The instrumental case is used to indicate the meaning – by / with / through something / someone. As the name suggests, this case is taken up by a thing that is used as an instrument / means.
E.g.

1. Men walk with (their) feet.
2. The child eats food with (his) hand.
3. The merchant goes to the monastery by (in) a chariot.

In the above sentences, the underlined words indicate things that are used as an instrument / means for carrying out the action mentioned by the verb. In Pali sentences, these words will take up the instrumental case.

Please remember the instrumental forms of the noun ‘buddha’:

Now let us construct the abovementioned sentences in Pali.

1. Men walk with (their) feet.

• Men (purisa) being the subject of the sentence, will take up the nominative (plural) case.
• foot = pāda. This being the instrument / means of walking, will take up instrumental (plural) case.

Thus the Pali sentence will be : Purisā pādehi / pādebhi caranti.

2. The child eats food with (his) hand.

• The child (dāraka) being the subject of the sentence, will take up the nominative (singular) case.
• Food (bhatta) being the object of the sentence, will take up the accusative (singular) case.
• hand = hattha. This being the instrument / means of eating, will take up instrumental (singular) case.

Thus the Pali sentence will be : Dārako hatthena bhattaṃ bhuñjati.

3. The merchant goes to the monastery by (in) a chariot.

• The merchant (vāṇija) being the subject of the sentence, will take up the nominative (singular) case.
• The monastery (vihāra) being the destination of the verb of motion (goes – gacchati), will take up the accusative (singular) case.
• chariot = ratha. This being the instrument / means of travel /going, will take up instrumental (singular) case.

Thus the Pali sentence will be : Vāṇijo rathena vihāraṃ gacchati.

The above is the normal syntax used for Pali sentences. Even though the word order is changed in any manner the meaning / translation will not change.

Please consider the second sentence : Dārako hatthena bhattaṃ bhuñjati.

• the word ‘dārako’ is in the nominative case and it will be identified as the subject of the sentence irrespective of its position in the sentence.
• the word ‘bhattaṃ’ being in accusative form will indicate the object, and
• ‘hatthena’ will be translated as by / with / through (hand), irrespective of its position / sequence.

Let us learn a few more Pali words and translate some sentences.

• kakaca = a saw
• pāsāṇa = rock, stone
• sappurisa = good / virtuous man
• asappurisa = bad / wicked man
• sakuṇa = bird
• sakaṭa = cart
• ākāsa = sky
• chindati = cuts
• paharati = strikes
• uḍḍeti = flies

Pali into English Translation

1. Puriso kakacena rukkhaṃ chindati.
A / the man cuts a tree with a saw.

2. Asappuriso pāsāṇena kukkuraṃ paharati.
The wicked man strikes the dog with a stone.

Please note : The use of articles (a, an, the) is quite flexible while translating individual sentences. Hence we can translate purisa as ‘a man’ or ‘the man’, kukkura as ‘a dog’ or ‘the dog’ and so on.

Use of ‘saha’ or ‘saddhiṃ’

We have so far used the instrumental case to show that an action is carried out with (with the help of) something.

E.g. eating ‘with’ a hand, walking ‘with’ feet, cutting ‘with’ a saw etc.

The instrumental case is also used to indicate that the action is carried out with / along with someone.

E.g.
1. The boys eat food along with (their) friends.
2. The teacher speaks with the Brahmin.
3. The lay devotee goes to the monastery along with (his) sons.

In such type of sentences, the words ‘saha’ or ‘saddhiṃ’ (both have the same meaning – with) are used to indicate that the action is carried out along with someone. These words are not used while referring to inanimate objects.

The Pali translation of the above three sentences will be :

1. Kumārā mittehi saha / saddhiṃ bhattaṃ bhuñjanti.
2. Ācariyo brāhmaṇena saddhiṃ bhāsati.
3. Upāsako puttehi saddhiṃ vihāraṃ gacchati.

The instrumental case is also used to show walking / running along the road, moving / flying through the sky.

• Yācako maggena carati – A beggar walks along the road.
• Sakuṇā ākāsena uḍḍenti – The birds fly through the sky.

Revising the first three cases

Please revise the words and concepts learnt so far and complete the following activity.