अव्ययानि (Avyayāni) — Indeclinable Words

Most words in Sanskrit change their form based on gender (लिङ्ग), number (वचन), or case (विभक्ति). For example, when vibhakti is applied to a word, it can have as many as 24 forms.

Avyayas (अव्यय singluar, अव्ययानि plural) are a category of words that do not change their form regardless of लिङ्ग, वचन or विभक्ति. The word अव्यय literally means "unchanging" or "invariable."

Characteristics of an अव्यय

• Has only one form
• Does not take case endings (विभक्तयः)
• Does not change for singular, dual, or plural
• Does not change according to masculine, feminine, or neuter gender
• Usually modifies a verb, an adjective, or an entire sentence

Importance of अव्ययानि
Although अव्ययानि do not change their form, they are essential for expressing time, place, manner, emphasis, connection, and emotion. They make sentences more natural, precise, and expressive. A good knowledge of अव्ययानि greatly improves both Sanskrit reading and conversation.

Here is a partial list of अव्ययानि based on their category

सम्बन्धकानि Conjunctions
च	and	अपि	also
तु, किन्तु	but	केवलम्	only
एव	only, indeed	एवम्	thus, in this way
वै, हि	indeed	अतः	therefore
ततः	thereafter, then	अन्यथा	otherwise
चेत्	if	नो चेत्	if not
यदि ... तर्हि	if ... then	यदा ... तदा	when ... then
यथा ... तथा	just as ... so also	यत्र ... तत्र	where ... there
यावत् ... तावत्	as long as ... until then	यद्यपि ... तथापि	although ... nevertheless
वा	or	अथवा	or else

कालवाचकानि Indicating Time
अद्य	today	पुरा, आदौ	long ago
श्वः	tomorrow	दिवा	during the day
परश्वः	day after tomorrow	नक्तम्	at night
प्रपरश्वः	day after the day after tomorrow	अधुना, सम्प्रति, इदानीम्	now
ह्यः	yesterday	एकदा	once
परह्यः	day before yesterday	भूयः, पुनः, मुहुः	again
प्रपरह्यः	day before the day before yesterday	पुनः पुनः, मुहुर्मुहुः	again and again
सदा, सर्वदा, नित्यम्	always	प्रतिदिनम्	every day
सद्यः, क्षिप्रम्	immediately	सहसा	suddenly
चिरम्, चिरात्	for a long time	युगपत्	together, at the same time

देशवाचकानि Indicating Location
अत्र, इह	here	तत्र	there
सर्वत्र	everywhere	निकटम्, समीपम्	near
दूरम्	far	प्रति	towards
पुरतः, पुरः, पुरस्तात्, अग्रतः	in front (of)	पृष्ठतः	behind
उभयतः	on both sides	परितः	on all sides, around
उपरि	on top of, above	ऊर्ध्वम्	above, upwards
अधः	below	उच्चैः	up, above, higher
नीचैः	down, lower	अन्तः	inside
बहिः	outside	परतः (√पर)	from the other side, from beyond, afterwards
अभितः	on all sides

क्रियाविशेषणानि As, Modifying Adverbs
इति, इत्थम्, एवम्	thus, in this way	यथार्थम्	as it is
तूष्णीम्	quietly	शनैः शनैः, मन्दं मन्दम्	slowly
नितराम्, निरन्तरम्	continuously	अति	very, exceedingly
अतीव	very much, exceedingly

संख्यावाचकानि Numerals
सकृत्	once	द्विः	twice
त्रिः	thrice	चतुः	four times
शतशः, सहस्रशः	hundreds, thousands of times

प्रश्नार्थकानि Interrogatives
ननु	objection, surely?	कदा	when
कथम्	which, how?	किमर्थम्	why, for what reason
किल	isn't it?, indeed	कुत्र, क्व	where
कुतः	why, from where	कति	how many
कियत्	how much	कथम्	how

नकारात्मकानि Negative Words
न, नो, नहि	no, not	मा	do not, don't

अनिर्दिष्टानि Indefinite
कदाचित्	once, occasionally, sometimes	यदाकदाचित्	at some time, sometime
कथञ्चित्	somehow, in some way	यथाकथञ्चित्	somehow, by some means
यत्रकुत्रचित्	somewhere

सम्बोधनात्मकानि Words Used for Calling or Addressing
हे, भोः, भगो, अये, ओ, हो, अहो	O! used with respect	रे, अरे, अवे	O! without respect, contemptuous

विविधानि Miscellaneous
आम्	yes	सत्यम्	true, correct
साधु, बाढम्	good, well	सम्यक्, समीचीनम्	well, good, proper
नाम	means, named	स्वयम्	oneself
व्यर्था	waste, unnecessarily	सह, साकम्, सार्धम्	along with
विना, ऋते	without	ईषत्, किञ्चित्	a little, slightly
अलम्	enough, sufficient	नमः, स्वस्ति, स्वाहा, स्वधा, वषट्, वौषट्	as offering, sacred utterances
सहो, हन्त	alas!, expression of joy or grief

कृदन्तानि Primary derivatives
क्त्वान्त (त्वा) Past participles	नत्वा having prostrated पठित्वा having studied ज्ञात्वा having known गत्वा having gone
ल्यबन्त (य) past participles	प्रणम्य having prostrated सम्पठ्य having studied विज्ञाय having known
तुमु्न्नन्त (तुम्) infinitives	दातुम् to give पठितुम् to study ज्ञातुम् to know गन्तुम् to go

तद्धितानि Secondary derivatives
वत् like	मातृवत् like mother जडवत् like an inert object दण्डवत् like a stick रज्जुसर्पवत् like the rope and snake
तः from	ग्रामतः from the village दूरतः from far वृक्षतः from the tree प्रथमतः from the first