केन खादसि? — हस्तेन!
With what? — the instrumental case

हस्तेन, चमसेन, लेखन्या — करणे तृतीया विभक्तिः।

Name the tool you use: hand, spoon, pen — that word takes तृतीया (‑एन).

श्रवणम् · Listen

भोजनसमये
 माता —  राम, ओदनं केन खादसि? 
Rāma, what are you eating the rice with?  
 रामः —  अहं हस्तेन खादामि। 
I eat with my hand.  
 माता —  लीला, त्वं केन खादसि? 
Līlā, what do you eat with?  
 लीला —  अहं चमसेन खादामि। 
I eat with a spoon.  
 रामः —  अम्ब, पितामहः दण्डेन चलति वा? 
Mother, does grandfather walk with a stick?  
 माता —  आम्, सः दण्डेन चलति। 
Yes, he walks with a stick.  

विवरणम् · Explanation

यं वस्तुं प्रयुज्य क्रियां कुर्मः, सः शब्दः तृतीयां विभक्तिं प्राप्नोति। हस्तः → हस्तेन · चमसः → चमसेन · दण्डः → दण्डेन। प्रश्नः — “केन?” इति।

The tool or means of an action takes the third case, तृतीया. For ‑अ words the ending is ‑एन: हस्तेन (with the hand), चमसेन (with a spoon), दण्डेन (with a stick). The matching question word is केन? — with what?

स्त्रीशब्दे रूपम् अन्यत् — लेखनी → लेखन्या। “अहं लेखन्या लिखामि।” एतत् रूपं श्रुत्वा एव अभ्यस्यतु।

Feminine ‑ई words do it differently: लेखनी (pen) → लेखन्या. Just absorb the phrase लेखन्या लिखामि as a chunk for now — the full feminine pattern unfolds over the next lessons.

शब्दाः · Vocabulary

शब्दः	Meaning	टिप्पणी · Note
केन	with what?	question word for तृतीया
हस्तः	hand
चमसः	spoon
लेखनी	pen	feminine; तृतीया = लेखन्या
दण्डः	stick, staff
चलति	walks, moves

अभ्यासः · