Sanskrit Samas (Compounds): Types, Identification and Examples
Samas is the main word-formation process in Sanskrit, and identifying the samas type or writing out the vigrah (expansion) comes up in almost every REET Sanskrit paper. This page explains all six samas types with easy identification cues and clean examples.
- No direct 2024 PYQ on record — syllabus-based
- Class 6-8 level
- 10 min read
How samas is asked in REET
There is no REET 2024 question linked to this topic in RajStudy's database yet, so the question style suggested here is not based on any one specific past paper but directly on the official REET syllabus and standard Sanskrit grammar textbooks — it felt important to say that honestly. Samas questions typically come in two forms — identifying the type of a given compound word (such as 'पीताम्बर'), or picking the correct example of a named type (such as 'bahuvrihi'). Students most often get confused between कर्मधारय and बहुव्रीहि, and between तत्पुरुष and द्वंद्व — that confusion is exactly what gets tested most.
What is Samas
When two or more words combine, dropping the vibhakti (case-marker) that would normally sit between them, to form a new, shorter, meaningful word, this process is called 'samas' (compounding). The word that results is called the 'समस्त पद' (compound).
When a compound word is broken back down into its original words, with the dropped vibhakti restored, to make its meaning explicit, this is called 'समास-विग्रह' (compound expansion) — for instance, the vigrah of 'राजपुत्र' is 'राजा का पुत्र' ('king's son'). Samas is traditionally grouped into six main types: अव्ययीभाव, तत्पुरुष, कर्मधारय, द्विगु, द्वंद्व and बहुव्रीहि, and each has its own tell-tale identification cue.
Identifying the Six Samas Types
| Type | Dominant member | Identification rule | Example and expansion |
|---|---|---|---|
| अव्ययीभाव | First member (पूर्व पद) | The first member is an अव्यय (indeclinable), and the whole compound becomes an अव्यय too | यथाशक्ति = शक्ति के अनुसार; प्रतिदिन = प्रत्येक दिन |
| तत्पुरुष | Second member (उत्तर पद) | The sub-type is decided by which case-marker (vibhakti) is dropped between the two members | राजपुत्र = राजा का पुत्र; रसोईघर = रसोई के लिए घर |
| कर्मधारय | Second member (उत्तर पद) | The first member is an adjective and the second a noun; both share the same vibhakti | नीलकमल = नीला कमल; महादेव = महान देव |
| द्विगु | Second member (उत्तर पद) | The first member is a number, and the compound conveys a group or collection | त्रिभुवन = तीन भुवनों का समूह; नवरात्रि = नौ रात्रियों का समूह |
| द्वंद्व | Both members | Both members carry equal weight; the expansion inserts 'and' (च) | माता-पिता = माता च पिता च; सुख-दुःख = सुखं च दुःखं च |
| बहुव्रीहि | Neither member (a third, outside referent) | The whole compound itself becomes an adjective describing some third person or thing | पीताम्बर = पीत है अम्बर जिसका (यानि विष्णु); दशानन = दस हैं आनन जिसके (यानि रावण) |
The identification key is always the same two questions: 'which member is dominant' and 'what gets added back in the expansion'.[Source 2]
Sub-types of Tatpurush Samas (by karak)
- कर्म तत्पुरुष (द्वितीया)
- ग्रामगत = ग्राम को गया हुआ
- करण तत्पुरुष (तृतीया)
- मनगढ़ंत = मन से गढ़ा हुआ
- संप्रदान तत्पुरुष (चतुर्थी)
- रसोईघर = रसोई के लिए घर
- अपादान तत्पुरुष (पंचमी)
- ऋणमुक्त = ऋण से मुक्त
- संबंध तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी)
- राजपुत्र = राजा का पुत्र
- अधिकरण तत्पुरुष (सप्तमी)
- ग्रामवास = ग्राम में वास
How to tell कर्मधारय and बहुव्रीहि apart
This is where most students slip up. In कर्मधारय, the compound word itself names the very thing being described — 'नीलकमल' is simply a lotus, just a blue one. In बहुव्रीहि, by contrast, the compound word points to some third, separate person or thing — 'पीताम्बर' is neither 'yellow' nor 'garment' on its own; it names the person (Vishnu) whose garment happens to be yellow.
