Paninis Kaaraka Theory by Malhar Kulkarni HSS IITB

Panini’s Kaaraka Theory by Malhar Kulkarni, HSS, IITB MAK NLP PB IITB

Formal Definition of Sentence in Sanskrit 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 2

1. Padasamuuho vaakyam • A bunch of words is a sentence (Literal Translation). • However, not any bunch. • Gaur ashva. H puru. Sha. H hastii- No • Words which are interconnected • And which form a unit 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 3

2. Ekati. N vaakyam • One verb is a sentence. • Or a group of words with one ti. N is a sentence. • This definition is given by Kaatyaayana. • Formal character of a sentence is highlighted in this definition. • Ti. N is a termination added to the verbal root. (18 in number) 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 4

Ti. N du plu tas anti 1 st 2 nd si thas tha 2 nd thaas aathaa dhva m m 3 rd vas mas 3 rd Person 1 st sg ti mi 12/3/2020 sg Person MAK NLP PB IITB ta i du plu aataam jha vahi mahi 5

3. Padaprakrtih samhitaa • Given in Nirukta(700 BC). • It talks about the interrelation between the internal units of a sentence and the sentence itself. • Samhitaa = sentence. • Samhitaa is the cause of internal units called padas. 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 6

General Structure of a sentence S 1 W 2 W 3 R 1 + T 1 R 2 + T 2 R 3 + T 3 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 7

Roots(R) • Two types of roots. • 1. dhaatu- verbal root indicating an action. • 2. praatipadika- nominal root. Includes a noun, pronoun, adjective, indeclinable, adverb etc. (i. e. everything else than a dhaatu) According to one theory all the praatipadikas are derivable from dhaatus. 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 8

Terminations(T) • • 2 types: Ti. N (discussed earlier) Sup- 21 in number. They are added to the nominal root. 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 9

Sup 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 12/3/2020 Singular su Am aa e as as i Dual au Au bhyaam os os MAK NLP PB IITB Plural as as bhis bhyas aam su 10

Example gopaala. H graamam gacchati gopaala + H graama + am gam + ti graama=village, am= karma, gam= to go, ti= agent, 1 st person, Singular, Preesnt. 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 11

Structure of Sentence Meaning SM 1 WM 2 WM 3 RM 1 + TM 1 RM 2 + TM 2 RM 3 + TM 3 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 12

Contd. – Word meaning • Word meanings are formed by joining together the meanings of the roots and the terminations. • And sentence meaning is formed by joining these word meanings. • WM 1 = RM 1+ TM 1 = [(RM 1) + (TM 1) + Relation of RM 1 and TM 1] • Graamam = to the village = village(RM 1) + karma(TM 1) + abheda i. e the relation between these two. Thus given the Root and Termination meanings, we can say that the word meaning is the relation between these two. 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 13

Sentence Meaning- aadhikayam • SM 1= WM 1 + WM 2 + WM 3 + the interrelation between these three WMs. • [gopaala] + [village which is karma] + [action of going happening in the present tense with the 1 st person, singular agent] + the relation of all these WMs. • Thus given all the word meanings, we can say that a sentence meaning is the relation of all these WMs. (white lines in the diagram) 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 14

Kaaraka Relations 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 15

Relations of WMs • Words formally can be classified into two- those which have sups at the end (subanta) and those which have ti. Ns at the end(ti. Nanta). • Relations between Word Meanings can be classified under two- Relation of subanta with subanta and the relation of subanta with ti. Nanta • The second type of relations are called as Kaaraka relations. 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 16

Kaarakas kartaa Adhi karana karma Kriyaa Apaa daana karana Sampra daana 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 17

Semantic Structure of a Kriyaa kriyaa Kriyaa vyaapaara kartaa phala karma adhikarana 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB adhikarana 18

Significance of a verb • The definition of Kaatyaayana suggests a prime position for a verb. Following is a meaning structure of the verb • Gacchati = gam + ti [to go] [ Agent, person, number, tense] Person and number are related to Agent and tense is related to the action of going indicated by the root gam. Thus we write the technical meaning of this word as 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 19

Contd. • [The action of going happening in the present tense ] + [1 st person, singular, Agent] • = The action of going happening in the present tense whose substratum is the 1 st person, singular agent. • The underlined element can be called as the meaning of the verb, here. 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 20

Meaning denoted by Tin 1. Karaka – kartr / karma / 2. Person – prathama(he/she/it), madhyama(you), uttama(I). 3. Number – singular, dual, plural. 4. Tense / mood 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 21

Case-kaaraka relation Case Meaning (kaaraka denotation) 1 -------[meaning of stem] 2 Karma 3 Kartr / karana 4 Sampradaana 5 Apaadaana 6 -------[relation other than kaaraka] 7 adhikarana 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 22

Kaaraka-Definitions(Panini) • • • Apaadaana- dhruvam apaaye apaadaanam Sampradaana- karmanaa yam abhipraiti sa Adhikarana- aadhaarah adhikaranam Karana- saadhakatamam karanam Karma-kartur iipsitatamam karma Kartr- svatantrah kartaa 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 23

Related Theory • Abhidhaana- expression. Morphological expression • Snaaniiyam cuur. Nam- kara. Na • Daaniiya. H vipra. H-sampradaana • Bhiima. H- apaadaana • Godohanii sthaalii-adhikaraa 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 24

Sources • • • Panini (500 BC)- Astadhyayi Katyayana(350 BC)- Varttika Patanjali(150 BC)- Mahabhashya Bhartrhari(5 th Century. AD)- Vakyapadiya Jayaditya Vamana (6 C. AD)- Kasika Jinendrabuddhi(8 C. AD)- Nyasa Kaiyata(11 C. AD)- Pradipa Madhava(14 C. AD)- Dhatuvritti Bhattoji. Dixita(17 C. AD)- Siddhantakaumudi, Sabdakaustubha etc. Nagesa(18 C. AD)-Paribhasendusekhara, Uddyota etc. 12/3/2020 MAK NLP PB IITB 25