सनादि प्रत्ययाः

This note explains the सनादि प्रत्ययाः with special attention to सन् and its reduplication process. The aim is not merely to say “सन् means desire”, but to see how Pāṇini builds a new verbal base by adding a sanādi affix, how reduplication works, and why forms such as जिगमिषति, चिकीर्षति, बुभूषति and युयुत्सवः look the way they do.

Central idea

There is only one pratyaya literally called सन्. But there is a larger group called the सनादि-pratyayas, beginning with सन्. Traditionally, this group has twelve members.

The crucial sūtra is:

3.1.32 सनाद्यन्ता धातवः

Meaning: formations ending in सन् and the other sanādi affixes receive धातुसंज्ञा. They are treated as dhātus and can therefore take verbal endings.

So the mechanism is:

मूलधातु + सनादि-प्रत्यय → derived verbal base → लट्/लङ्/etc.

For example:

गम् + सन् → जिगमिष् → जिगमिषति
भू  + सन् → बुभूष्   → बुभूषति
पच् + णिच् → पाचय्  → पाचयति

The twelve सनादि-pratyayas

The traditional list is:

सन्, क्यच्, काम्यच्, क्यङ्, क्यष्, आचार-क्विप्,
णिच्, यङ्, यक्, आय, ईयङ्, णिङ्

A practical grouping is:

Functional grouping of the सनादि-pratyayas

Group	Pratyayas	General sense
Desire-type	सन्, क्यच्, काम्यच्, णिङ्	wanting, desiring, loving
Causative	णिच्	causing or making someone do something
Intensive / frequentative	यङ्	doing repeatedly or intensely
Denominative and special derived verbs	क्यङ्, क्यष्, आचार-क्विप्, यक्, आय, ईयङ्	behaving like, becoming, or forming special verbal bases from nouns or special roots

सन्-pratyaya: the desiderative

The main semantic rule for सन् is:

3.1.7 धातोः कर्मणः समानकर्तृकादिच्छायां वा

Meaning: when the action of a dhātu is desired by the same agent, सन् may be added.

In simple English:

गन्तुम् इच्छति → जिगमिषति
he wants to go → he desires-to-go

The resulting sananta base is again treated as a dhātu by:

3.1.32 सनाद्यन्ता धातवः

Thus:

गम् + सन् → जिगमिष्
जिगमिष् + लट् → जिगमिषति

What remains of सन्?

सन् contains a final न् which is an इत् marker.

Relevant rules:

1.3.3 हलन्त्यम्
1.3.9 तस्य लोपः

So:

सन् → स

The visible suffix is therefore usually स् or, after sound change, ष्.

If इट् is inserted before it, we see:

स → इ + स → इष

That is why some forms contain -इष-:

गम् → जिगमिषति
पठ् → पिपठिषति

But not all san-forms take इट्. For example:

भू  → बुभूषति
युध् → युयुत्सते / युयुत्सु
पा  → पिपासति

The reduplication process in सन्

Reduplication is triggered by:

6.1.9 सन्यङोः

This causes the dhātu to form an अभ्यास before सन्.

The अभ्यास is then modified. The most important operations are:

Main operations on the अभ्यास

Operation	Sūtra	Effect
Reduplication	6.1.9 सन्यङोः	A copy-like element appears before the root.
Trimming the copy	7.4.60 हलादिः शेषः	The अभ्यास is reduced; generally only the initial consonantal material remains.
Shortening	7.4.59 ह्रस्वः	A long vowel in the अभ्यास becomes short.
Palatal change in अभ्यास	7.4.62 कुहोश्चुः	Velars such as क्/ग् in the अभ्यास become palatals such as च्/ज्.
अभ्यास-अ to इ	7.4.79 सन्यतः	The अ of the अभ्यास becomes इ before सन् in relevant cases.
Hardening / deaspiration	8.4.54 अभ्यासे चर्च	Aspirates in the अभ्यास may become unaspirated, e.g. भु → बु.

A very important distinction is:

Important

अभ्यास-vowel and इडागम are different things.

In जिगमिषति:

जि + गम् + इष

the इ in जि belongs to the अभ्यास, while the इ before ष is इट्.

But in चिकीर्षति:

चि + कीर्ष

the इ in चि is only the अभ्यास-vowel. It is not इडागम.

इडागम in san-forms

The general इट् rule is:

7.2.35 आर्धधातुकस्येड् वलादेः

Since सन् is an ārdhadhātuka suffix and begins with a consonant, इट् may appear before it in suitable cases.

Thus:

धातु + सन् → धातु + इ + स
इ + स → इष

Examples:

गम् + सन् → जिगमिषति
पठ् + सन् → पिपठिषति

But this is not universal. Some roots are an-iṭ in this environment:

भू  + सन् → बुभूषति
युध् + सन् → युयुत्सते
पा  + सन् → पिपासति

Derivations of common सन् examples

गम् → जिगमिषति

Meaning: “he wants to go.”

