Today we will look at the form घातयति 3AS-लँट् from श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता 2-21

वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम्‌ |
कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम्‌ || 2-21||

Gita Press translation “Arjuna, the man who knows this soul to be imperishable; eternal and free from birth and decay, how and whom will he cause to be killed, how and whom will he kill?”

घातयति is a causative form derived from the धातुः √हन् (हनँ हिंसागत्योः २. २)

The ending vowel of “हनँ” is an इत् as per 1-3-2 उपदेशेऽजनुनासिक इत् and takes लोप: by 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

हन् + णिच् । By 3-1-26 हेतुमति च – The affix “णिच्” is used after a root, when the operation of a causer – such as the operation of directing – is to be expressed. “णिच्” gets आर्धधातुक-सञ्ज्ञा by 3-4-114 आर्धधातुकं शेषः।
= घन् + णिच् । By 7-3-54 हो हन्तेर्ञ्णिन्नेषु, the हकारः of √हन् gets replaced by a letter of the कवर्ग: when followed by an affix with ञकारः or णकारः as an इत् , or when followed (immediately) by a नकारः।
= घत् + णिच् । By 7-3-32 हनस्तोऽचिण्णलोः – The ending letter (नकार:) of the verbal root √हन् (हनँ हिंसागत्योः २. २) is replaced by a तकार:, when followed by a प्रत्यय: (other than “चिण्” or “णल्”) which is either ञित् or णित्।
= घात् + णिच् । By 7-2-116 अत उपधायाः – A penultimate (उपधा) अकार: of a अङ्गम् gets वृद्धिः as the substitute when followed by a प्रत्ययः which is either ञित् or णित्।
= घात् + इ । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-7 चुटू, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।
= घाति।

“घाति” gets धातु-सञ्ज्ञा by 3-1-32 सनाद्यन्ता धातवः।

As per 1-3-74 णिचश्च, the verbal roots that end in the णिच्-प्रत्ययः shall take आत्मनेपद-प्रत्ययाः when the fruit of the action (क्रियाफलम्) accrues to the doer (कर्त्रभिप्रायम् = कर्तृ-अभिप्रायम्)। In the remaining case – when the fruit of the action does not accrue to the doer these verbal roots shall take परस्मैपद-प्रत्ययाः।
In reality though, this distinction of the fruit of the action accruing to the doer or not, is rarely honored in the language. So as a practical matter, a verbal root that ends in the णिच्-प्रत्ययः will take either आत्मनेपद-प्रत्ययाः or परस्मैपद-प्रत्ययाः regardless of whether the fruit of the action accrues to the doer or not. In short, it will be उभयपदी। Here it has taken a परस्मैपद-प्रत्ययः।

The विवक्षा is लँट्, कर्तरि प्रयोगः, हेतुमति, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, therefore the प्रत्यय: will be “तिप्”।

(1) घाति + लँट् । By 3-2-123 वर्तमाने लट्, the affix लँट् comes after a धातुः when denoting an action in the present tense.

(2) घाति + ल् । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-2 उपदेशेऽजनुनासिक इत्, 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(3) घाति + तिप् । 3-4-78 तिप्तस्झिसिप्थस्थमिब्वस्मस्तातांझथासाथांध्वमिड्वहिमहिङ् mandates the प्रत्ययः “तिप्” as the substitute for the लकारः। “तिप्” gets the सार्वधातुक-सञ्ज्ञा by 3-4-113 तिङ्शित्सार्वधातुकम्।

(4) घाति + ति । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(5) घाति + शप् + तिप् । By 3-1-68 कर्तरि शप्‌, the शप्-प्रत्यय: is placed after a verbal root, when followed by a सार्वधातुक-प्रत्यय: that is used signifying the agent.

(6) घाति + अ + तिप् । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-8 लशक्वतद्धिते , 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(7) घाते + अ + ति । By 7-3-84 सार्वधातुकार्धधातुकयोः, an अङ्गम् whose final letter is an इक् gets गुण-आदेशः, when a सार्वधातुक-प्रत्यय: or an आर्धधातुक-प्रत्यय: follows.

(8) घातयति । By 6-1-78 एचोऽयवायावः।

Questions:

1. In the last verse of which chapter of the गीता has √हन् (हनँ हिंसागत्योः २. २) been used in a तिङन्तं पदम्?

2. Can you spot a “णल्”-प्रत्यय: in the verse?

3. Where has 2-4-34 द्वितीयाटौस्स्वेनः been used in the verse?

4. In the verse, can you spot a word in which the शप्-प्रत्यय: has taken the लुक् elision?

5. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“O Lord! Destroy all my sins.” Use √हन् (हनँ हिंसागत्योः २. २) in the causative for “to destroy” (literally – “cause to be killed.”)

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“You should teach my son grammar.” Use √इ (इङ् अध्ययने | नित्यमधिपूर्वः २. ४१) in the causative with the उपसर्ग: “अधि” for “to teach” (literally – “cause to study.”) Use द्वितीया विभक्ति: with both “son” and “grammar.”

Easy questions:

1. Where has 6-1-69 एङ्ह्रस्वात्‌ सम्बुद्धेः been used in the verse?

2. Can you spot a place in the verse where the “सुँ”-प्रत्यय: has taken लोप:?