कारक-विभक्तिः · Kāraka-Vibhakti

1 कारकम् · kārakam

1.1 A kāraka is a participant in the action. क्रियान्वयित्वं कारकत्वम् — whatever connects to the kriyā is a kāraka. The heading sūtra is कारके (1.4.23).
1.2 Pāṇini defines six: kartṛ, karman, karaṇa, sampradāna, apādāna, adhikaraṇa (1.4.23–55). Each is a semantic role, named before any case ending is chosen.
1.3 The vibhakti is then chosen for a kāraka only when the verb (or kṛt, taddhita, samāsa) has not already expressed it: अनभिहिते (2.3.1).
1.4 Sambandha is the "+1". The ṣaṣṭhī expresses a relation between two nouns, not between a noun and the verb, so it is not a kāraka: षष्ठी शेषे (2.3.50).
1.5 Prathamā expresses no kāraka of its own. It carries the bare stem-meaning, gender and number (2.3.46), and the kāraka that the verb has already named.

2 षट् कारकाणि सम्बन्धश्च · 6 + 1

Kāraka	Defined by	Vibhakti (when anabhihita)	Example
कर्ता kartṛ	स्वतन्त्रः कर्ता 1.4.54	तृतीया — कर्तृकरणयोस्तृतीया 2.3.18	रामेण रावणः हन्यते।
कर्म karman	कर्तुरीप्सिततमं कर्म 1.4.49	द्वितीया — कर्मणि द्वितीया 2.3.2	बालकः पुस्तकं पठति।
करणम् karaṇa	साधकतमं करणम् 1.4.42	तृतीया — 2.3.18	रामः बाणेन रावणं हन्ति।
सम्प्रदानम् sampradāna	कर्मणा यमभिप्रैति स सम्प्रदानम् 1.4.32	चतुर्थी — चतुर्थी सम्प्रदाने 2.3.13	नृपः विप्राय धनं ददाति।
अपादानम् apādāna	ध्रुवमपायेऽपादानम् 1.4.24	पञ्चमी — अपादाने पञ्चमी 2.3.28	बालकः अश्वात् पतति।
अधिकरणम् adhikaraṇa	आधारोऽधिकरणम् 1.4.45	सप्तमी — सप्तम्यधिकरणे च 2.3.36	बालकः गृहे पठति।
सम्बन्धः sambandha (+1)	Not a kāraka — no link to the kriyā	षष्ठी — षष्ठी शेषे 2.3.50	रामस्य पुत्रः गच्छति।

Kāraka

Defined by

Vibhakti (when anabhihita)

Example

कर्ता
kartṛ

स्वतन्त्रः कर्ता 1.4.54

तृतीया — कर्तृकरणयोस्तृतीया 2.3.18

रामेण रावणः हन्यते।

कर्म
karman

कर्तुरीप्सिततमं कर्म 1.4.49

द्वितीया — कर्मणि द्वितीया 2.3.2

बालकः पुस्तकं पठति।

करणम्
karaṇa

साधकतमं करणम् 1.4.42

तृतीया — 2.3.18

रामः बाणेन रावणं हन्ति।

सम्प्रदानम्
sampradāna

कर्मणा यमभिप्रैति स सम्प्रदानम् 1.4.32

चतुर्थी — चतुर्थी सम्प्रदाने 2.3.13

नृपः विप्राय धनं ददाति।

अपादानम्
apādāna

ध्रुवमपायेऽपादानम् 1.4.24

पञ्चमी — अपादाने पञ्चमी 2.3.28

बालकः अश्वात् पतति।

अधिकरणम्
adhikaraṇa

आधारोऽधिकरणम् 1.4.45

सप्तमी — सप्तम्यधिकरणे च 2.3.36

बालकः गृहे पठति।

सम्बन्धः
sambandha (+1)

Not a kāraka — no link to the kriyā

षष्ठी — षष्ठी शेषे 2.3.50

रामस्य पुत्रः गच्छति।

2.1 Under kartari prayoga the kartṛ is abhihita (named by the tiṅ ending), so it stands in prathamā; tṛtīyā appears only when it is anabhihita, as in karmaṇi and bhāve.
2.2 Likewise the karman stands in prathamā under karmaṇi: रामेण रावणः हन्यते।
2.3 Sambodhana (address) is a use of prathamā, सम्बोधने च 2.3.47; it is neither a kāraka nor sambandha.

3 कारक-विवेकः · each kāraka

कर्ता · kartṛ

3.1 स्वतन्त्रः कर्ता (1.4.54) — the one independent in the action; the others serve the action through it.
3.2 Three kinds are worth separating:
1. 3.2.1 शुद्धः कर्ता — देवदत्तः पचति।
2. 3.2.2 हेतुः (प्रयोजकः) — the one who prompts the agent, तत्प्रयोजको हेतुश्च (1.4.55): यज्ञदत्तः देवदत्तेन पाचयति। The prompted agent (प्रयोज्यः) here stands in tṛtīyā.
3. 3.2.3 कर्मकर्ता — the karman that acts of itself: पच्यते ओदनः स्वयमेव।

