Doubling Class
Introduction
Now we will study the last verb class: the doubling class. The verbs from this class are quite different from the verbs we have seen so far. The difference is not just one of stem formation; some of the endings are different, too. But in general, the endings are similar to the endings of the other complex verb classes.
Why are these verbs so complex? Part of the answer is that a large portion of the doubling-class verbs are found only in the Vedas. But although these roots are most common in Vedic texts, some of them are common enough that you should know how to recognize and use them.
Extra rules for the doubling class
ṛ and ṝ both become i.
भृ → बिभृ
bhṛ → bibhṛ
Inflection
The stem is made as follows:
- Strong forms: doubled root, strengthened to the medium level
- Weak forms: doubled root
हु | Singular | Dual | Plural |
---|---|---|---|
Third Person | जुहोति juhoti |
जुहुतः juhutaḥ |
जुह्वति juhvati |
Second Person | जुहोषि juhoṣi |
जुहुथः juhuthaḥ |
जुहुथ juhutha |
First Person | जुहोमि juhomi |
जुहुवः juhuvaḥ |
जुहुमः juhumaḥ |
Here is a summary of the differences between the doubling class and the other complex verb classes.
Verb Form | parasmaipada | ātmanepada |
---|---|---|
present tense | -anti becomes -ati | none |
ordinary past tense | -an becomes -uḥ. If the verb ends in a vowel, then the strong stem is used. | none |
command mood | -antu becomes -atu. -hi becomes -dhi. | none |
option mood | none | none |
present participle | Only the weak stem is used. | none |
The exception for the present participle is easy to understand. Recall that we get the strong shem by removing the i from the third-person plural of the present tense. If we do so for roots in the doubling class, we get -at. This, then,
Irregular Verbs
The doubling class contains two common and irregular verbs: dā, meaning "give," and dhā, meaning "place" or "put." A summary of each verb is below.
dā
- Situation
- Verb form
- strong stem
- dadā
- weak stem
- dad
- PPP
- datta
दिव्यं ददामि ते चक्षुः
divyaṃ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ
I give to you a divine eye. Bhagavad Gita 11.8
देवदत्तः
devadattaḥ
"Given by god"; the name of Arjuna's conch shell.
dhā
- Situation
- Verb form
- strong stem
- dadhā
- weak stem
- dadh
- PPP
- hita
- end of compound
- dhi, dha
- command mood, 2nd. sg.
- dhehi
- gerund (-tvā)
- hitvā
- gerund (-ya)
- dhāya
संहिता
saṃhitā
"set together"; the sandhi-affected mantra portion of the Vedas
संधि
saṃdhi
sandhi