Case

Generally, the following are the recognized cases in English grammar:

Nominative case: Ram is going.

Objective case: He gave food to a beggar.

Instrumental case: Jadu cut the vegetables with a knife.

Dative case: My uncle brought a nice pen for me.

Ablative case: Ripe mangoes were hanging from the tree.

Possessive case: Aurangzeb was the third son of Emperor Shahjahan.

Containing, or locative, case: Fishes live in water.

Vocative case, or case of address: O my Lord! Give me strength to serve humanity.

All the cases in one [Bengali] rhyme:

Jiiv Iishvarersrśt́i জীব ঈশ্বরের সৃষ্টি Jiivke dáo dám, জীব্কে দাও দাম, Jiiver dvárá hay sádhaná জীবের দ্বারা হয় সাধনা Jiiver janyei nám; জীবের জন্যেই নাম | Jiiv haite ásiyáche জীব হিতে আসিযাছে Pragatir mán, প্রগতির মান, Jiiver sevá kare’ yáo জীবের সেবা করে’ যাও D́hele’ man práń; ঢেলে’ মন প্রাণ | Jiivete nihita áche জীবেতে নিহিত আছে Doś-guń yata, দোষ–গুণ যত, Dośke sariye’ guń দোষকে সরিযে’ গুণ Báŕáo satata; বাড়াও সতত | Sambodhan pad sabe সম্বোধন পদ সবে D́eke’ d́eke’ kay ডেকে’ ডেকে’ কয, He jiiv! vinásh kabhu হে জীব! বিনাশ কভু Koro ná samay. কোরো না সময় | | (1) [Unit beings are the creations of God, Respect unit beings, Meditation is practised by unit beings, There are different names for different units; A rising standard of progress Comes from unit beings, Continue to render service to unit beings,(2) With all your mind and all your life; In unit beings there lie Both virtues and vices, Remove the vices And increase the virtues always; The vocative case Calls to everyone, “O beings, never waste Your valuable time.”]

And in one Sanskrit verse:

Rámah rájamńih sadá vijayate, রামঃ রাজমণিঃ সদা বিজযতে, Rámaḿ Rameshaḿ bhaje; রামং রমেশং ভজে | Rámeńá bhihat́áh nishácaracamúh, রামেণাভিহতাঃ নিশাচরচমূঃ, Rámáya tasmae namah; রামায় তস্মৈ নমঃ | Rámánńasti parájayah, রামান্নাস্তি পরাজয়ঃ, Rámasya dáso’smyaham; রামস্য দাসোঽস্ম্যহম্ | Ráme cittalayah sadá, রামে চিত্তলয়ঃ সদা, Bho Ráma mámuddharah. ভো রাম মামুদ্ধরঃ | | (3) [Rama, the jewel of a king, is always victorious, I worship Rama and Vishnu; The demon army are killed by Rama, Salutations to that Rama; There cannot be any real defeat from Rama,(4) I am the humble servant of Rama; The mind should always concentrate on Rama,(5) O Rama, protect me.]

(1) Táŕá Bándhá Chaŕá (“A Bundle of Rhymes”) 1991, rhyme 4. –Eds.

(2) Literally “of unit beings”, i.e., possessive case, in Bengali. –Eds.

(3) From Varńa Vijiṋána (“The Science of Letters”) 1984, p. 242. –Eds.

(4) I.e., if one is killed by Rama, the person wins liberation. –Eds.

(5) Literally “in Rama”, i.e., locative case, in Sanskrit. –Eds.