Page:Sanskrit syntax (IA cu31924023201183).pdf/263

 § 328-330. 247 on. In an other story Panc, 51, we have this succession of facts: a weaver and a cartwright dwelled (affon: ) in the same town and lived always together (T). One day a great festival took place and a procession, in the midst of which they bebeld (zarrit) a maiden of great beauty. On seeing her, the weaver fell in love with her and swooned (agan va faq). His friend the cartwright got him carried home (man) and by proper treatment he soon recovered (at ha). Upon the whole, there seems to be a tendency to alternate the past tenses in literary com- positions. 329. Now, the imperfect and the perfect are restricted Imper- fect and to that sphere of employment. They cannot be used perfect are re- except of such facts as have lost their actuality for stricted to the the speaker ¹). Both of them are only available for the express historical past. They are to be rendered by our past ion of the his- torical tense, both and being = „he did.” past. Both of them are equally applied to facts, that have happened but once (Lat. perfectum historicum), and to actions repeated or continuous (Lat. imperfectum). ²) 330. Diffe- There is, however, a difference between the perfect and P. 3, 3, the imperfect. It is taught by Panini in express terms, 115. rence between imper. that the perfect (ſ) is restricted to such facts as have fect and perfect. not been witnessed by the speaker, and the practice of good authors is generally in accordance with this state- ment. It is somewhat uncommon to meet with a per- 1) This is meant by Pânini, when he teaches 3 (aud, as it stands under the same adhikâra, also for) to be used #. P. 3, 2, 111. 2) Cp. Kathâs. 24, 214 garfaegatià a nuntios miserunt, iique ci dixerunt, with Mhbh. 1, 68, 9, which verse describes the happiness of the subjects of Dushyanta during his reign auf:..... tra: ==hominum ordines suis quisque officiis delectabantur, erantque ab omni parte tuti.