A Computerized System to Identify Sanskrit Verbs.

Abstract

In the present study, the scope of the research pervades primarily to ten gaṇas and lakāras of Sanskrit language. The structure of the verbs of the Sanskrit language is utterly complicated, which seems incomprehensible even for a student of advanced Sanskrit studies to identify the gaṇa of verbs; whether the given verb is parasmaipada, ātmanepada or ubayapada, whether the given verb is set, wet, or anit, and what the lakāra, puruṣaandpada are and so on. Sometimes, though someone has studied all the grammatical rules he/she might be unable to identify them due to reduplication rules and euphonic combinations. The research problem of this study is to find out a systematic way of identifying Sanskrit verbs and introducing a user-friendly computerized system for finding Sanskrit verbs. The proposed system will be a guideline to use Sanskrit verbs correctly. More than 200 students were tested on the issue and none of the students were capable of identifying Sanskrit gaṇas, and lakāra correctly. And it was seen that they did not have a proper understanding about gaṇas, and lakāra of Sanskrit verbs. The hypothesis of this research is "A computerized data base could be utilized in identifying gaṇas, and lakāra of Sanskrit". As the methodology in gathering data for the research, a class room test was held. The gathered data was subjected to content analysis using qualitative methodology. Further subject experts were consulted and literary and computer studies were done. Thus it was found that a Microsoft Access data base including all criteria of identifying gaṇas, and lakāras of Sanskrit could be used in solving the aforesaid difficulties.