Cases
Sanskrit nouns have eight cases: nominative, vocative, accusative, instrumental, dative, ablative, genitive, and locative. Of these eight cases, Pāṇini identified six as kārakas, or accessories to a verb. The six kārakas are the nominative, accusative, dative, instrumental, locative, and ablative cases. He defined them as follows (Ashtādhyāyi, I.4.24-54):
- Apādāna (lit. 'take off'): "(that which is) firm when departure (takes place)." This is the equivalent of the ablative case, which signifies a stationary object from which movement proceeds.
- Sampradāna ('bestowal'): "he whom one aims at with the object". This is equivalent to the dative case, which signifies a recipient in an act of giving or similar acts.
- Karaṇa ("instrument") "that which effects most." This is equivalent to the instrumental case.
- Adhikaraṇa ('location'): or "substratum." This is equivalent to the locative case.
- Karman ('deed'/'object'): "what the agent seeks most to attain". This is equivalent to the accusative case.
- Kartā ('agent'): "he/that which is independent in action". This is equivalent to the nominative case. (On the basis of Scharfe, 1977: 94)
The genitive (Sambandha) and vocative (sambuddha) are not included.
Read more about this topic: Sanskrit Nouns
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