A simple test: if the expansion naturally includes a phrase like 'जिसका/जिसकी/जिसके' (whose ...) and the meaning points toward some third person, the samas is बहुव्रीहि; otherwise it is कर्मधारय.
A full process for identifying any samas
The most reliable way to identify any compound's type is to ask three questions in order. First — is the first member an अव्यय, and has the whole compound also become one? If yes, it's अव्ययीभाव. Second — does the compound itself become an adjective pointing at some third person or object? If yes, it's बहुव्रीहि. Third — are both members equally dominant, with an implied 'and'? If yes, it's द्वंद्व. Whatever is left over splits between तत्पुरुष, कर्मधारय and द्विगु based on the nature of the first member — a dropped case-marker, an adjective, or a number.
While preparing for REET, it really helps to keep three or four clean examples of each type memorised, because questions usually hand you a new compound word and ask you to classify it rather than asking for a bare definition. The more examples you're already familiar with, the easier it becomes to classify an unfamiliar one by pattern-matching against something you already know.
It's also worth understanding how समास and संधि relate to each other — many compound words have a sandhi hidden inside them too (for example, 'विद्यालय' is both a compound and a sandhi: विद्या+आलय). So whenever you expand a compound word, first check whether there's a sandhi buried in the middle, and only then decide the samas type — this two-step check is what saves you from wrong answers in the exam.
How to teach this to children
Activity
Pick everyday, familiar words (like 'रसोईघर', 'माता-पिता') and ask children which two words they think it's built from — starting from familiar examples makes the type click faster than starting from the definition.
Teaching aid
A colour-coded chart of the six samas types hung in the classroom, with one picture-example next to each type (such as an image of Vishnu wearing yellow robes next to बहुव्रीहि), reinforces the type through visual memory.
Common misconception
Children commonly swap कर्मधारय with बहुव्रीहि, and तत्पुरुष with द्वंद्व — running separate practice sets on each of these two confusing pairs is essential.
Assessment
Writing five compound words on the board and asking children to give both the type and the vigrah on the spot is a fast, effective oral assessment.
Trick to remember
'In बहुव्रीहि, the real subject is a third party; everywhere else, someone within the compound is dominant' — that is, बहुव्रीहि points to some outside person, अव्ययीभाव gives dominance to the first member, तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय/द्विगु give it to the second member, and द्वंद्व gives it to both. Remembering this one line unlocks the whole table.
Practice Questions
Question 1
'पीताम्बर' is an example of which samas?
- Aकर्मधारय
- Bबहुव्रीहि
- Cद्वंद्व
- Dद्विगु
Explanation
The expansion of 'पीताम्बर' is 'पीत है अम्बर जिसका' ('whose garment is yellow') — it points to a third person (Vishnu), so it is बहुव्रीहि samas.
Question 2
The word 'माता-पिता' is an example of which samas?
- Aद्वंद्व
- Bतत्पुरुष
- Cबहुव्रीहि
- Dअव्ययीभाव
Explanation
Both members are equally dominant here, and the expansion adds 'च' ('and') — 'माता च पिता च' — which makes this द्वंद्व samas.
Question 3
What is the correct vigraha (analysis) and samas type of 'राजपुत्र'?
- Aराजा का पुत्र — तत्पुरुष
- Bराजा जैसा पुत्र — कर्मधारय
- Cराजा और पुत्र — द्वंद्व
- Dराजा है जो पुत्र — बहुव्रीहि
Explanation
'राजपुत्र' drops the षष्ठी vibhakti (राजा का पुत्र), which makes it संबंध तत्पुरुष samas.
Question 4
The word 'यथाशक्ति' is an example of which samas?
- Aअव्ययीभाव
- Bद्विगु
- Cकर्मधारय
- Dबहुव्रीहि
Explanation
The first member is an अव्यय and the whole compound has also become one — 'शक्ति के अनुसार' — so this is अव्ययीभाव samas.
