\documentstyle{article}
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%        \documentstyle[multicol]{article}
\input idevn.tex        % TeX macros that ease ITRANS devanagari font usage
%-----
% ITRANS song book....prepend this header to print out songs,
% using TeX (either Devnac or Devnag font)
% >>>>>>>> Need ITRANS 4.0 <<<<<<<<<
%-----

% User Configuration Option -- One column or Two column output.
\def\maketwocolumn{YES} % Uncomment this for 2-column printing
%\def\makelandscape{YES}        % Uncomment this for landscape format
%\pagestyle{empty}
%\def\eatnum#1{} % empty operator
%\newcommand{\SCOUNT}{\stepcounter{scounter}\arabic{scounter}}
%\newcounter{scounter}
%\newcommand{\BCOUNT}{\stepcounter{bcounter}\arabic{bcounter}}
%\newcounter{bcounter}
%\newcommand{\CCOUNT}{\stepcounter{ccounter}\arabic{ccounter}}
%\newcounter{ccounter}
%\newcommand{\resetCCOUNT}{\setcounter{ccounter}{0}}
%\newcommand{\addline}{\medskip\hrule\medskip}
%\newcommand{\separate}{\medskip\hrule\medskip\setcounter{scounter}{0}}
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% Edit this if needed, default should be ok for most users.

\ifx\undefined\maketwocolumn
% --- One column output
    \let\usedvng=\LARGEdvng     % 17pt devanagari font

    \let\smallcmr=\eightrm
    \let\titlefont=\tenrm
\else
% --- Two column output
    \let\usedvng=\normaldvng    % 10pt devanagri font

    \let\smallcmr=\sixrm
    \let\titlefont=\eightrm
\fi

% font options (normaldvng, largedvng, etc):
% sizes: normal < large < Large < LARGE < huge < Huge

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% if needed, redefine "space" to allow each input line to be broken into
% multiple output lines (\let =~ is the default, which enforces line rule)
% That has to done in the idevn.tex file, or add this command after
% \startsong in your input file:
% {\global\let =\ }% Comment this out for: 1 input line --> 1 output line
% (you cannot uncomment the command here, it has to appear after \startsong)
%-----
% Uncomment one of the following paragraphs:
%    First one is for Frans Velthuis's font.
%    Second one uses the font that is bundled with the ITRANS package.
% ONLY one of these should be uncommented at any one time.............

% ** Frans's font....(Metafont) (Uncomment the following TWO lines.)
#indianifm=dvng.ifm  % ITRANS command
#indianfont=\fransdvng

%-----OR--------

% ** Devnac font (PostScript) (Uncomment the following TWO lines.)
% #indianifm=dvnc.ifm  % ITRANS command
% #indianfont=\postdvng

#useshortmarkers % this allows use of ## (beginindian) and  ## (endindian)
% -----------------------------------------------------------------
% Page Settings
\ifx\undefined\makelandscape
    % Use Portrait Size Page
    \portraitpage
    % use a slightly wider page
    \addtolength{\textwidth}{0.25in}
\else
    % Use Landscape Size Page
    \landscapepage
\fi

% -----------------------------------------------------------------
% The idevn.tex file is now included with ITRANS 4.0, but it has
% a new method of specifying the songtitle (using printtitle).
% For backward compatibility, need to define songtitle.
\def\songtitle#1#2#3#4{%
    \film{#1}\singer{#2}\lyrics{#3}\music{#4}\printtitle}

% -----------------------------------------------------------------
\font\titled=dvng10 scaled\magstep1
\raggedright    % since the words are long, this reduces the long
                % gaps that appear when TeX justifies the lines.
%\parskip 3 pt   % to slightly increase the space between the shlokas.

\parindent 0pt
\begin{document}
% from startsong command:
\def\-{{\englfont -}}%
\def\.{{\englfont .}}%
\usedvng % use whatever font the user wants...default normaldvng
\englfont % usedvng makes default font indian, restore english font
% end from startsong command
%
\ifx\undefined\maketwocolumn
    \relax
\else
    \twocolumn[\centerline{\Large \bf A Primer to Sanskrit Grammar}\bigskip]
\fi
%\hrule height0.4pt
% ----------------------- End of ishdr.itx ------------------------
%\obeylines
%\obeyspaces
#indian

##
% for multicolumn
%       ## \centerline{\titled } ##
%       \begin{multicols}{5}
%From: ksn2@lehigh.edu (Kedar Naphade)
%FILE 1 :

%\centerline{\large \bf A Primer to Sanskrit Grammar}

\medskip
\centerline{\bf Part 1 : shabda\-s and vibhakti\-s\footnote{Please address
your questions and suggestions to Kedar Naphade, ksn2@lehigh.edu.}}

{\rm
There are three basic parts of speech in sanskrit : shabda (nouns/ pronouns/
adjectives/ participles), dhAtu(verbs), and avyaya (indeclinables: prepositions,
conjunctions,adverbs, exclamations etc.)

