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Exercise Page 165
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बहुव्रीहि
A compound in which the first word describes the second word can be of two types. The first is कर्मधारय compound, which was taught in Lesson 12. For example 'कृष्णकेश' (कृष्ण = 'dark', केश = 'hair'), means 'dark hair'. The same compound can also be of a second type, with the meaning 'the one whose hair is dark'. As a कर्मधारय, 'कृष्णकेश' refers to the second word of the compound, i.e. 'hair'. As the second type of compound, 'कृष्णकेश' refers to a noun that is not present in the compound, i.e. 'the one (whose hair is dark)'. This second type of compound, which refers to a word that is not present in the compound, is called बहुव्रीहि.
कर्मधारय and बहुव्रीहि compounds often appear identical. Therefore ultimately only context can indicate whether a particular compound is a कर्मधारय or बहुव्रीहि. However, a बहुव्रीहि is often used in a sentence along with the noun it refers to, e.g. 'कृष्णकेशः नरः आगच्छति'. Additionally, a बहुव्रीहि acts as an adjective for the noun it refers to. As an adjective, it must agree in gender, case, and number with that noun. Therefore the gender of a बहुव्रीहि compound as a whole can be different from the usual gender of its second word. For example, in the compound 'कृष्णकेश', the second word 'केश' is masculine. However if the compound as a whole refers to a neuter noun, such as the word 'मित्र' ('friend'), it will decline as a neuter word, i.e. 'कृष्णकेशं मित्रम्' (not 'कृष्णकेशः मित्रम्'). Thus if the gender of a compound as a whole is different from the usual gender of the second word in the compound, it is likely a बहुव्रीहि.
On its own, a बहुव्रीहि compound is translated as "the one(s)... SECOND WORD is/are FIRST WORD". The '...' after 'the one(s)' is replaced by the appropriate relative pronoun. Most often, 'whose' and 'by whom' are used. For example, अनधिगतशास्त्र (अनधिगत = 'unlearned' शास्त्र = 'scripture') can be translated as 'the one by whom scripture is unlearned', and उद्विग्नचित्त (उद्विग्न = 'agitated', चित्त = 'mind') can be translated as 'the one whose mind is agitated'. However when placed in a sentence, the English translation of a बहुव्रीहि can vary. For example नृपः उद्विग्नचित्तः अभवत् = 'The king was the one whose mind was agitated' = 'The king had an agitated mind' or 'The king's mind was agitated'.
The case of relative pronoun used determines the type of बहुव्रीहि. For example 'the one whose mind is agitated" is a Sixth Case बहुव्रीहि, while 'the one by whom scripture is unlearned' is a Third Case बहुव्रीहि.
The following table summarizes and compares the three types of compounds learned so far:
कर्मधारय and बहुव्रीहि compounds often appear identical. Therefore ultimately only context can indicate whether a particular compound is a कर्मधारय or बहुव्रीहि. However, a बहुव्रीहि is often used in a sentence along with the noun it refers to, e.g. 'कृष्णकेशः नरः आगच्छति'. Additionally, a बहुव्रीहि acts as an adjective for the noun it refers to. As an adjective, it must agree in gender, case, and number with that noun. Therefore the gender of a बहुव्रीहि compound as a whole can be different from the usual gender of its second word. For example, in the compound 'कृष्णकेश', the second word 'केश' is masculine. However if the compound as a whole refers to a neuter noun, such as the word 'मित्र' ('friend'), it will decline as a neuter word, i.e. 'कृष्णकेशं मित्रम्' (not 'कृष्णकेशः मित्रम्'). Thus if the gender of a compound as a whole is different from the usual gender of the second word in the compound, it is likely a बहुव्रीहि.
On its own, a बहुव्रीहि compound is translated as "the one(s)... SECOND WORD is/are FIRST WORD". The '...' after 'the one(s)' is replaced by the appropriate relative pronoun. Most often, 'whose' and 'by whom' are used. For example, अनधिगतशास्त्र (अनधिगत = 'unlearned' शास्त्र = 'scripture') can be translated as 'the one by whom scripture is unlearned', and उद्विग्नचित्त (उद्विग्न = 'agitated', चित्त = 'mind') can be translated as 'the one whose mind is agitated'. However when placed in a sentence, the English translation of a बहुव्रीहि can vary. For example नृपः उद्विग्नचित्तः अभवत् = 'The king was the one whose mind was agitated' = 'The king had an agitated mind' or 'The king's mind was agitated'.
The case of relative pronoun used determines the type of बहुव्रीहि. For example 'the one whose mind is agitated" is a Sixth Case बहुव्रीहि, while 'the one by whom scripture is unlearned' is a Third Case बहुव्रीहि.
The following table summarizes and compares the three types of compounds learned so far:
Longer Compounds
In general, compounds are formed by joining two stems at a time. Longer compounds are analyzed by identifying the order in which stems have been joined together. As with shorter compounds, the meaning of a longer compound can usually be understood intuitively. For example, the compound सर्वप्रभुगुणसंयुक्त means 'endowed with all the qualities of a master'. The compound is broken as follows:
- सर्वप्रभुगुणैः संयुक्तः = सर्वप्रभुगुणसंयुक्तः (Third case तत्पुरुष)
- सर्वे प्रभुगुणाः = सर्वप्रभुगुणाः (कर्मधारय)
- प्रभोः गुणाः = प्रभुगुणाः (Sixth case तत्पुरुष)
NOTE: A new vowel sandhi is introduced in the exercise in the compound नीतिशास्त्रोपदेश. When अ/आ is followed by उ/ऊ, both are together replaced by ओ. Thus नीतिशास्त्र + उपदेश = नीतिशास्त्रोपदेश. Incidentally a similar sandhi rule is: when अ/आ is followed by इ/ई, both are together replaced by ए. These rules will be formally introduced in Lesson 15.