कर्म · karman

3.3 कर्तुरीप्सिततमं कर्म (1.4.49) — what the agent most wishes to reach through the action.
3.4 तथायुक्तं चानीप्सितम् (1.4.50) — also what is reached though unwanted: विषं भुङ्क्ते।
3.5 अकथितं च (1.4.51) — with verbs such as दुह्, याच्, पृच्छ्, नी, the second participant not otherwise named is also karman: गोपः गां पयः दोग्धि।
3.6 अधिशीङ्स्थासां कर्म (1.4.46) — the locus of शी, स्था, आस् with अधि becomes karman: हरिः वैकुण्ठम् अधिशेते।
3.7 By its effect, the karman is threefold:
1. 3.7.1 निर्वर्त्यम् — brought into being: घटं करोति।
2. 3.7.2 विकार्यम् — changed: काष्ठं भस्म करोति।
3. 3.7.3 प्राप्यम् — only reached: ग्रामं गच्छति।

करणम् · karaṇa

3.8 साधकतमं करणम् (1.4.42) — the most effective means, the one whose operation is followed at once by the result.
3.9 Kartṛ and karaṇa share tṛtīyā (2.3.18). In a karmaṇi sentence with two tṛtīyās, case alone cannot tell them apart — see example 6.10.

सम्प्रदानम् · sampradāna

3.10 कर्मणा यमभिप्रैति स सम्प्रदानम् (1.4.32) — the one the agent aims at through the karman, typically the recipient of दा.
3.11 रुच्यर्थानां प्रीयमाणः (1.4.33) — the one pleased: हरये रोचते भक्तिः।
3.12 क्रुधद्रुहेर्ष्यासूयार्थानां यं प्रति कोपः (1.4.37) — the object of anger: हरये क्रुध्यति।

अपादानम् · apādāna

3.13 ध्रुवमपायेऽपादानम् (1.4.24) — the fixed point from which separation takes place. "Fixed" is relative to the separation, not absolute: धावतः अश्वात् पतति।
3.14 भीत्रार्थानां भयहेतुः (1.4.25) — the cause of fear: चोरात् बिभेति।

अधिकरणम् · adhikaraṇa

3.15 आधारोऽधिकरणम् (1.4.45) — the locus of the action, reached through the kartṛ or the karman.
3.16 The locus is threefold:
1. 3.16.1 औपश्लेषिकः — by contact: कटे आस्ते।
2. 3.16.2 वैषयिकः — as subject-matter: मोक्षे इच्छा अस्ति।
3. 3.16.3 अभिव्यापकः — by pervasion: तिलेषु तैलम्।

सम्बन्धः · sambandha (+1)

3.17 षष्ठी शेषे (2.3.50) — ṣaṣṭhī expresses whatever relation remains (śeṣa) once the kārakas and the prātipadikārtha are accounted for: owner, kin, part, source.
3.18 The relation itself is not named by the ending; context supplies it. In रामस्य पुत्रः it is janya-janaka-bhāva.
3.19 With a kṛt derivative, the kartṛ and karman themselves take ṣaṣṭhī, कर्तृकर्मणोः कृति (2.3.65): कृष्णस्य कृतिः, जगतः कर्ता।

4 प्रयोगाः · prayoga

Prayoga	Named by the verb	Example
कर्तरि	कर्ता → प्रथमा; कर्म → द्वितीया	रामः रावणं हन्ति।
कर्मणि	कर्म → प्रथमा; कर्ता → तृतीया	रामेण रावणः हन्यते।
भावे	The action itself; kartṛ → tṛtīyā; verb in 3rd singular	बालकेन सुप्यते।

Prayoga

Named by the verb

Example

कर्तरि

कर्ता → प्रथमा; कर्म → द्वितीया

रामः रावणं हन्ति।

कर्मणि

कर्म → प्रथमा; कर्ता → तृतीया

रामेण रावणः हन्यते।

भावे

The action itself; kartṛ → tṛtīyā; verb in 3rd singular

बालकेन सुप्यते।

4.1 The kāraka does not change between prayogas; only which one the verb names, and so which vibhakti it shows.
4.2 Bhāve applies to akarmaka verbs, or sakarmaka verbs used without a karman.

5 उपपद-विभक्तिः · upapada-vibhakti

5.1 Some vibhaktis are triggered by a neighbouring word, not by a kāraka: नमःस्वस्तिस्वाहास्वधालंवषड्योगाच्च (2.3.16) — हरये नमः।
5.2 सहयुक्तेऽप्रधाने (2.3.19) — the secondary partner with सह takes tṛtīyā: पुत्रेण सह आगतः पिता।
5.3 When both claim a word, the kāraka wins: उपपदविभक्तेः कारकविभक्तिर्बलीयसी. So मुनित्रयं नमस्कृत्य — dvitīyā (karman of नमस्कृ), not the caturthī of नमः.

6 शाब्दबोधः · worked examples

6.0.1 Each sentence was run through the SarvaVeda Śābdabodha engine. Its kāraka assignment is shown as it came back, with the sūtra it cited.
6.0.2 The verbal cognition is then given per school, each built around a different chief qualificand:
1. 6.0.2.1 नैयायिकाः — प्रथमान्तार्थ-मुख्यविशेष्यकः: the nominative entity.
2. 6.0.2.2 वैयाकरणाः — धात्वर्थ-मुख्यविशेष्यकः: the operation (vyāpāra).
3. 6.0.2.3 मीमांसकाः — भावना-मुख्यविशेष्यकः: the impulse to accomplish.
6.0.3 Tag engine marks a reading the engine produced; draft marks one written for this chapter, where the engine does not yet carry that kāraka into its reading. Both await review.

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7 अभ्यासः · drill

Name the kāraka (or sambandha) of the marked word.