लट्लकार / laTlakaara (Present Tense): लट्लकार (laTlakaara) represents verb-forms in present tense (वर्तमानकाल / vartamaanakaala). So, while forming a sentence which is in present tense, the verb (क्रिया / kriaa) has to be in लट्लकार (laTlakaara). The complete लट्लकार / laTlakaara of पठ् / paTh (read) and गम् / gam (go) धातु / dhaatu are given at the end of this chapter for reference. Study the following sentences. These are in वर्तमानकाल (vartamaanakaala) or present tense.
In setences 1 to 6, the Subject (कर्ता / kartaa) is in 3rd person singular (प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन / prathamapuruSha ekavachana). As the verb always follows the number and peson, the verb (पठति / paThati) is also in 3rd person singular (प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन / prathamapuruSha ekavachana). In case of setences 7 to 12, the Subject (कर्ता / kartaa) is in 3rd person plural (प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचन / prathamapuruSha bahuvachana). Similarly the verb (पठन्ति / paThanti) is also in प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचन / prathamapuruSha bahuvachana of verb पठ् (paTh). One thing we can note that the gender of Subject does not affect the verb-form in use. Only the number and person are followed by verb. In case sentences 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 and 11 the Subject are in musculine (पुङ्लिन्ग / puN^linga) gender. In case of sentences 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 the Subject are in feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग / striiliN^ga). However in neither case the verb depends upon the gender. All the above sentences were in third person (प्रथमपुरुष / prathamapuruSha). Now let us study the following sentences. These are in second person (मध्यमपुरुष / madhyamapuruSha) and first person (उत्तमपुरुष / uttamapuruSha).
In sentences 13 and 14 the Subject (kartaa) is in second person singular (मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन / madhyamapuruSha ekavachana)and in case of 17 and 18 the Subject (kartaa) is in second person plural (मध्यमपुरुष बहुवचन / madhyamapuruSha bahuvachana). We can see that in all these sentences the Subject used is युस्मद् (yusmad) शब्द (shabda). In case of second person the kartaa is always युस्मद् (yusmad) शब्द (shabda). In sentences 15 and 16 the Subject is in first person singular (उत्तमपुरुष एकवचन / uttamapuruSha ekavachana). In case of 19 and 20 the Subject is in first person plural (उत्तमपुरुष बहुवचन / uttamapuruSha bahuvachana). In all these sentences the Subjects used is अस्मद् (asmad) शब्द (shabda). In case of first person the kartaa is always अस्मद् (asmad) शब्द (shabda). As we know unlike English or any other language, Sanskrit language has three different numbers viz., singular, plural and dual. This dual number is specific to Sanskrit and must be used accordingly. The followings are the dual number form of above sentences.
At the end of this chapter in Verb Forms - Practice Sentences 1 a collection of many Sanskrit sentences using लट्लकार / laTlakaara are given. You will know about many more nouns (शब्द / shabda) and verbs (धातु / dhaatu) in those. In the next chapter we will study लृट्लकार (lRRiTlakaara) or future tense.