The bhū, div, tud, and cur classes

We have learned that there are four special tense-moods and that we create stems for these special tense-moods in ten different patterns. We can sort all verb roots into ten different lists based on which pattern they use. These lists are called verb classes.

Four of these verb classes are quite simple to create and use:

• भू → भव
  bhū → bhava
  be, become → (someone) is or becomes
  

• दिव् → दीव्य
  div → dīvya
  gamble → (someone) gambles
  

• तुद् → तुद
  tud → tuda
  strike (someone) strikes
  

• चुर् → चोरय
  cur → coraya
  steal (someone) steals
  

Let's call these four classes the simple verb classes. Each class is named after the first root in its list.

The bhū class

The bhū class is the largest of the ten verb classes and contains almost half of all verb roots. Here are some examples of this class:

• भू → भवति
  bhū → bhavati
  be, become → (someone) is or becomes
  

• नी → नयति
  nī → nayati
  lead → (someone) leads
  

• शुच् → शोचति
  śuc → śocati
  grieve → (someone) grieves
  

• निन्द् → निन्दति
  nind → nindati
  deride → (someone) derides
  

• जीव् → जीवति
  jīv → jīvati
  live → (someone) lives
  

For most roots in this class, we create a stem by strengthening the root vowel and adding the suffix -a. Here are some examples:

• भू → भो + अ → भव
  bhū → bho + a → bhava
  become
  

• नी → ने + अ → नय
  nī → ne + a → naya
  lead
  

• शुच् → शोच् + अ → शोच
  śuc → śoc + a → śoca
  grieve
  

However, there are some roots that don't use a strengthened vowel. For example, roots whose vowel is a don't change:

• हस् → हस
  has → hasa
  laugh
  

And if a root's syllable would be heavy even after we add -a, then we don't strengthen the root. Or to put it another way, there is no change if the root ends in multiple consonants:

• निन्द् → निन्द
  nind → ninda
  blame
  

Or if the root has a long vowel followed by a consonant:

• जीव् → जीव
  jīv → jīva
  live
  

There are also several roots that form their stems in an unpredictable way. Such stems are called irregular stems. Here are some common examples of irregular stems:

The roots that use irregular stems are all common, and you will see and hear them many times as you engage with real Sanskrit content. So although you might be tempted to memorize these forms, you will acquire them naturally as you continue to read and listen to Sanskrit.

The div class

For roots in the div class, we form a stem by adding -ya to the root. No vowel strengthening occurs:

• मुह् → मुह्य
  muh → muhya
  become confused
  

This class has a few irregular stems. Usually, these irregular stems lengthen the root's vowel. Here are a few examples:

The tud class

For roots in the tud class, we form a stem by adding -a to the root. No vowel strengthening occurs:

• तुद् → तुद
  tud → tuda
  strike
  

The irregular stems in this class usually have an extra nasal sound:

The cur class

For most roots in the cur class, we create the stem by strengthening the root vowel and adding the suffix -aya. Here are some examples:

• चुर् → चोरय
  cur → coraya
  steal → (someone) steals
  

• चिन्त् → चिन्तयति
  cint → cintayati
  think → (someone) thinks
  

Notice that the stem of cint is cintayati, not *centayati. (We use the * symbol to show that this word is not correct Sanskrit.) Since cint ends in multiple consonants, its vowel does not strengthen. So it behaves in the same way as nindati above.

The irregular stems in the cur class usually have extra sounds between the roots and the -aya suffix:

Review

1. How do we usually make stems in the bhū class?

2. How do we usually make stems in the div class?

3. How do we usually make stems in the tud class?

4. How do we usually make stems in the cur class?