Here we shall discuss declensions of nouns. The form of a noun used in a
sentence dependes on two things : Its vachana (number: this is singular,dual or plural) 
and its vibhakti (case). The vibhakti to be used is governed by the role the noun
plays in the sentence , e.g. subject,object, instrument of action etc. Here
is a brief explanation of vibhaktis along with an example :

\leftline{\underline{Explanation of Sanskrit Vibhaktis :}}

There are eight possible vibhaktis of a word. Of these, six relate to an action
and hence are also {\rm ``}kAraks.{\rm ''} The other two (shhashhThi : Possesive
and
sambodhanaM : denominative ) do not necessarily associate with an action.
The following table lists the vibhaktis and their usual meanings. There are
special rules and exceptions which need to be learnt elsewhere.
} % End of \rm

{\obeylines
##   prathamA  ##{\rm  Nominative      (performer/subject)}
##   dvitIyA   ##{\rm  Accusative      (object)}
##   tR^itIyA  ##{\rm  Instrumental    (instrument)}
##   chaturthI ##{\rm  Dative          (for whom the action is performed)}
##   pa.nchamI ##{\rm  Ablative        (from where the action is performed)}
##   shhashhThI ##{\rm  Possesive      (denotes possesion)}
##   saptamI   ##{\rm  Locative        (location of the action)}
##   sambodhanam.h ##{\rm  Denominative    (used to address someone)}
} % End of \obeylines

{\rm
The verse below from shriiraamarakshaa is often used as an aid to
explain the vibhaktis. Each line of the verse contains a form of
the word ## rAma ## in a different vibhakti and in the singular number :

In shloka format:
} % End of \rm

{\obeylines
##
rAmo rAjamaNiH sadA vijayate rAmaM rameshaM bhaje
rAmeNaabhihatA nishAcharachamU rAmAya tasmai namaH |
rAmAnnAsti parAyaNaM parataraM rAmasya dAso.asmyahaM
rAme chittalayaH sadA bhavatu me bho rAma ! mAmuddhara ||
##
} % End of \obeylines

\medskip
{\rm After breaking the various sandhis it becomes:}

{\obeylines
##
        rAmaH rAjamaNiH sadA vijayate
        rAmaM ramesham.h bhaje
        rAmeNa abhihatA nishAcharachamUH
        rAmAya tasmai namaH
        rAmAt.h nAsti parAyaNam.h parataram.h
        rAmasya dAsaH asmi aham.h
        rAme chittalayaH sadA bhavatu me
        bho rAma ! mAm.h uddhara
##
} % End of \obeylines

\medskip
{\rm
\leftline{Explanation (line by line):}

rAma (nominative, subject) , the gem among kings is always victorious\\
I worship rAma (accusative,object) the husband of ramA\\
The army of demons was slain by rAma (Instrumental, instrument of action)\\
A salute for that rAma (Dative : one for whom the action is done)\\

There is no better destination from rAma (Ablative)\\
I am a servant of rAma (Possesive)\\
May my mind always rest in rAma (Locative)\\
O rAmA (Denominative), please uplift me !\\

\medskip
As seen above, the vibhakti to be used depends on the role the noun (or
adjective or participle) plays in the sentence. In order to come up with
the correct final declension, you need to know the vibhakti, the number, the 
gender and the ending syllable. 

For example all masculine words ending in {\rm ``}a{\rm '') will
have identical forms. hence rAma, deva, sUrya etc. have identical declentions,
shashin.h, medhAvin.h etc. have identical declensions; jala, pAnIya, gR\^{}iha,
vana etc. have identical declensions and so on. Of course, there are variations in
the final forms caused by the rules of sandhi. This will be noted as needed. 

Having understood the above, if one has access to declensions of representative
words of each class (where a class is deternined by gender and  ending syllable),
one can easily derive the form one needs.

For example, if you want to say {\rm ``}The man lives in the house{\rm ''}, you may
proceed as follows;

The subject is man : ## manushhya ## . Here we would need the nominative
singular of the word ## manushhya ## . The word is masculine and ends in
the syllable ## a ## Hence it would be declined like ## deva ##. The nominative
singular of deva is ## devaH ## hence the form of manushhya to be used would be
## manushhyaH ##. Similarly, gR\^{}iha is a word for house  and it has a neuter
gender. Here we would refer to forms of the word ## vana ## and the appropriate
form to use would be ## gR^ihe ##.

Thus the sentence in sanskrit would be :\\
## manushhyaH gR^ihe vasati ##\\

Of course, this also requires knowledge about the verb vasa and its declensions, which
will be discussed elsewhere. Also, there are always some special exceptions which need to
be learned elsewhere.

As an excercise the reader can now again go through forms of the word deva
and confirm that the correct forms of the word rAma have been used in the
verses written above.
} %End of \rm

\medskip
Please see the accompanying document, Nouns and Verbs, file noun.itx/.ps
which has several words and their different forms, which are called paradigms.
\medskip\hrule\medskip
##
#endindian
\end{document}