On Thursday, May 6, 2004, at 07:27 PM, Dukkhe wrote:

> 1> Describe at least 5 syntactical uses of instrumental case in
> Pali.

Aggava.msa gives the 11 main ones as:

Kara.nakara.na, kattukara.na,
visesanakara.na, hetukara.na,
itthambhuutakara.na, sahatthakara.na,
paccattakara.na, kammakara.na,
nissakakara.na, bhummakara.na,
tadaññakara.na.
(Saddaniiti-pakara.na, Suttamaala, aphorism 662)

Examples:

1) Kara.nakara.na -- instrumental showing the instrument

Agginaa ku.ti.m jhaapeti.
The hut is burned by the fire.

Cakkhunaa ruupa.m passati.
He sees a visible form with the eye.

2) Kattukara.na -- instrumental showing the actor

Svaakkhaato bhagavataa dhammo.
Well-taught is the Dhamma by the Blessed One.

(Note: the distinction between kara.nakara.na and kattukara.na
consists merely in whether it is a living being or a thing that does
the action)

3) Visesanakara.na -- instrumental used in a predicative clause with
unstated copula, to indicate something that is the basis of some
distinction, qualification or measurement. Affects word order:
instrumental word usually first in the clause, subject always last.

Pakatiyaa abhiruupo.
Beautiful by nature.

Jaatiyaa khattiyo Buddho.
The Buddha is a kshatriya by birth.

Sippena na.lakaaro so.
He is a reed-worker (basket-maker) by trade.

Vayasaa ekuunati.mso Subhadda.
Subhadda, I am 29 years of age.

4) Hetukara.na -- instrumental showing the cause

Saddhaaya tarati ogha.m.
Owing to faith he crosses the flood.

5) Itthambhuutakara.na -- instrumental for showing the condition
or identifying mark of something.

Kaa.lii daasii bhinnena siisena lohitena galantena...
The servant Kaa.lii, with blood running from her cut head...

Tida.n.dakena paribbaajaka.m adakkhii.
I saw the wanderer with the three-pronged staff.

6) Sahatthakara.na -- instrumental due to saha (or saddhi.m)

Sahaapi Gaggena sa`ngho uposatha.m kareyya.
Let the sangha perform the lunar observance with Gagga.

7) Paccatthakara.na -- instrumental used as nominative

Ma.ninaa me attho.
The gem is of use (or value) to me.

8) Kammakara.na -- instrumental used as accusative

Tilehi khette vappanti.
They sow sesame in the field. (Or taking khette as accusative plural:
"They sow the fields with sesame")

9) Nissakakara.na -- instrumental used as ablative of separation

Sumuttaa maya.m tena Mahaasama.nena.
"We are well rid of the Great Sama.na!" (spoken by Subhadda after
the Parinibbaana)

10) Bhummakara.na -- instrumental used as locative

Tena kho pana samayena...
Then on that occasion...

11) Tadañña-kara.na -- adverbial instrumental

Dvayanissito khvaaya.m Kaccaana loko yebhuyyena atthitañceva
natthitañca.
This world, Kaccaana, for the most part depends upon a duality, upon
'exists' and 'does not exist'.
___________________________


A few others of lesser importance:

12) Yena`ngavikaaro tatiyaa -- instrumental used to show
sickness/disturbance/alteration in the body or its parts.

Akkhinaa kaa.no.
Blind (in the eye)

Paadena khañjo.
Lame (in the foot).

13) Kiriyaapavagge tatiyaa -- instrumental for showing that an action
takes place unusually quickly

Navahi maasehi vihaara.m ni.t.thaapesi.
He built the vihaara in just nine months.

(If nine months were no less than the normal length of time for
building a vihaara, then one would say navamaasa.m or navamaasaccayena
rather than navahi maasehi).

Here's another example from the Vinaya Commentary:

Mahaamoggallaanatthero sattahi divasehi arahatte pati.t.thito,
Saariputtatthero a.d.dhamaasena.
The elder Mahaamoggallaana was established in arahatta after only
seven days, the elder Saariputta after only a fortnight.

(My impression is that this rule seems to hold true only in prose
narrative passages. It clearly does not apply where units of time are
given in the instrumental in the context of Vinaya rules, or anywhere
else where the event always happens in a particular allotted time
period, e.g. a Bodhisatta's spending so many aeons developing the
paramii. It's very common in statements about how long so-and-so has
left to live).

14) Pubbasadisasamuunakalahanipu.namissakasakhilaadiyoge tatiyaa --
Instrumental owing to conjunction with the words pubba, sadisa, sama,
uuna, kalaha, nipu.na, missaka and sakhila.

Maasena pubbo.
Before one month.

Pitaraa sadiso.
Like a father.

Maataro samo.
Equal to a mother.

Kahaapa.nenuuno.
Missing one kahaapa.na.

Asinaa kalaho.
Quarrelling with a sword. (A sword battle/fight).

Aacaarena nipu.no.
Of fine (refined) conduct.

Tilena missako.
Mixed with sesame.

Vaacaaya sakhilo.
Of kindly speech.

15) Samaye kara.nopayogabhummavacanaani pi.takakkamena tatiyaa --
Instrumental used as locative in order to show that a citation is
from the Vinaya Pi.taka.

The grammarians say that when citing the Buddha's teachings, the
case of the opening words should show which Pi.taka one is quoting,
using instrumental for the Vinaya, accusative for the Suttas, and
locative for the Abhidhamma. E.g.

Vinaya: tena samayena Buddho Bhagavaa...

Sutta: eka.m samaya.m Bhagavaa...

Abhidhamma: yasmi.m samaye kaamaavacara.m kusala.m...


Well, that's enough about the instrumental. When I have time, I'll
continue with the three thousand uses of the accusative, and your other
questions.

Best wishes,

Dhammanando