-ṛ stems

Our fourth stem family is the family of -ṛ stems, which are usually masculine or neuter. These stems mostly use the basic nominal endings. But unlike the stems we have seen so far, these stems will change in certain cases and numbers. These changes occur only for the masculine stem.

For example, consider the stem kartṛ, which means “doer” or “maker.” Suppose we use the stem kartṛ in the masculine gender. In cases 1, 2, and 8 (except for the case 2 plural), the stem becomes kartār instead, and the final -r is dropped in the case 1 singular.

Many of the stems that end with consonants change similarly. These changed stems are often called strong stems, and the others are called weak stems. In the table below, all of the strong stems are highlighted:

 SingularDualPlural
Case 1कर्ता
kartā
कर्तारौ
kartārau
कर्तारः
kartāraḥ
Case 2कर्तारम्
kartāram
कर्तारौ
kartārau
कर्तॄन्
kartṝn
Case 3कर्त्रा
kartrā
कर्तृभ्याम्
kartṛbhyām
कर्तृभिः
kartṛbhiḥ
Case 4कर्त्रे
kartre
कर्तृभ्याम्
kartṛbhyām
कर्तृभ्यः
kartṛbhyaḥ
Case 5कर्तुः
kartuḥ
कर्तृभ्याम्
kartṛbhyām
कर्तृभ्यः
kartṛbhyaḥ
Case 6कर्तुः
kartuḥ
कर्त्रोः
kartroḥ
कर्तॄणाम्
kartṝṇām
Case 7कर्तरि
kartari
कर्त्रोः
kartroḥ
कर्तृषु
kartṛṣu
Case 8कर्तः
kartaḥ
कर्तारौ
kartārau
कर्तारः
kartāraḥ

As for the endings used by this stem, we have only a few comments to make. In the singular, notice the use of kartuḥ for cases 5 and 6. The case 7 singular, kartari, uses the normal ending but with a different stem.

In the plural, notice the use of kartṝn and kartṝṇām, which resemble the other masculine endings we've seen:

  • कर्तॄन्, कर्तॄणाम्
    kartṝn, kartṝṇām
    (kartṛ, plural, in cases 2 and 6)

  • गजान्, गजानाम्
    gajān, gajānām
    (gaja, plural, in cases 2 and 6)

  • शुचीन्, शुचीनाम्
    śucīn, śucīnām
    (śuci, plural, in cases 2 and 6)

  • मधून्, मधूनाम्
    madhūn, madhūnām
    (madhu, plural, in cases 2 and 6)

Finally, notice that the case 8 singular is kartaḥ. Here, the original form is kartar, which becomes kartaḥ due to sandhi. kartaḥ and a word like rāmaḥ mostly follow the same sandhi rules. But where rāmaḥ would become rāmo, kartaḥ becomes kartar:

  • रामः नगरम् गच्छति → रामो नगरं गच्छति
    rāmaḥ nagaram gacchati → rāmo nagaraṃ gacchati
    Rama goes to the city.

  • कर्तः नगरम् गच्छ → कर्तर् नगरं गच्छ
    kartaḥ nagaram gaccha → kartar nagaraṃ gaccha
    O doer, go to the city.

Here are the neuter endings for the -r stems:

 SingularDualPlural
Case 1कर्तृ
kartṛ
कर्तृणी
kartṛṇī
कर्तॄणि
kartṝṇi
Case 2कर्तृ
kartṛ
कर्तृणी
kartṛṇī
कर्तॄणि
kartṝṇi
Case 8कर्तृ
kartṛ
कर्तृणी
kartṛṇī
कर्तॄणि
kartṝṇi

These follow the same kinds of patterns we've seen before.

Family words

Many -ṛ stems refer to different family members. The four examples below use the words pitṛ, mātṛ, bhrātṛ, and svasṛ:

  • दशरथो रामस्य पिता
    daśaratho rāmasya pitā.
    Dasharatha is Rama's father.

  • कौसल्या रामस्य माता
    kausalyā rāmasya mātā.
    Kausalya is Rama's mother.

  • लक्ष्मणो रामस्य भ्राता
    lakṣmaṇo rāmasya bhrātā.
    Lakshmana is Rama's brother.

  • रामस्य न स्वसा
    rāmasya na svasā.
    Rama doesn't have a sister.

Most of these words use -ar instead of -ār for their strong stem:

 SingularDualPlural
Case 1पिता
pitā
पितरौ
pitarau
पितरः
pitaraḥ
Case 2पितरम्
pitaram
पितरौ
pitarau
पितॄन्
pitṝn
Case 3पित्रा
pitrā
पितृभ्याम्
pitṛbhyām
पितृभिः
pitṛbhiḥ
Case 4पित्रे
pitre
पितृभ्याम्
pitṛbhyām
पितृभ्यः
pitṛbhyaḥ
Case 5पितुः
pituḥ
पितृभ्याम्
pitṛbhyām
पितृभ्यः
pitṛbhyaḥ
Case 6पितुः
pituḥ
पित्रोः
pitroḥ
पितॄणाम्
pitṝṇām
Case 7पितरि
pitari
पित्रोः
pitroḥ
पितृषु
pitṛṣu
Case 8पितः
pitaḥ
पितरौ
pitarau
पितरः
pitaraḥ

The feminine stem mātṛ uses mātṝḥ in the case 2 plural. Otherwise, it uses the same endings as pitṛ:

 SingularDualPlural
Case 1माता
mātā
मातरौ
mātarau
मातरः
mātaraḥ
Case 2मातरम्
mātaram
मातरौ
mātarau
मातॄः
mātṝḥ
Case 3मात्रा
mātrā
मातृभ्याम्
mātṛbhyām
मातृभिः
mātṛbhiḥ
Case 4मात्रे
mātre
मातृभ्याम्
mātṛbhyām
मातृभ्यः
mātṛbhyaḥ
Case 5मातुः
mātuḥ
मातृभ्याम्
mātṛbhyām
मातृभ्यः
mātṛbhyaḥ
Case 6मातुः
mātuḥ
मात्रोः
mātroḥ
मातॄणाम्
mātṝṇām
Case 7मातरि
mātari
मात्रोः
mātroḥ
मातृषु
mātṛṣu
Case 8मातः
mātaḥ
मातरौ
mātarau
मातरः
mātaraḥ

However, svasṛ uses the normal strong stem (svasār). Here are the cases that differ from mātṛ above:

 SingularDualPlural
Case 1स्वसा
svasā
स्वसारौ
svasārau
स्वसारः
svasāraḥ
Case 2स्वसारम्
svasāram
स्वसारौ
svasārau
स्वसॄः
svasṝḥ
Case 8स्वसः
svasaḥ
स्वसारौ
svasārau
स्वसारः
svasāraḥ

Review

We are almost done with our study of the major stem families.

  1. What is the strong stem of kartṛ?

  2. What is the strong stem of pitṛ?

  3. What is the strong stem of svasṛ?