Learn Sanskrit - Verb Tables - Present Tense - A complete Reference

Verbs are called as क्रियापद-s

In the Sanskrit language, more than 2000 verbal roots exist
These are grouped by Sanskrit grammarian named पाणिनि
They are divided into 10 groups called as गण-s

How to differentiate between these groups?
Each group has a differentiating sign
It is called as the विकरणप्रत्यय

1^st – अ

4^th – य

6^th – अ

10^th – अय

How to form verbs?
1.   Verbal roots e.g. खाद्, चल्, पठ् etc.
2.   विकरणप्रत्यय
3.   Endings of person

Verbal root + विकरणप्रत्यय = अङ्ग of root
पठ् + अ = पठ

अङ्ग of root + ending of person = Verb

Like any other language, there are three tenses in Sanskrit also –

-    Present tense
-    Past tense
-    Future tense

परस्मैपदी endings for Present Tense

Verbal root + विकरणप्रत्यय = अङ्ग of root
अङ्ग of root + ending of person = Verb

Verbal root + विकरणप्रत्यय + ending of person = Verb
पठ् + अ + ति = पठति
पठ् + अ + तः = पठतः
पठ् + अ + अन्ति = पठन्ति (single अ)
पठ् + अ + सि = पठसि
पठ् + अ + थः = पठथः
पठ् + अ + थ = पठथ

पठ् + अ + मि = पठामि
(अ changes to आ when followed by endings beginning with व्, म् )
पठ् + अ + वः = पठावः
पठ् + अ + मः = पठामः

पठ् – to read/learn (1^st गण) PP Present tense

Verbs - Present Tense Tables for PP Endings

Changes occurring in certain verbal roots

E.g.
गम् -> गच्छ् -> गच्छति (to go)
इष् -> इच्छ् -> इच्छति (to wish)
भू -> भव् (to be)
दा -> यच्छ् (to give)
स्मृ -> स्मर् (to remember)
नी -> नय् (to take away)
दृश् -> पश्य् (to see)
शुभ् -> शोभ् (to beautify/ to adorn)
मुद् -> मोद् (to be happy/glad/delighted) etc.

वद् (1 PP) – to speak

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
वदामि	वदावः	वदामः	1st
वदसि	वदथः	वदथ	2nd
वदति	वदतः	वदन्ति	3rd

Similarly, चल् (to walk), धाव् (to run), हस् (to smile/laugh) etc. will be declined

नृत् (4 PP) – to dance

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
नृत्यामि	नृत्यावः	नृत्यामः	1st
नृत्यसि	नृत्यथः	नृत्यथ	2nd
नृत्यति	नृत्यतः	नृत्यन्ति	3rd

Similarly, सिध् (to originate/arise), नश् (to perish), etc. will be declined

लिख् (6 PP) – to write

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
लिखामि	लिखावः	लिखामः	1st
लिखसि	लिखथः	लिखथ	2nd
लिखति	लिखतः	लिखन्ति	3rd

Similarly, विश् (to enter), दिश् (to show), etc. will be declined

कथ् (10 PP) – to tell

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
कथयामि	कथयावः	कथयामः	1st
कथयसि	कथयथः	कथयथ	2nd
कथयति	कथयतः	कथयन्ति	3rd

Similarly, पूज् (to worship), चिन्त् (to think), रच् (to arrange) etc. will be declined

In English -

Pronouns	Person
I, We	1st
You	2nd
He, She, It, They	3rd

Persons in Sanskrit

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
अहम् (I)	आवाम् (Both of us)	वयम् (All of us)	1st
त्वम् (You)	युवाम् (Both of you)	यूयम् (All of you)	2nd
सः (He) बालकः (one boy) वृक्षः (one tree)	तौ (Both) बालकौ (two boys) वृक्षौ (two trees)	ते (All) बालकाः (many boys) वृक्षाः (many trees)	3rd (Masculine)
सा (She) बालिका (one girl) छात्रा (one girl student)	ते (Both) बालिके (two girls) छात्रे (two girl students)	ताः (All) बालिकाः (many girls) छात्राः (many girl students)	3^rd (Feminine)
तत् (That) वनम् (one forest) पत्रम् (one leaf)	ते (Both) वने (two forests) पत्रे (two leaves)	तानि (All) वनानि (many forests) पत्राणि (many leaves)	3^rd (Neuter)

