Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 52
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications
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APRIL. 1923]
DECLENSION OF THE NOUN IN THE RAMAYAN OF TULSIDAS
71
DECLENSION OF THE NOUN IN THE RÁMÁYAN OF TULSIDAS.
By BABU RAM SAKSENA, MA. 81. Nouns in Sanskrit have three genders, three numbers and eight cases, and the bases end either in consonants or in vowels. Casa-relations are expressed by adding various terminations to the bases. The system of declension in Sanskrit, thus, was very rigid and complicated. A noun could express every thing about itself without invoking the aid of other words in a sentence or of word-order, e.g., putrah is of masculine gender, singular number and nominative case.
Nouns in Modern Awadhil have two genders, the neuter being lost, two numbers, the dual having disappeared, and only two cases, the direct and the oblique. The oblique is employed only for the plural number; so there is only one case the direct--for the singular Case-relations are expressed not by adding terminations to the bases but by using van oue post-positions after the two oases. The bases end either in consonants or in vowels. The system of declension, thus, in Modern Awadhi is very flexible and much simpler than that of the parent-language. For example: pút can be used both as a singular noun and a plural, and, with a post-position, to denote any case-relation.
Mediaeval literature shows a stepping-stone to the modern language. The dual and the dative were dying out by the time of the literary Prakrits. The Apabhramsa stage created further confusion and case-relations could be distinguished only by minor vowel-modifications and the use of nasalisation.
$ 2. The new system was not completely established by the time of Tulsidas. The noun in the Ramayan has two cases : direct and oblique. The oblique has two forms-one for the singular and the other for the plural. Post-positions are not generally employed and the gimple direct or oblique is used. This creates a certain confusion and difficulty in anderstanding the meaning. In the Aranyakânda there are 831 such nouns as require postpositions after them according to the practice of Modern Awadhf, but of these, post-positions are employed only after 215 nouns, i.e., with a little more than 26 per cent.
& 3. Bases usually end in a (e.g., mdhuna, tana), 4 (e.g., déha, batiyd), i (0.g., hari, rahani), 1 (e.g., barlar, kahant), u (e.g., gharu, bau), or (e.g., ndu, batdú). Of these the nouns in a are very few. A few nouns used in the Ramayan end in 6 but all these are probably borrowings from the Braj Bhasha, 2.g., hiyo (Aw. hiyd), céró (Aw. cérd).
Use of the Direct. $ 4. In the singular the direct is used(a) without post-positions as
(1) the subject, e.g., jada laga (I. 386), bhukha butdi (I. 245a); mukhiyd cahiye (II. 315). murucha gas (II, 43) girirdi dye (I. 102a), kuāri rijhai (I. 131); dohát phiri (I. 183); kharabharu pard (1. 83k).
(2) inanimate direct object, e.g., jó bakhara karahi (I. 14), odsu cdrd idi (1. 3026). bharata kahauti kaht (II. 295d), ráma bibdki kinha (I. 23d), dhruva phan pdeu (I. 25e).
1 Vide L.S.I., vol. VI and Lakhimpurt-A Dialoot of Modern Awadh JASB., XVIU (N. 8.) No. 8.
7 This paper is based on a detailed study of the first two ahapters, the Balakanda and the Ayodhyakanda of the Ramdyan and a more general study of the rest. The conclusions do not seem to be upeet by the general study.
i Tho referoncos are to the Ramacaritardnasa edited by five members of the Nagar prachkriol Sabha and published by the Indian Press, Allahabad, in 1915. It is decidedly the most authoritative edition of the Ramdyan, available. The Roman figure denotes the Kanda, ..g., L denotes Bdfaldada, the Arabio figure denotes the number of the dohd and the letters, a, b, c, do, denoto the number of the lizo atordom. Thus 386 denotes the second lino alter the 39th dond.
