Tenses and Moods-Meanings and Uses

Name in English Technical Name

Present Tense लट् laṭ

वर्तमानाः
Imperfect Past or First Preterite Tense लङ् laṅ
अनद्यर्नभूर्ाः
Perfect Past or Second Preterite Tense ललट् liṭ
TENSES कालााः

पराोक्षभूर्ाः
Aroist Past or Indefinite Past or Third Preterite Tense लु ङ् luṅ
भूर्ाः
First Future or Definite Future Tense लु ट् luṭ
भववष्यन्
Second Future or Indefinite Future Tense लृट् lṛṭ
अनद्यर्नभववष्यन्
Imperative Mood लाोट् loṭ
अाज्ञा
Potential or Optative ललङ् liṅ
Moods अराताः

ववध ाः
Precative or Benedictive Mood अाश ललत ङ् āśīrliṅ
अाश ाः
Conditional Mood लृङ् lṛṅ
संकोर्ाः

MW= Monier Williams Grammar Book

HHW= Horace Hayman Wilson Grammar Book
MM= Max Muller Grammar Book
Note 1: In MW grammar, Precative or Benedictive is written as अाश ललत ङ्
āśīrliṅ.
Note 2: The term "optative" is used in MW for Potential (ववध ाः). But the same
term "optative" is used in HHW for Benedictive Mood (अाश ाः). Obviously there
is some confusion.
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 Tenses and Moods-Meanings and Uses

How to Remember the Technical Names:

Sort according to the Vowels in the Technical Names.

Technical Name
लट् laṭ
लङ् laṅ
ललट् liṭ
ललङ् liṅ
अाश ललत ङ् āśīrliṅ
लु ट् luṭ
लु ङ् luṅ
लृट् lṛṭ
लृङ् lṛṅ
लाोट् loṭ
Now they are sorted out. Note that there two ललङ् liṅ moods. One is just ललङ्
liṅ and the second is अाश ललत ङ् āśīrliṅ. Now complete the table which will help
in remembering.

Technical Name Name in English

लट् laṭ Present Tense वर्तमानाः

लङ् laṅ Imperfect Past or First Preterite Tense अनद्यर्नभूर्ाः

ललट् liṭ Perfect.Past or Second Preterite Tense पराोक्षभूर्ाः

ललङ् liṅ Potential or Optative ववध ाः

अाश ललत ङ् āśīrliṅ Precative or Benedictive Mood अाश ाः

लु ट् luṭ First.Future or Definite Future Tense भववष्यन्

लु ङ् luṅ Aroist Past or Indefinite Past or Third Preterite Tense भूर्ाः

लृट् lṛṭ Second.Future or Indefinite Future Tense अनद्यर्नभववष्यन्

लृङ् lṛṅ Conditional.Mood संकोर्ाः

लाोट् loṭ Imperative.Mood अाज्ञा

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