Chapter 354 - The relation between a noun and a verb in a sentence (kāraka)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Skanda said:

1. I shall describe the kāraka (the relation that exists between a noun and a verb) together with the significance of the inflection (of nouns). (There) is a village. O Great Arka (Sun)! I salute (lord) Viṣṇu together with Śrī (His consort) here.

2-4. The agent is said to be fivefold: (1) The agent is independent. The composers of the sacred knowledge are respected. (2) The agent gets to that cause when the agent is the doer. The dull headed breaks up himself. The tree cuts itself. (3) The agent expressed is good. The agent not expressed is low. (An example) for the agent not expressed (is): The dharma is being expounded to the pupil. Listen to me! (I shall describe) the seven kinds of objects.

5-8a. (The first one is) the desired object such as “An ascetic pays respect to (lord) Hari (Viṣṇu)”. (The second one is) the object that is not desired, such as “A person jumps over a serpent repeatedly.” “After drinking milk, eat dust” (is an example) for neither desired nor not desired (object of the third kind). (The fourth one consists of) not being told (such as) “The cowherd is milking the cow”. (The next one is) the object of the agent such as "Let the preceptor send the disciple to the village”. (An example for the sixth variety, namely), the object that is expressed, (is) “Worship is made to (lord) Hari for prosperity”. “Make an eulogy to (lord) Hari that yields all (things)” (is an example) for the object that is not expressed, (the seventh variety of object).

8b-9a. The instrument is said to be two kinds—external and internal. A person perceives the form by means of the eye (in an example for the internal). May a person cut that with a sickle (is an instance of) external.

9b-10. The sampradāna (giving) is said to be threefold: (1) preraka (sending) a cow to a brahmin, (2) anumantṛka (with consent) (such as) “A person gives a servant for the king”, (3) anirākartṛka (a thing that could not be refused) (such as) “A good person may give flowers to the master.”

11. The apādāna (that which is being taken away) is said to be twofold: (1) calaṃ [cala] (moveable): (A person) has fallen from a running horse and acalaṃ [acala] (immoveable): That devotee of Viṣṇu comes from a village.

12-14a. The adhikaraṇa (the base) is fourfold: (1) vyāpaka (pervading) just as ghee in curd, (2) aupaśleṣika (juxtaposition) is said (to be the existence of) oil in sesamum for the sake of God, (3) vaiṣayika (pertaining to an object) is known (to be) like the monkey may remain on a house (or) a tree, (and) (4) sāmīpyaka (proximate) known (to be) like fish in the water and a lion in a forest. (A fifth variety) is known as aupacārika (metaphorical) such as the existence of a hamlet on the (river) Ganges.

14b-17. (Now I shall describe the use of different inflections indicating different senses.) The third or the sixth (case) is known (to be used) when (the intention is) not expressed. (Lord) Viṣṇu is worshipped by people, To be gone by him or of him (are examples). The first case (is used) when the agent is expressed. (Accusative is used to denote) object: May a person make obeisance to Hari. The third case (is used to denote) cause (of an action)^[1]: May one live for the sake of another. The fourth case is expressive of the purpose for which anything is done^[2]: The water (is) for the three. The fifth case (is indicated) by means of (the words) pari, upa and āṅ etc.^[3] in combination. Outside the village this God was strong before. (Other examples)^[4]. ‘To the east of the village’, ‘without (lord) Viṣṇu (there is) no emancipation' and 'different from Hari’.

18. There would be either third of fifth case with (the words) such as Pṛthak, Vinā etc.^[5]: different from the village, without sport (with the word) śrī (prosperity) (such as) śriyā (instrumental) and śriyaḥ (ablative).

19. There would be second case when combined with kamapravacanīyas.^[6] The warriors are inferior to Arjuna (and) near the village are said (to be examples).

20. The fourth case is used with (the particles) namaḥ (obeisance), svāhā (ablations), svadhā, svasti (well-being) and vaṣaṭ etc.^[7]: Obeisance to the lord and Farewell to thee. (The fourth case) of an abstract noun (formed from a root may be used) to express the sense of the infinitive (of the same root).^[8]

21. (The object governed by an infinitive mood not actually used but implied is put in the fourth case such as) (He) goes for cooking (in order to cook) (pākāya). The third case (is used)when accompanied by (the word) saha. The third case (is also employed) to express the cause or motive^[9] (or the object or purpose of an action), (to express) some defect in a limb^[10] (of the body) or a characteristic attribute^[11] (indicative of the existence of a particular state).

22-23a. (The following are illustrations for the use of the third case): The father went with the son (saha putreṇa); blind of one eye (kāṇo'kṣṇā); He is Hari (apparent) from his club (gadayā); The servant may stay on account of the wealth (arthena). The seventh case (is used (to denote) the time (of action) and becoming. (The following are the examples): One would get release (from bondage) when (lord) Viṣṇu is propitiated (viṣṇau nate). (He) attained Hari in the spring.

23b-24. (We have the sixth or seventh case in the following instances): Master of men (or) master among men, lord of men, lord of good people, witness of men (or) witness among men, lord among the cows, born among the cows (or) born of the cows, a heir or son of kings.

25. (When the word hetu, cause or object is used in a sentence, that which is the object and the word hetu are put in the genitive)^[12]: (A person) dwells for the sake of food. A word or object expressing remembrance (is put in the genitive) (such as): Remembers the mother (mātuḥ), the guardian always. (The genitive is used) in the sense of the subject or the object (of the action denoted by the primary nominal bases): The splitter of water, your action. The genitive (is) not used with past participles (niṣṭhā)^[13].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

cf. Pa. II. 3.

[2]:

See Kale, Higher Skt. Gr. 827.

[3]:

It should be pari, apa and āṅ. See Pa. II. 3. 10.

[4]:

See Kale, ib. 840

[5]:

See Pa II. 3. 32

[6]:

Prepositions used by themselves and governing nouns are known as Karmapravacanīyas. See Pa. II. 3.8.

[7]:

See Pa. II. 3. 16.

[8]:

See Pa. II.3.15.

[9]:

See Pa. II. 3.

[10]:

Cf. Pa. II. 3.20.

[11]:

See Pa. II. 3. 21.

[12]:

Cf. Pa. II. 3. 27.

[13]:

See Pa. II. 3. 69.