरवस्तु	guravastu	Even the Gurus (all neuter nouns)

Example:

• Person 1: गुरुः दूतम् दशनं ददाति। (Guruḥ dūtam daśanaṃ dadāti - The teacher gives the key to the messenger.)
• Person 2: गुरवः दूतान् दशनानि ददन्ति। (Guravaḥ dūtān daśanāni dadanti - The teachers give the keys to the messengers.)

Ukarānta Plurals

Ukarānta Plurals are those nouns whose last letter (ending of the word) is u, like नदी (nadī- river singular). To form a plural of such nouns, replace the last letter (u) with the letter (avaḥ) in the nominative singular case, which will result in the following declensions -

Sanskrit	Pronunciation	English
नद्यः	nadyaḥ	Rivers
नद्यः शीताः	nadyaḥ śītāḥ	Cold rivers
नदीनाम् उत्क्रमणं सर्वम् चक्रे	nadīnām utkramaṇaṃ sarvam cakre	Everything about the rivers

Example:

• Person 1: नदी शीता भवति। (Nadī śītā bhavati - The river is cold.)
• Person 2: नद्यः शीताः भवन्ति। (Nadyaḥ śītāḥ bhavanti - The rivers are cold.)

Ṛ karānta Plurals

Ṛ karānta Plurals are those nouns whose last letter (ending of the word) is ṛ, like अवनिः (avaniḥ - earth singular). To form a plural of such nouns, replace the last letter (ṛ) with the letter (ṛṣ) in the nominative singular case, which will result in the following declensions -

Sanskrit	Pronunciation	English
अवनिर्णः	avanirṇaḥ	Earths (plurals of masculine nouns)
अवनिर्णोऽपि	avanirṇo'pi	Even the earths (all masculine nouns)
अवनीनां उपक्रमणं सर्वम् चक्रे	avanīnāṃ upakramaṇaṃ sarvam cakre	Everything about the earths (all feminine nouns)

Example:

• Person 1: अवनिः गोप्या भवति। (Avaniḥ gopyā bhavati - The earth is secret.)
• Person 2: अवनिर्णः गोप्याः भवन्ति। (Avanirṇaḥ gopyāḥ bhavanti - The earths are secret.)

Interesting Facts

- Sanskrit is one of the most ancient and classical languages of India. It is said to be more than 5000 years old, and is the mother of many languages like Hindi, Gujarati, and Bengali.

- Sanskrit was considered the language of the gods by the ancient Indians. Many religious and ancient texts are in Sanskrit, like the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. It is also used in many modern fields like science and technology.

- Sanskrit is a highly structured and systematic language. It has a complex grammar and pronunciation, and a rich vocabulary. It is also known for its aesthetic and philosophical qualities.

- The word Sanskrit literally means "perfected language". It is so called because of its grammatical precision and beauty. The Sanskrit language has over 300,000 words, and new words are still being coined.

If you want to learn more about Sanskrit Grammar, please visit the Grammar section on Polyglot Club. To practice your Sanskrit language skills, you can find native speakers and ask them any questions.

Sources

• Sanskrit
• Vedas
• Upanishads

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