जनः singular or plural

[Harry Spier]

Dear list members,

Coulson's grammar as an exercise asks to translate "The man is speaking to the astonished people like a brahmin".to sanskrit. And gives as the answer. विस्मितं जनं ब्राह्मण इव स नरो वदति  I.e. it translates जनः as "people" , but can विस्मितं जनं ब्राह्मण इव स नरो वदति also mean " "The man is speaking to the astonished person like a brahmin" I.e. can जनः be interpreted in that sentence as "person" .  I.e. where there is ambiguity is it more normal in sanskrit to consider जनः as the english plural "people" or the english singular "person". 

Thanks,

Harry Spier

[Lakshmanan Krishnamurti]

https://ashtadhyayi.com/shabda/@jana1?scroll=shabdaform-jana1-7-0

अत्र तु जनं इति पदं द्वितीया विभक्तौ एक वचने यथा तस्य विशेषणं विस्मितं ननु 

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[Lakshmanan Krishnamurti]

Unless we are using 

 [१]लोकः पुं. - लोंक्यतेऽसौ लोक्+घञ् "दुनिया, संसार, विश्व का एक प्रभाग

 लोकः to mean the world 

[Lakshmanan Krishnamurti]

I think here लोकः means person. I am happy to be corrected by scholars in this group

[HONGANOUR KRISHNA]

This is a wonderfully nuanced question, and it touches on a subtle but important aspect of Sanskrit interpretation.

Word Focus: जनः (janaḥ)

In Sanskrit, जनः is a masculine singular noun that can mean:

• A person — an individual human being.

• People — a collective or group, especially in poetic or elevated usage.

So yes, विस्मितं जनं ब्राह्मण इव स नरो वदति can grammatically mean either:

• "The man is speaking to the astonished person like a Brahmin" (singular interpretation), or

• "The man is speaking to the astonished people like a Brahmin" (collective interpretation).

 

How to resolve the ambiguity?

In Sanskrit, context and intention guide interpretation more than rigid grammar. Here's how it's typically approached:

1. Grammatical Clues:

• जनं is accusative singular — so literally, it refers to one person.

• If the author meant “people” in a plural sense, they might have used जनान् (accusative plural).

 

2. Stylistic Usage:

• In classical and poetic Sanskrit, जनः is often used collectively, even in singular form, especially when describing a crowd or audience.

• This is similar to how English sometimes uses “man” to mean “mankind.”

 

3. Coulson’s Intent:

• Coulson likely chose जनं to illustrate how Sanskrit can use singular forms with collective meaning — a common stylistic feature.

• The translation “astonished people” reflects this poetic license.

 

Conclusion:

Yes, जनः can mean either “person” or “people,” depending on context. In formal grammar, it’s singular. But in literary or interpretive contexts, it can carry a plural or collective sense. Coulson’s translation leans into that poetic flexibility.

 

Thank you,

HONGANOUR S KRISHNA

On Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 4:31 PM Harry Spier <vasisht...@gmail.com> wrote:

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