Question 5
The word 'त्रिभुवन' is an example of which samas?
- Aद्विगु
- Bद्वंद्व
- Cतत्पुरुष
- Dबहुव्रीहि
Explanation
The first member 'त्रि' is a number and conveys a group (a set of three worlds) — this makes it द्विगु samas.
Question 6
In the samas 'नीलकमल', which part (pada) is the principal (pradhan) one?
- Aपूर्व पद (नील)
- Bउत्तर पद (कमल)
- Cदोनों पद समान रूप से
- Dकोई पद प्रधान नहीं
Explanation
In कर्मधारय samas the second member (the विशेष्य) is dominant — here 'कमल' is dominant, and 'नील' is simply its adjective.
Question 7
What is the correct vigraha (analysis) of the samas 'रसोईघर'?
- Aरसोई के लिए घर
- Bरसोई का घर
- Cरसोई में घर
- Dरसोई और घर
Explanation
'रसोई के लिए घर' drops the चतुर्थी vibhakti, which makes this संप्रदान तत्पुरुष samas.
Question 8
What is the samas type of the word 'दशानन' (Ravana)?
- Aबहुव्रीहि
- Bद्विगु
- Cकर्मधारय
- Dअव्ययीभाव
Explanation
'दस हैं आनन (मुख) जिसके' points to a third person, Ravana, so this is बहुव्रीहि samas — not द्विगु, even though it starts with a number.
Question 9
What is the most useful classroom activity when teaching samas?
- Aकेवल परिभाषा रटवाना
- Bपरिचित रोज़मर्रा के शब्दों से भेद पहचनवाना
- Cसमास को छोड़ देना
- Dकेवल अंग्रेज़ी अनुवाद कराना
Explanation
Letting children identify the type from familiar everyday words like 'रसोईघर' and 'माता-पिता' builds practical understanding rather than rote memorisation.
Question 10
What is the vigraha (analysis) of the word 'सुख-दुःख'?
- Aसुखं च दुःखं च
- Bसुख का दुःख
- Cसुख के लिए दुःख
- Dसुख से दुःख
Explanation
In द्वंद्व samas both members are equally dominant and the expansion adds 'च' ('and') — सुखं च दुःखं च.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many types of samas are there?+
There are six main types — अव्ययीभाव, तत्पुरुष, कर्मधारय, द्विगु, द्वंद्व and बहुव्रीहि. तत्पुरुष further splits into six sub-types based on karak.
What's the difference between samas and sandhi?+
Sandhi is formed from the meeting of two sounds and is a matter of sound change, whereas samas is formed from the combination of two or more words and drops the case-marker between them — they are two distinct processes.
How do I identify बहुव्रीहि samas?+
If the compound word doesn't name the thing it describes but instead points to some third person or object (such as पीताम्बर = Vishnu), it is बहुव्रीहि.
What's the difference between द्विगु and द्वंद्व samas?+
In द्विगु the first member is a number and conveys a group (such as त्रिभुवन), whereas in द्वंद्व both members are equally dominant and the expansion adds 'and' (such as माता-पिता).
How many sub-types does तत्पुरुष samas have?+
तत्पुरुष samas has six sub-types, corresponding to the six karakas (कर्म, करण, संप्रदान, अपादान, संबंध, अधिकरण) — for instance, 'राजपुत्र' is संबंध तत्पुरुष because it drops the षष्ठी vibhakti (का/के/की).
Why does the compound become an अव्यय in अव्ययीभाव samas?+
In अव्ययीभाव samas the first member is itself an अव्यय (such as 'यथा', 'प्रति'), and because that member is dominant, the entire compound starts behaving like an अव्यय too — meaning its form no longer changes with gender or number.
What's the single most useful first question to ask when identifying a samas?+
Ask 'which member is dominant — the first, the second, both, or neither (a third, outside referent)?' — that one question alone eliminates most of the six types straight away.
Read next
Sandhi (Vowel, Consonant, Visarga)
Revise the sandhi rules before you start samas.
Shabd Roop (Ram, Phal, Lata etc.)
Practise noun declensions after samas.
REET Syllabus
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- 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked