Accusative Case / द्वितीया विभक्ति (dvitiiyaa vibhakti): Accusative Case or
द्वितीया विभक्ति (dvitiiyaa vibhakti) of noun-form represents the "to what" or "to whom" of the sentence. In other words accusative case represents the object or कर्म (karmaa) in the sentence.
Study the following sentences. These are in accusative case.
आङ्ग्लभाषा / English | संस्कृत / Sanskrit | Notes |
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1. The painter is painting a portrait. | चित्रकारः चित्रं लिखति chitrakaaraH chitra.n likhati | In these sentences portrait (चित्र / chitra), wood (काष्ठ / kaaShTha), songs (पद्य / padya), city (नगरी / nagarii), stanza (श्लोक / shloka), permission (अनुमति / anumati), school (विद्यालय / vidyaalaya) and book (पुस्तक / pustaka) are objects. |
2. The carpenter is chopping wood. | तक्षकः काष्ठं तक्षति takshakaH kaaShTha.n takshati |
3. Poets are writing songs. | कवयः पद्यानि लिखन्ति kavayaH padyaani likhanti |
4. Enemies are attacking the city. | शत्रवः नगरीम् आक्रामन्ति shatravaH nagariim aakraamanti |
5. Studetns are singing the stanzas. | च्छात्राः श्लोकान् गायन्ति chchhaatraaH shlokaan gaayanti |
6. Commette gave the permission. | समिति अनुमतिम् अयच्छत् samiti anumatim ayachchhat |
7. Boy is going to school. | बालः विद्यालम् गच्छति baalaH vidyaalayam gachchhati |
8. Girl is reading the book. | बाला पुस्तकम् पठति baalaa pustakam paThati |
In sentence 1 above, if we ask the question "what is the painter painting?", the answer that comes is
"the portrait". So, "portrait" is the object in the sentence and the noun-form is in accusative case or dvitiiyaa vibhakti. Similarly in sentence 6, if we ask the question "what did the commette gave?", the answer that comes is "permission". In case of sentence 7, if we ask the question "where is the boy going to?", the answer that comes is "school".
So, answer to the question "to what", "to whom" or "to where" etc., is the object in the sentence and is always in accusative case. The verb form is independent of the number or वचन (vachana) of the object.
Grammatical Rule
In active voice sentences the object always inaccusative case.
Besides the above rule there are few special rules where
accusative case is used. Followings are
examples of these.
आङ्ग्लभाषा / English | संस्कृत / Sanskrit | Notes |
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9. Tigress lives in the forest. | व्याघ्री वनम् अधितिष्ठति / अधिवसति vyaaghrii vanam adhitiShThati / adhivasati | Verbs तिष्ठति (tiShThati) and वसति (vasati) prefixed with prepositions (उपसर्ग / upasarga) अधि (adhi) or उप (upa). |
10. Parvati lives in the Himalays. | पार्वती कैलासगिरीम् अधिवसति paarvatii kailaasagiriim adhivasati |
11. Rama lives in village. | रामः ग्रामं उपवसति/अधिवसति raamaH graama.n upavasati / adhivasati |
12. Around the Himalayas there are forests. | हिमालयम् अभितः अरण्यानि सन्ति himaalayam abhitaH araNyaani santi | Use of indeclinable अभितः (abhitaH), उभयतः (ubhayataH), समया (samayaa), निकषा (nikaShaa), अन्तरा (antaraa) and परितः (paritaH) to represent location. |
13. Inside the pond there is a temple. | सरोवरं अन्तरा मन्दिरं अस्ति sarovara.n antaraa mandira.n asti |
14. Around the house there is a wall. | गृहं परितः प्राचीरं अस्ति gRRiha.n paritaH praachiira.n asti |
15. Near the school there is a garden. | विद्यालयं निकषा उद्यानं अस्ति vidyaalaya.n nikaShaa udyaana.n asti |
16. Both side of river there are hills. | नदीं उभयतः सोपानानि सन्ति nadii.n ubhayataH sopaanaani santi |
17. Inside the pond there are blue lotuses. | सरोवरं अन्तरा नीलोत्पलानि सन्ति sarovara.n antaraa niilotpalaani santi |
18. Near the school there are shops. | विद्यालयं समया आपणाः सन्ति vidyaalaya.n samayaa aapaNaaH santi |
19. Solders went on both sides of the road. | सैनिकाः मार्गम् उभयतः अगच्छत् sainikaaH maargam ubhayataH agachchhat |
20. Behind father son is going. | पितरं अनु पुत्रः गच्छति pitara.n anu putraH gachchhati | Use of indeclinable अनु (anu), उपयुपरि (upayupari), अध्यधि (adhyaaghi), अधोधः (adhodhaH) representing before, after, above, towards top location. |
21. There are many fruits above (on top of) the tree. | वृक्षं उपयुपरि वहुनि फलानि सन्ति vRRiksha.n upayupari vahuni phalaani santi |
22. The girl is singing beautifully. | बालिका मधुरं गायति baalikaa madhura.n gaayati | Use of verbal adjective or क्रियाविशेषण (kriyaavisheShaNa). |
23. The boy is looking with surprise. | बालः साश्चर्यम् पश्यति baalaH saashcharyam pashyati |
