The upasarga

Also known as: the preverb, the preposition, the verb prefix

In traditional grammar, verb prefixes are considered a type of uninflected word. We learned about several different verb prefixes in the core lessons:

• गच्छन्ति → समागच्छन्ति
  gacchanti → samāgacchanti
  they go → they come together; they convene (“go together here”)
  

These verb prefixes are part of a list of twenty special uninflected words. When these words are used as verb prefixes, they are called upasargas. But these words have other meanings and uses, too.

The list

How to use an upasarga

An upasarga usually does one of three things. First, it might change the root's meaning in a straightforward way:

• गच्छन्ति → संगच्छन्ति
  gacchanti → saṃgacchanti
  they go → they meet (“go together”)
  

• नयन्ति → संनयन्ति
  nayanti → saṃnayanti
  they lead → They unite (“lead (others) together”)
  

Second, it might create a totally new meaning. This new meaning usually depends on cultural context:

• गच्छन्ति → अवगच्छन्ति
  gacchanti → avagacchanti
  they go → they understand
  

Third, it might intensify the root's basic meaning or leave it unchanged:

• जयति → संजयति
  jayati → saṃjayati
  they conquer → they (intensely or fully) conquer
  

We can also use multiple upasargas at a time:

• गच्छन्ति → समागच्छन्ति
  gacchanti → samāgacchanti
  they go → they come together; they convene (“go together here”)
  

• नयन्ति → समानयन्ति
  nayanti → samānayanti
  they lead → they gather (“lead together here”)
  

Many Sanskrit verbs use the prefix a-, which usually indicates the past tense. When we use an upasarga, we place it before this a-:

• आ + अगच्छन् → आगच्छन्
  ā + agacchan → āgacchan
  They came.
  

• परि + अगच्छन् → पर्यगच्छन्
  pari + agacchan → paryagacchan
  They went around.
  

In older Sanskrit, the upasarga is a more independent word and can appear almost anywhere in the sentence. But in later Sanskrit, the upasarga usually combines with the verb and creates a single word.

Other uses of these words

Some of these words can be used independently of any verb. Here are some common examples.

api has the sense of “also” or “even” when it follows a word:

• रामो वनं गच्छति। लक्ष्मणो ऽपि वनं गच्छति।
  rāmo vanaṃ gacchati. lakṣmaṇo 'pi vanaṃ gacchati.
  Rama goes to the forest. Lakshmana also goes to the forest.
  

• रामो न रावणाद् अपि भीतः।
  rāmo na rāvaṇād api bhītaḥ.
  Rama is not even afraid of Ravana.
  

api can also be used to ask simple yes/no questions. If it is used this way, it appears at the beginning of the sentence:

• अपि त्वं सुखिनी।
  api tvaṃ sukhinī.
  Are you happy?
  

Another common example is prati. It can be used with a noun in case 2 like so:

• रामं प्रति
  rāmaṃ prati
  regarding Rama, ...
  

• तत् प्रति
  tat prati
  regarding that, ...