Sarva, Vishva, Eka shabdas

By Shri Kesava Rao Tadipatri

The formation of sarva, vishva and eka shabdas akArAnta puMlinga, AkArAnta strIlinga and akArAnta napuMsaka linga shabdas and their endings have to be determined.

The Panini sUtra 1.1.27 says - "sarvAdIni sarvanAmani" meaning these words follow the pattern of sarvanAmAs or pronouns.

The common Sanskrit rule - when they describe something, they adopt the linga, vachana and vibhakti accordingly. The "antatva" of these will not change as sarva, vishva, eka will be akArAnta in puMlinga and napuMsaka linga and AkArAnta in strIlinga. They can not become ikArAnta or ukArAnta as such words do not exist in this sense (like sarvi or sarvu).

The following are the rules when sarva, vishva and eka shabdas are used as pronouns - which are substitutes for nouns.

I. akArAnta puMlinga - The variation from akArAnta "rAma shabda" is in just three
places -
1. PrathamA vibhakti bahuvachana
rAma shabda - rAmAH
the sarvanAma shabdAs - sarve, vishve , eke (note when eka is used as bahuvachana,
the meaning is some people like some ones)
sarve vedA yatpadamAmananti
vishve devAH
vadanti iti eke (some say like this)
trayaH rAmAH santi - balarAma, parashurAma, raghurAma iti

2. ChaturthI vihakti ekA vachana -
sarvasmai namaH
vishvasmai namaH
ekasmai idam dadAmi
rAmAya namaH

3. saptamI vibhakti ekavachana -
vishvasmin itthaM bhavati |
sarvasmin deshe saMbhavati |
ekasmin kAle vartate |
rAme santi guNAssarve |

II. AkArAnta strIlinga - The variation from AkArAnta "sItA shabda" is in just one place -
1. saptamI vibhakti ekavachana -
sarvasyAH, vishvasyAH, ekasyAH as against sItAyAM

III. akArAnta napuMsakalinga - The variation from akArAnta "phala shabda" is in just two places -
1. ChaturthI vihakti ekA vachana -
sarvasmai phalAya prayatnaM karomi |
vishvasmai phalAya kiM prayAsaH ?
ekasmai phalAya idam kAryam |
phalAya kimichChA ?

2. saptamI vibhakti ekavachana -
vishvasmin phale vA
sarvasmin phale vA
ekasmin phale vA
phale vA

Note : PrathamA vibhakti bahuvachana are same - like sarvANi, vishvAni, ekAni and phalAni.
The question comes, whether sarvAH, vishvAH, ekAH, sarvAya, vishvAya, ekAya, sarve, vishve, eke are valid forms or not. These words can be used both as pronouns to describe ParamAtma or as proper nouns to describe ParamAtma. When the are used as proper nouns to describe ParamAtma, these forms are also valid and then they behave like RAma shabda. So, in essence both "sarvasmai namaH" and "sarvAya namaH" are valid expressions.

Shri Krishnarpanamastu !