Grammar Tutorial - Past Tense / लङ्लकार / laN^lakaara

MKP June 26, 2022

Grammar Tutorial :- Past Tense / लङ्लकार / laN^lakaara

लङ्लकार / laN^lakaara (Past Tense): In previous chapter we studied about future tense. In this chapter we will study about past tense. लङ्लकार (laN^lakaara) verb-forms represent the past tense in a sentence. So, while forming sentences in past tense we need to use verbd-forms from लङ्लकार (laN^lakaara).

The complete लङ्लकार / laN^lakaara of पठ् / paTh (read) and गम् / gam (go) धातु / dhaatu are given at the end of this chapter for reference. Study the following sentences. These are in भुतकाल (bhutakaala) or past tense.

आङ्ग्लभाषा / English संस्कृत / Sanskrit Subject

शब्द / shabda Verb

धातु / dhaatu Comments

Past Tense - Third Person Singular

भुतकाल प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन / bhutakaala prathamapuruSha ekavachana

1. The boy was reading. बालकः अपठत्

baalakaH apaThat बालक

baalaka पठ्

paTh -

2. The girl was reading. बालिका अपठत्

baalikaa apaThat बालिका

baalikaa पठ्

paTh -

3. Rama was reading. रामः अपठत्

raamaH apaThat राम

raama पठ्

paTh -

4. Sita was reading. सीता अपठत्

siitaa apaThat सीता

siitaa पठ्

paTh -

5. The boy was going. बालकः अगच्छत्

baalakaH agachchhat बालक

baalaka गम्

gam -

6. The girl was going. बालिका अगच्छत्

baalikaa agachchhat बालिका

baalikaa गम्

gam -

Past Tense - Third Person Plural

भुतकाल प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचन / bhutakaala prathamapuruSha bahuvachana)

7. The boys were reading. बालकाः अपठन्

baalakaaH apaThan बालक

baalaka पठ्

paTh -

8. The girls were reading. बालिकाः अपठन्

baalikaaH apaThan बालिका

baalikaa पठ्

paTh -

9. Students were reading. च्छात्राः अपठन्

chchhaatraaH apaThan च्छात्र

chchhaatra पठ्

paTh -

10. Clearks were reading. लिपिकाराः अपठन्

lipikaaraaH apaThan लिपिकार

lipikaara पठ्

paTh -

11. The boys were going. बालकाः अगच्छन्

baalakaaH agachchhan बालक

baalaka गम्

gam -

12. The girls were going. बालिकाः अगच्छन्

baalikaaH agachchhan बालिका

baalikaa गम्

gam -

In setences 1 to 6, the Subject (कर्ता / kartaa) is in 3rd person singular (प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन / prathamapuruSha ekavachana). As the verb always follows the number and peson, the verb (पठति / paThati) is also in 3rd person singular (प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन / prathamapuruSha ekavachana).

In case of setences 7 to 12, the Subject (कर्ता / kartaa) is in 3rd person plural (प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचन / prathamapuruSha bahuvachana). Similarly the verb (पठन्ति / paThanti) is also in प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचन / prathamapuruSha bahuvachana of verb पठ् (paTh).

All the above sentences were in third person (प्रथमपुरुष / prathamapuruSha). Now let us study the following sentences. These are in second person (मध्यमपुरुष / madhyamapuruSha) and first person (उत्तमपुरुष / uttamapuruSha).

आङ्ग्लभाषा / English संस्कृत / Sanskrit Subject

शब्द / shabda Verb

धातु / dhaatu Comments

Past Tense - Second Person Singular

भुतकाल मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन / bhutakaala madhyamapuruSha ekavachana

13. You were going. त्वं अगच्छः

tva.n agachchhaH युस्मद्

yusmad गम्

gam -

14. You were reading. त्वं अपठः

tva.n apaThaH युस्मद्

yusmad पठ्

paTh -

Past Tense - First Person Singular

भुतकाल उत्तमपुरुष एकवचन / bhutakaala uttamapuruSha ekavachana

15. I was going. अहं अगच्छम्

aha.n agachchham अस्मद्

asmad गम्

gam -

16. I was reading. अहं अपठम्

aha.n apaTham अस्मद्

asmad पठ्

paTh -

Past Tense - Second Person Plural

भुतकाल मध्यमपुरुष बहुवचन / bhutakaala madhyamapuruSha bahuvachana)

