Pa dhatu (पा धातु) means 'to drink' in Sanskrit. It belongs to the first conjugation class (भ्वादि गण / Group 1) and is parasmaipada (परस्मैपद). Pā is one of the most commonly tested dhatu roop in Sanskrit exams because it demonstrates important phonological changes — particularly the treatment of the long vowel ā in conjugation. Students from class 6 to class 10 frequently encounter pā dhatu roop in grammar exercises.
Pā (पा) dhatu meaning: to drink
Gana: Bhvadi Gana (भ्वादि गण) — Group 1
Pada: Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
Present tense root change: पा → पिब (pā → piba)
Future tense uses original root: पास्यति
Lat Lakar: पिबति, पिबतः, पिबन्ति...
Lang Lakar: अपिबत्, अपिबताम्, अपिबन्...
Key sentence: सः जलं पिबति — He drinks water
लट् लकार = Present Tense (वर्तमान काल)
पुरुष | एकवचन | द्विवचन | बहुवचन प्रथम पुरुष | पिबति | पिबतः | पिबन्ति मध्यम पुरुष | पिबसि | पिबथः | पिबथ उत्तम पुरुष | पिबामि | पिबावः | पिबामः
Note: पा (pā) → पिब (piba) in present tense — the root undergoes an internal change (गुण/vowel change) before the personal endings are added.
Example: सः जलं पिबति — He drinks water.
लङ् लकार = Past Tense (भूतकाल)
पुरुष | एकवचन | द्विवचन | बहुवचन प्रथम पुरुष | अपिबत् | अपिबताम् | अपिबन् मध्यम पुरुष | अपिबः | अपिबतम् | अपिबत उत्तम पुरुष | अपिबम् | अपिबाव | अपिबाम
Example: बालकः दुग्धम् अपिबत् — The boy drank milk.
लोट् लकार = Imperative (आज्ञार्थ)
पुरुष | एकवचन | द्विवचन | बहुवचन प्रथम पुरुष | पिबतु | पिबताम् | पिबन्तु मध्यम पुरुष | पिब | पिबतम् | पिबत उत्तम पुरुष | पिबानि | पिबाव | पिबाम
Example: त्वं जलं पिब — Drink water (command to you). सः दुग्धं पिबतु — Let him drink milk.
विधिलिङ् लकार = Should/Ought to
पुरुष | एकवचन | द्विवचन | बहुवचन प्रथम पुरुष | पिबेत् | पिबेताम् | पिबेयुः मध्यम पुरुष | पिबेः | पिबेतम् | पिबेत उत्तम पुरुष | पिबेयम् | पिबेव | पिबेम
Example: बालकः नित्यं दुग्धं पिबेत् — The child should drink milk daily.
लृट् लकार = Future Tense (भविष्यत् काल)
पुरुष | एकवचन | द्विवचन | बहुवचन प्रथम पुरुष | पास्यति | पास्यतः | पास्यन्ति मध्यम पुरुष | पास्यसि | पास्यथः | पास्यथ उत्तम पुरुष | पास्यामि | पास्यावः | पास्यामः
Note: In Lrit Lakar (Future), the root returns to पा (not पिब) before adding the future suffix '-स्य'. Example: सः जलं पास्यति — He will drink water.
The most important feature of pā dhatu conjugation is the root change: In Present (Lat), Past (Lang), Imperative (Lot), and Optative (Vidhiling): पा → पिब (the ā shortens and 'b' is inserted — this is a special substitute root called आदेश). In Future (Lrit) and Perfect (Lit): the original root पा is used. This root alternation (पा / पिब) is a key feature that students must remember. It is similar to how the root जा (to go) becomes गच्छ in the present tense.
Pā dhatu (पा धातु) is the Sanskrit verb root meaning 'to drink.' It belongs to Group 1 (Bhvadi Gana) and is parasmaipada (active voice). Pā is notable because it undergoes a root change in the present tense: pā → piba. So 'to drink' in present tense is 'pibati' (पिबति), not 'pāti.' This root alternation makes pā dhatu an important and frequently tested verb in Sanskrit grammar.
Pa dhatu roop in Lat Lakar (Present Tense): Prathama — पिबति, पिबतः, पिबन्ति. Madhyama — पिबसि, पिबथः, पिबथ. Uttama — पिबामि, पिबावः, पिबामः. Note the root change: pā (पा) becomes piba (पिब) in the present tense. Example: 'सः जलं पिबति' — He drinks water.
Pa dhatu roop in Lang Lakar (Past Tense): Prathama — अपिबत्, अपिबताम्, अपिबन्. Madhyama — अपिबः, अपिबतम्, अपिबत. Uttama — अपिबम्, अपिबाव, अपिबाम. The augment 'a' is added before the root. Example: 'बालकः दुग्धम् अपिबत्' — The boy drank milk.
In Sanskrit grammar, some verb roots undergo a substitution (आदेश) where the original root is replaced by a different form before personal endings are added. For pā (पा), the rule substitutes 'piba' (पिब) in the present, past (lang), imperative, and optative tenses. This is similar to how the root jā (जा — to go) becomes gaccha (गच्छ) in the present tense. However, in the future tense (lrit lakar), the original root pā is preserved: pāsyati (पास्यति).
Pa dhatu in Lrit Lakar (Future Tense): Prathama — पास्यति, पास्यतः, पास्यन्ति. Madhyama — पास्यसि, पास्यथः, पास्यथ. Uttama — पास्यामि, पास्यावः, पास्यामः. Note: In the future tense, the original root pā (पा) is used (not piba), giving pā + sya = pāsya → पास्य. Example: 'सः जलं पास्यति' — He will drink water.
Pa dhatu in Lot Lakar (Imperative): Prathama — पिबतु, पिबताम्, पिबन्तु. Madhyama — पिब, पिबतम्, पिबत. Uttama — पिबानि, पिबाव, पिबाम. Example: 'त्वं जलं पिब' — You drink water! (command); 'सः दुग्धं पिबतु' — Let him drink milk.
Pa dhatu in Vidhiling Lakar (Should/Ought to): Prathama — पिबेत्, पिबेताम्, पिबेयुः. Madhyama — पिबेः, पिबेतम्, पिबेत. Uttama — पिबेयम्, पिबेव, पिबेम. Example: 'बालकः नित्यं दुग्धं पिबेत्' — The child should drink milk daily.
Sentences with pa dhatu: (1) Present: सः प्रतिदिनं जलं पिबति — He drinks water daily. (2) Past: सा दुग्धम् अपिबत् — She drank milk. (3) Future: बालकः रसं पास्यति — The boy will drink juice. (4) Imperative: त्वं जलं पिब — You drink water! (5) Optative: सः स्वास्थ्याय दुग्धं पिबेत् — He should drink milk for health.
Pa dhatu is in Group 1 (Bhvadi Gana). Other important Group 1 verbs with their present tense forms: भू (to be) → भवति; गम् (to go) → गच्छति; पठ् (to read) → पठति; लिख् (to write) → लिखति; खाद् (to eat) → खादति; धाव् (to run) → धावति. However, pā is special because it has a root substitute (piba) unlike most Group 1 verbs that simply add endings directly to the root.
Each lakar of pa dhatu has 9 forms (3 purush × 3 vachan). For the 5 most commonly tested lakars: Lat, Lang, Lot, Vidhiling, and Lrit — there are 45 forms total (5 × 9). Including Lit, Lut, Lung, and other lakars, the complete paradigm has 90+ forms. For exam purposes, students typically need to master Lat, Lang, Lot (most important), Vidhiling, and Lrit lakars.
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