Page:Sanskrit Grammar by Whitney p1.djvu/383

 (MBh.) it is proper for me to comfort his wife;  (R.) it is not suitable thus to curse one's own grandson;  (Çatr.) it is not possible to say that.

988. In the later language, as in the earlier, the infinitive in certain connections has what we look upon as a passive value. Thus, begun to be made;  it is not fit to be heard (for hearing). This is especially frequent along with the passive forms of √: thus, it cannot be abandoned;  they two can be brought hither;  nor are mighty successes a thing capable of being attained.

989. The so-called gerund is a stereotyped case (doubtless instrumental) of a verbal noun, used generally as adjunct to the logical subject of a clause, denoting an accompanying or (more often) a preceding action to that signified by the verb of the clause. It has thus the virtual value of an indeclinable participle, present or past, qualifying the actor whose action it describes.

a. Thus, for example: and hearing (or having heard) they spoke;  having given them his promise, he then questioned them.

990. The gerund is made in the later language by one of the two suffixes त्वा and य, the former being used with a simple root, the latter with one that is compounded with a prepositional prefix — or, rarely, with an element of another kind, as adverb or noun.

a. To this distribution of uses between the two suffixes there are occasional exceptions. Thus, gerunds in from simple roots are not very rare in the epic language (e. g.  [√ dwell], ; also from causatives and denominatives, as ), and are not unknown elsewhere (e. g.  and  M.,  AGS.,  ÇvU.). And gerunds in from compounded roots are met with in considerable numbers from AV. (only ) down: e. g. MS.,  TA.,  U., ,  S.,  MBh.,  MBh.,  R.,  R.,  Pañc.,  VBS.: the great majority of them are made from the causative stem.