Application of verbs in sentences

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
अहं वदामि (I speak)	आवां वदावः (We both speak)	वयं वदामः (We all speak)	1st
त्वं वदसि (You speak)	युवां वदथः (You both speak)	यूयं वदथ (You all speak)	2nd
सः सा वदति ते (He/ She/ It speaks)	तौ ते वदतः ते (They both speak)	ते ताः वदन्ति तानि (They all speak)	3rd

In the same way, other verbal forms of other verbal roots may also be applied

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
अहं चलामि	आवां चलावः	वयं चलामः	1st
त्वं चलसि	युवां चलथः	यूयं चलथ	2nd
सः सा चलति ते	तौ ते चलतः ते	ते ताः चलन्ति तानि	3rd

In this way, sentences can be made in Sanskrit – few examples

1. I run – अहं धावामि| (अहं – 1^st person singular. So मि used)
2. She walks – सा चलति| (सा – 3^rd person singular. So ति used)
3. Boys play – बालकाः क्रीडन्ति| (बालकाः – 3^rd people plural. So न्ति used)
4. Both of us study – आवां पठावः| (आवां – 1^st person dual. So वः used)

आत्मनेपदी endings of Present Tense

Verbal root + विकरणप्रत्यय + ending of person = Verb
·         This formula can be applied to PP roots as well as AP roots
·         The difference between the two is just in the endings used
·         Also, the विकरणप्रत्यय-s for PP roots and AP roots belonging to the same गण will also be same
भाष् (1 AP) – to speak
भाष् + अ + ते = भाषते
भाष् + अ + इते = भाषेते
भाष् + अ + अन्ते = भाषन्ते (single अ)
भाष् + अ + से = भाषसे
भाष् + अ + इथे = भाषेथे
भाष् + अ + ध्वे = भाषध्वे
भाष् + अ + इ = भाषे
भाष् + अ + वहे = भाषावहे
भाष् + अ + महे = भाषामहे
(अ changes to आ when followed by endings beginning with व्, म् )

Verbs - Present Tense Tables for AP Endings

भाष् (1 AP) – to speak

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
भाषे	भाषावहे	भाषामहे	1st
भाषसे	भाषेथे	भाषध्वे	2nd
भाषते	भाषेते	भाषन्ते	3rd

सेव् (1 AP) – to serve

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
सेवे	सेवावहे	सेवामहे	1st
सेवसे	सेवेथे	सेवध्वे	2nd
सेवते	सेवेते	सेवन्ते	3rd

Similarly, रम् (to enjoy), राज् (to govern/glow), लभ् (to obtain) etc. will be declined
मन् (4 AP) – to accept

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
मन्ये	मन्यावहे	मन्यामहे	1st
मन्यसे	मन्येथे	मन्यध्वे	2nd
मन्यते	मन्येते	मन्यन्ते	3rd

Similarly, खिद् (to feel tired), युध् (to fight), etc. will be declined

दिश् (6 AP) – to order

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
दिशे	दिशावहे	दिशामहे	1st
दिशसे	दिशेथे	दिशध्वे	2nd
दिशते	दिशेते	दिशन्ते	3rd

Similarly, मिल् (to meet), कृष् (to plough), etc. will be declined

मन्त्र् (10 AP) – to council/discuss

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
मन्त्रये	मन्त्रयावहे	मन्त्रयामहे	1st
मन्त्रयसे	मन्त्रयेथे	मन्त्रयध्वे	2nd
मन्त्रयते	मन्त्रयेते	मन्त्रयन्ते	3rd

Similarly, अर्थ् (to wish/request), गण् (to count/take notice of), etc. will be declined

Some roots of the 10^th group are उभयपदी because PP endings as well as AP endings can be attached to the root like पूज् (to worship), कथ् (to tell), रच् (to arrange), चिन्त् (to think).

PP forms

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
पूजयामि	पूजयावः	पूजयामः	1st
पूजयसि	पूजयथः	पूजयथ	2nd
पूजयति	पूजयतः	पूजयन्ति	3rd

AP forms

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
पूजयये	पूजयावहे	पूजयामहे	1st
पूजयसे	पूजयेथे	पूजयध्वे	2nd
पूजयते	पूजयेते	पूजयन्ते	3rd