-tvā and -ya

Also known as: the gerund, the absolutive, the indeclinable or adverbial participle

We will start this topic by learning about the root suffixes -tvā and -ya. Both of these suffixes create uninflected words.

-tvā

Also known as: ktvā

When added to some root that means “X,” -tvā creates a word that means “after X-ing.” In other words, -tvā shows that one action happens before another.

For example, suppose we have these two simple sentences:

• रामो लङ्कां गच्छति।
  rāmo laṅkāṃ gacchati.
  Rama goes to Lanka.
  

• रामो रावणं पश्यति।
  rāmo rāvaṇaṃ paśyati.
  Rama sees Ravana.
  

We can combine them like so:

• रामो लङ्कां गत्वा रावणं पश्यति
  rāmo laṅkāṃ gatvā rāvaṇaṃ paśyati
  Rama, after going to Lanka, sees Ravana.
  

-tvā can cause many sandhi changes. We will discuss these sandhi changes further below.

-ya

Also known as: lyap

-ya has the same meaning as -tvā. If the root uses a verb prefix, we always use -ya. Otherwise, we use -tvā.

For example, if we have these two simple sentences:

• हनुमान् रामं प्रतिगच्छति।
  hanumān rāmaṃ pratigacchati.
  Hanuman returns to Rama.
  

• हनुमान् हृष्यति।
  hanumān hṛṣyati.
  Hanuman rejoices.
  

Then we can combine them with -ya:

• हनुमान् रामं प्रतिगम्य हृष्यति।
  hanumān rāmaṃ pratigamya hṛṣyati.
  Hanuman, after returning to Rama, rejoices.
  

If the root ends in a short vowel, then we add an extra -t after the root:

• आहृ → आहृत्य
  āhṛ → āhṛtya
  fetch → after fetching
  

Sound changes for -tvā

Unlike many suffixes, -tvā does not strengthen the root's vowel:

• नी → नीत्वा
  nī → nītvā
  lead → after leading
  

• भू → भूत्वा
  bhū → bhūtvā
  become → after becoming
  

• कृ → कृत्वा
  kṛ → kṛtvā
  do → after doing
  

As usual, some roots use the connecting iṭ sounds and others do not. Here are some roots that use iṭ:

• वन्द् → वन्दित्वा
  vand → vanditvā
  venerate → after venerating
  

• पठ् → पठित्वा
  paṭh → paṭhitvā
  read, recite → after reading or reciting
  

If a root ends in a consonant and does not use iṭ, then the root's last consonant sound might contact the -t in -tvā. This contact causes many sandhi changes.

For example, if the root's last sound is a voiced aspirated consonant (gh jh ḍh dh bh h), -tvā usually becomes -dhvā:

• लभ् → लब्ध
  labh → labdha
  obtain → obtained
  

• बुध् → बुद्ध
  budh → buddha
  awake → awakened
  

• दह् → दग्ध्वा
  dah → dagdhvā
  burn → after burning
  

A root's last -c usually becomes -k:

• मुच् → मुक्त
  muc → mukta
  free, release → freed, released
  

And its last -j usually becomes either -k or -ṣ:

• युज् → युक्त्वा
  yuj → yuktvā
  yoke, join → after yoking or joining
  

• मृज् → मृष्ट्वा
  mṛj → mṛṣṭvā
  wipe, polish, clean → after wiping, polishing, or cleaning
  

Roots that end in -ā, -e, or -ai often use -i or -ī for their vowels:

• स्था → स्थित्वा
  sthā → sthitvā
  stand → after standing
  

• गै → गीत्वा
  gai → gītvā
  sing → after singing
  

Some roots that end in -m or -n lose that sound:

• गम् → गत्वा
  gam → gatvā
  go → after going
  

• हन् → हत्वा
  han → hatvā
  kill → after killing
  

• मन् → मत्वा
  man → matvā
  think → after thinking
  

For some roots, their semivowels become vowels and any other vowel sounds they have are removed. This change is called samprasāraṇa. Here are some examples:

• वच् → उक्त्वा
  vac → uktvā
  speak → after speaking
  

• स्वप् → सुप्त्वा
  svap → suptvā
  sleep → after sleeping
  

• यज् → इष्ट्वा
  yaj → iṣṭvā
  sacrifice → after sacrificing
  

• ग्रह् → गृहीत्वा
  grah → gṛhītvā
  grab → after grabbing
  

• वस् → उषित्वा
  vas → uṣitvā
  live → after living
  

• प्रछ् → पृष्ट्वा
  prach → pṛṣṭvā
  ask → after asking
  

And there are other irregular changes too:

• दा → दत्त्वा
  dā → dattvā
  give → after giving
  

Review

-tvā and -ya are common suffixes that are worth knowing well.