गम् + सन्
→ गम् + स                         न्-लोप
→ गम् + गम् + स                    6.1.9 सन्यङोः
→ ग + गम् + स                      अभ्यास-reduction
→ जि + गम् + स                     कुहोश्चुः, सन्यतः
→ जि + गम् + इ + स                 इडागम
→ जि + गम् + इष                    प्रत्यय-स् → ष्
→ जिगमिष्
→ जिगमिषति

कृ → चिकीर्षति

Meaning: “he wants to do.”

कृ + सन्
→ कृ + स
→ कृ + कृ + स                      reduplication
→ कि + कृ + स                      अभ्यास-lightening
→ चि + कृ + स                      कुहोश्चुः
→ चि + कीर् + स                    कृ → कीर् before सन्
→ चि + कीर्ष
→ चिकीर्ष्
→ चिकीर्षति

Here the इ in चि belongs to the अभ्यास. It is not इडागम.

भू → बुभूषति

Meaning: “he wants to be” or “he wants to become.”

भू + सन्
→ भू + स
→ भू + भू + स                      reduplication
→ भु + भू + स                      अभ्यास-vowel shortened
→ बु + भू + स                      अभ्यासे चर्च
→ बु + भूष                         स् → ष् after ऊ
→ बुभूष्
→ बुभूषति

There is no इडागम here.

दृश् → दिदृक्षते

Meaning: “he wants to see.”

दृश् + सन्
→ दृश् + स
→ दृश् + दृश् + स                  reduplication
→ दि + दृश् + स                    अभ्यास-form
→ दि + दृक्ष                       दृश् + स् → दृक्ष
→ दिदृक्ष्
→ दिदृक्षते

The आत्मनेपद ending is governed by:

1.3.57 ज्ञाश्रुस्मृदृशां सनः

ज्ञा → जिज्ञासते

Meaning: “he wants to know.”

ज्ञा + सन्
→ ज्ञा + स
→ ज्ञा + ज्ञा + स                  reduplication
→ जि + ज्ञा + स                    अभ्यास-form
→ जिज्ञास्
→ जिज्ञासते

Again, the आत्मनेपद ending follows from:

1.3.57 ज्ञाश्रुस्मृदृशां सनः

श्रु → शुश्रूषते

Meaning: literally “he wants to hear”; in usage, often “he serves” or “he waits upon”, from the idea of attentive listening.

श्रु + सन्
→ श्रु + स
→ श्रु + श्रु + स                  reduplication
→ शु + श्रु + स                    अभ्यास-form
→ शु + श्रू + स                    main vowel strengthened/lengthened
→ शु + श्रूष                       स् → ष्
→ शुश्रूष्
→ शुश्रूषते

पा → पिपासति

Meaning: “he wants to drink.”

पा + सन्
→ पा + स
→ पा + पा + स                      reduplication
→ प + पा + स                       अभ्यास-lightening
→ पि + पा + स                      सन्यतः
→ पिपास्
→ पिपासति

There is no इडागम and no षत्व here:

पिपासति, not *पिपायिषति or *पिपाषति

A compact comparison of the examples

Comparison of common सन् examples

Root	San-base	Abhyāsa	Main special feature	Final form
गम्	जिगमिष्	जि	इडागम gives इष	जिगमिषति
कृ	चिकीर्ष्	चि	कृ → कीर्; स् → ष्	चिकीर्षति
भू	बुभूष्	बु	no इडागम; स् → ष्	बुभूषति
दृश्	दिदृक्ष्	दि	दृश् + स् → दृक्ष	दिदृक्षते
ज्ञा	जिज्ञास्	जि	आत्मनेपद by 1.3.57	जिज्ञासते
श्रु	शुश्रूष्	शु	श्रु → श्रू; स् → ष्	शुश्रूषते
पा	पिपास्	पि	no इडागम; no षत्व	पिपासति

BG 1.1: युयुत्सवः

The Bhagavad-Gītā begins:

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः ।
मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ॥

The word is युयुत्सवः in the verse. The stem is युयुत्सु.

Meaning:

युयुत्सवः = those desiring to fight

The base dhātu is:

√युध् = to fight

Step-by-step derivation:

युध् + सन्
→ युध् + स                         न्-लोप
→ युध् + युध् + स                  reduplication by 6.1.9
→ यु + युध् + स                    अभ्यास-form
→ युयुध्स्
→ युयुत्स्                         ध् + स् → त्स् before खर्

The sound change ध् + स् → त्स् is understood through the hardening before khar sounds, traditionally connected with:

8.4.55 खरि च

Now the desiderative base is:

युयुत्स् = desire to fight

To form the adjective meaning “one who desires to fight”, उ is added:

3.2.168 सनाशंसभिक्ष उः

Thus:

युयुत्स् + उ → युयुत्सु

Then nominative plural masculine:

युयुत्सु + जस् → युयुत्सवः

Compare:

गुरु → गुरवः
युयुत्सु → युयुत्सवः

So the compact prakriyā is:

युध् + सन्
→ युध् + स
→ यु + युध् + स
→ युयुत्स्
→ युयुत्सु
→ युयुत्सवः

The important observation is:

Important

युयुत्सवः has reduplication but no इडागम. Therefore it is युयुत्सु, not *युयुधिषु.