24. It is raining everywhere in the country. | देशं सर्वतः वर्षा भवन्ति desha.n sarvataH varShaa bhavanti | Expressing spread of time or space. |
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25. Madhu read grammar for a month. | मधुः मासं व्याकरणं पठितवान् madhuH maasa.n vyaakaraNa.n paThitavaan |
26. The mountain spreads two yojanas. | गिरिः द्वियोजनं वर्त्तते giriH dviyojana.n varttate |
27. Without teacher there is no knowledge. | गुरुं विना विद्या नास्ति guru.n vinaa vidyaa naasti | Use of indeclinable विना (vinaa), ऋते (RRite) etc. |
28. Go upto home. | गृहं यावत् गच्छ gRRiha.n yaavat gachchha | rowspan="2" | Use of words प्रति (prati), यावत् (yaavat) etc. |
29. Tiger is running towards the goat. | व्याघ्रः छागं प्रति धावति vyaagraH chhaaga.n prati dhaavati |
30. Fie on fool. | मुर्खं धिक् murkha.n dhik | Use of word धिक् dhik. |
Grammatical Rule
If the verbs तिष्ठति (tiShThati) and वसति (vasati) meaning lives or stays are prefixed with the preposition (उपसर्ग / upasarga) अधि (adhi) or उप (upa), then the word expressing the location will follow accusative case instade of locative case.
In sentence 9 above the answer to question "where does tigress live?" should be "in the forest". The noun-form should be in
locative case i.e., वने (vane). However since the verb वसति (vasati) is prefixed with preposition अधि (adhi) the
accusative case वनम् (vanam) is used instade of
locative case. Sentence 10 and 11 follow the same rule.
Grammatical Rule
If the indeclinables अभितः (abhitaH), उभयतः (ubhayataH), समया (samayaa), निकषा (nikaShaa), अन्तरा (antaraa) and परितः (paritaH) etc., are in use then the word expressing location will be in accusative case.
In sentence 12 above the answer to question "where are the forests?" should be "around Himalayas". Similarly in sentence 13 if we ask the question "where is the temple?", the answer will be "inside the pond". However in these case
indeclinables अभितः (abhitaH) and परितः (paritaH) are used to express the location. Hence the words expressing the location (Himalayas and pond) are in
accusative case. Sentences 12, 13, 14, 15, 15, 17, 18 and 19 follow the same rule.
Grammatical Rule
When indeclinables अनु (anu), उपयुपरि (upayupari), अध्यधि (adhyaadhi) etc., are used, words governed by these will be in accusative case.
Sentences 20 and 21 follow this rule.
Grammatical Rule
Verbal Adjective (क्रियाविशेषण / kriyaavisheShaNa) expressing the characteristic or attribute of the verb in the sentence will be in accusative case.
In sentence 22 above if the question is asked "how is the girl singing?" the answer that comes is "beautifully". Here beautifully is an attribute or
verbal adjective for the verb "singing". Since the word beautifully is a
verbal adjective or क्रियाविशेषण (kriyaavisheShaNa) it is in
accusative case. Sentence 23 also follows this rule.
Grammatical Rule
When a word represents a spread of time or space then it takes the accusative
form.
In sentence 24 above the word "everywhere" expresses a spread of space. So, the word country has taken the
accusative case देशं (desha.n) instead of
locative case देशे (deshe). Similarly in sentence 25"for a month" expresses a span of time. So, the word month has taken the
accusative case मासं (maasa.n). Sentence 26 follow this rule as it expresses a span of space.
Grammatical Rule
When words विना (vinaa) or ऋते (RRite) meaning "without" is used, words governed by it will be in accusative case.
In sentence 27 the word गुरु (guru) is in
accusative case as the indeclinable विना (vinaa) is in use.
Grammatical Rule
If the words प्रति (prati) and यावत् (yaavat) are in use then the words governed by these will be in accusative case.
Sentences 28 and 29 follow this rule.
Grammatical Rule
When word धिक् (dhik) is used, words governed by it will be in accusative case.
In sentence 30 the word मुर्ख (murkha) is in
accusative case as the word धिक् (dhik) is in use.
Accusative Case (द्वितीया विभक्ति / dvitiiyaa vibhakti) |
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Word शब्द | Gender लिङ्ग | Singular एकवचन | Dual द्विवचन | Plural बहुवचन | Similar Words |
Boy बाल / baala | M - पुं | बालम् baalam | बालौ baalau | बालान् baalaan | - |
Creeper लता / lataa | F - स्त्री | लताम् lataam | लते late | लताः lataaH | - |
River नदी / nadii | F - स्त्री | नदीम् nadiim | नद्यौ nadau | नदीः nadiiH | - |
Fruit फलम् / phalam | N - नपुं | फलम् phalam | फले phale | फलानि phalaani | - |