17. You all were going. युयं अगच्छत

yua.n agachchhata युस्मद्

yusmad गम्

gam -

18. You all were reading. युयं अपठत

yua.n apaThata युस्मद्

yusmad पठ्

paTh -

Past Tense - First Person Plural

भुतकाल उत्तमपुरुष बहुवचन / bhutakaala uttamapuruSha bahuvachana)

19. We all were going. वयं अगच्छाम

vaya.n agachchhaama अस्मद्

asmad गम्

gam -

20. We all were reading. वयं अपठाम

vaya.n apaThaama अस्मद्

asmad पठ्

paTh -

In sentences 13 and 14 the Subject (kartaa) is in second person singular (मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन / madhyamapuruSha ekavachana) and in case of 17 and 18 the Subject (kartaa) is in second person plural (मध्यमपुरुष बहुवचन / madhyamapuruSha bahuvachana). We can see that in all these sentences the Subject used is युस्मद् (yusmad) शब्द (shabda). In case of second person the kartaa is always युस्मद् (yusmad) शब्द (shabda).

In sentences 15 and 16 the Subject is in first person singular (उत्तमपुरुष एकवचन / uttamapuruSha ekavachana). In case of 19 and 20 the Subject is in first person plural (उत्तमपुरुष बहुवचन / uttamapuruSha bahuvachana). In all these sentences the Subjects used is अस्मद् (asmad) शब्द (shabda). In case of first person the kartaa is always अस्मद् (asmad) शब्द (shabda).

The followings are the dual number form of above sentences.

आङ्ग्लभाषा / English संस्कृत / Sanskrit Subject

शब्द / shabda Verb

धातु / dhaatu Comments

Past Tense - Dual

भुतकाल द्विवचन / bhutakaala dvivachana)

21. Two boys were reading. बालकौ अपठताम्

baalakau apaThataam बालक

baalaka पठ्

paTh -

22. Two girls were reading. बालिके अपठताम्

baalike apaThataam बालिका

baalikaa पठ्

paTh -

23. Two boys were going. बालकौ अपठताम्

baalakau apaThataam बालक

baalaka गम्

gam -

24. Two girls were going. बालिके अगच्छताम्

baalike agachchhataam बालिका

baalikaa गम्

gam -

25. Two students were reading. च्छात्रौ अपठताम्

chchhatrau apaThataam च्छात्र

chchhaatra पठ्

paTh -

26. Two clearks were reading. लिपिकारौ अपठताम्

lipikaarau apaThataam लिपिकार

lipikaara पठ्

paTh -

27. Both of you were going. युवां अगच्छतम्

yuvaa.n agachchhatam युस्मद्

yusmad गम्

gam -

28. Both of you were reading. युवां अपठतम्

yuvaa.n apaThatam युस्मद्

yusmad पठ्

paTh -

29. Both of us were going. आवां अगच्छाव

aavaa.n agachchhaava अस्मद्

asmad गम्

gam -

30. Both of us were reading. आवां अपठाव

aavaa.n apaThaava अस्मद्

asmad पठ्

paTh -

At the end of this chapter in Verb Forms - Practice Sentences 1 a collection of many Sanskrit sentences using लङ्लकार / laN^lakaara are given. You will know about many more nouns (शब्द / shabda) and verbs (धातु / dhaatu) in those.

In the next chapter we will study आझयांलोट्लकार (aajhaayaa.nloTlakaara) or verb-forms representing commands and requests.

Read / पठ् / paTh : लङ्लकार / laN^lakaara

(Past tense / भुतकाल / bhutakaala)

Person / पुरुष / puruSha Number / वचन / vachana

Singular

एकवचन / ekavachana Dual

द्वीवचन / dviivachana Plural

बहुवचन / bahuvachana

Third

प्रथम / prathama अपठत् / apaThat अपठताम् / apaThataam अपठन् / apaThan

Second

मध्यम / madhyama अपठः / apaThaH अपठतम् / apaThatam अपठत / apaThata