The other eleven सनादि-pratyayas

The following table excludes सन् and presents the remaining eleven in approximate order of practical importance for reading and grammar study. This is a pedagogical order, not the original sūtra order.

The other eleven सनादि-pratyayas

Rank	Pratyaya	English phrase where used	Sanskrit example	Meaning
1	णिच्	to make/cause someone to do something	पच् → पाचयति	causes to cook
2	क्यच्	to want an object for oneself	पुत्रम् इच्छति → पुत्रीयति	wants a son for himself
3	णिङ्	to desire, love, want	कम् → कामयते	desires, loves
4	यङ्	to do repeatedly or intensely	पच् → पापच्यते	keeps cooking / cooks intensely
5	आय	special lexical -āya type verbs	गुप् → गोपायति	protects, guards
6	क्यङ्	to behave like something	अश्व इव आचरति → अश्वायते	behaves like a horse
7	काम्यच्	to desire an object, explicitly	पुत्रम् इच्छति → पुत्रकाम्यति	desires a son
8	क्यष्	to become a state or quality	लोहितः भवति → लोहितायते	becomes red
9	आचार-क्विप्	to behave like something, with zero visible suffix	अश्व इव आचरति → अश्वति	behaves like a horse
10	यक्	special कण्ड्वादि-type verbs	कण्डू → कण्डूयति	itches / scratches
11	ईयङ्	rare special verb formation	ऋत् → ऋतीयते	abhors / reproaches

The most important four for ordinary reading are:

णिच्  = causative
क्यच् = wanting an object for oneself
णिङ्  = desire/love, e.g. कामयते
यङ्   = intensive/frequentative

चुरादि roots and णिच्

A related question is why tenth-class roots, the चुरादि group, form verbs such as:

चुर्   → चोरयति
चिन्त् → चिन्तयति
पूज्   → पूजयति
कथ्   → कथयति

The relevant Pāṇini sūtra is:

3.1.25 सत्यापपाशरूपवीणातूलश्लोकसेनालोमत्वचवर्मवर्णचूर्णचुरादिभ्यो णिच्

For this discussion, the essential portion is:

चुरादिभ्यः णिच्

That is, after the चुरादि roots, णिच् is added. In these roots the णिच् formation is used not necessarily in a causative meaning, but as the normal present-stem formation of the tenth class.

So:

चुर् + णिच् → चोरयति
पूज् + णिच् → पूजयति
कथ् + णिच् → कथयति

This should not be confused with the separate issue of सेट् and इडागम.

The tenth-class -ayati formation comes from णिच्. But forms such as:

पूजयितुम्
कथयितुम्
चोरयितुम्

show इट् before an ārdhadhātuka suffix such as तुमुन्. That is handled by the इडागम system, especially:

7.2.35 आर्धधातुकस्येड् वलादेः

Thus the clean distinction is:

चुरादि, णिच्, and सेट्

Question	Answer
Why do tenth-class roots form -ayati stems?	Because of 3.1.25 ... चुरादिभ्यो णिच्.
Does that sūtra directly say “all tenth-class roots are सेट्”?	No. There is no simple sūtra of the form चुरादयः सेटः.
Where does the इ in पूजयितुम् come from?	From the general इडागम rule 7.2.35 आर्धधातुकस्येड् वलादेः.
Why can the derived base behave like a dhātu?	Because of 3.1.32 सनाद्यन्ता धातवः.

Summary

The sanādi system is one of Pāṇini’s elegant ways of expanding the verbal system. A root or nominal base receives a special affix, and the resulting formation is treated as a dhātu.

For सन् specifically:

धातु + सन् → desiderative dhātu

Examples:

गम्  → जिगमिषति     wants to go
कृ   → चिकीर्षति     wants to do
भू   → बुभूषति       wants to be
दृश् → दिदृक्षते     wants to see
ज्ञा → जिज्ञासते     wants to know
श्रु → शुश्रूषते     wants to hear / serve
पा   → पिपासति       wants to drink
युध् → युयुत्सु      desirous of fighting

The central technical lessons are:

1. सन् is only one pratyaya; सनादि is a group of twelve.
2. सन् causes reduplication by 6.1.9 सन्यङोः.
3. The अभ्यास is modified by rules such as ह्रस्वः, हलादिः शेषः, कुहोश्चुः.
4. इडागम is separate from the अभ्यास-vowel.
5. Some san-forms take इट्, while others do not.
6. सनादि-ending forms become dhātus by 3.1.32 सनाद्यन्ता धातवः.