Voice (प्रयोग) - Everything that you must know | Learn Sanskrit

This article is a summary of Voices (प्रयोग) in Sanskrit with an additional explanation about active (kartari) voice and passive (karmani) voices.

Introduction

In Sanskrit – voice means प्रयोग (प्र + युज् = construction/arrangement)
Sentence is a group of words which makes complete sense, which conveys some meaning
Verb denotes an action, which completes the meaning of a sentence. It is a very important factor of a sentence
Subject is that component which does the action in a sentence – doer of the action
Object is a thing/person on which the subject performs the action
Voice is the correlation of subject, object and verb

Transitive verb expects an object – the sentence does not make complete sense if the object is not present
If object is not present in sentences like – बालकः पठति or बालिका खादति – are the verbs पठति and खादति transitive or intransitive?
The same trick is to be used – Who? And What? – Though the answer to What? Is not present in the sentence, it does not mean that the verb is intransitive. We can get possible answers
If we get answer to the question What? Then the verb has to be intransitive

1.Transitive verb changes to Active Voice, Passive Voice
2.Intransitive verb changes to Active Voice, Impersonal Voice
3.Impersonal Voice is never possible for transitive verb
4.Passive Voice is never possible for intransitive verb

Explained

1.Transitive verb changes to Active Voice, Passive Voice
2.Intransitive verb changes to Active Voice, Impersonal Voice
3.Impersonal Voice is never possible for transitive verb
4.Passive Voice is never possible for intransitive verb

In Sanskrit sentence, case of the word is very important, not the position of the word! The cases have specific meanings, so the case of words is important
The first word in a sentence may not necessarily be the subject of the sentence. The case of the words should, therefore, be identified
Nominative case- subject, Accusative case – object
First person – अहम् आवाम् वयम्
Second person – त्वम् युवाम् यूयम्
Third person – all other nouns and pronouns except these six

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Passive Verb Forms

Revision

Passive verb forms may be used in –

Present Tense
Past Tense
Imperative Mood
Potential Mood

Passive Verb Forms
भू (1 PP) to be – Present tense (Active - भवति)

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
भूये	भूयावहे	भूयामहे	1st
भूयसे	भूयेथे	भूयध्वे	2nd
भूयते	भूयेते	भूयन्ते	3rd

भू (1 PP) to be – Past tense (Active - अभवत्)

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
अभूये	अभूयावहि	अभूयामहि	1st
अभूयथाः	अभूयेथाम्	अभूयध्वम्	2nd
अभूयत	अभूयेताम्	अभूयन्त	3rd

भू (1 PP) to be – Imperative Mood (Active - भवतु)

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
भूयै	भूयावहै	भूयामहै	1st
भूयस्व	भूयेथाम्	भूयध्वम्	2nd
भूयताम्	भूयेताम्	भूयन्ताम्	3rd

भू (1 PP) to be – Potential Mood (Active - भवेत्)

Singular	Dual	Plural	Person
भूयेय	भूयेवहि	भूयेमहि	1st
भूयेथाः	भूयेयाथाम्	भूयेध्वम्	2nd
भूयेत	भूयेयाताम्	भूयेरन्	3rd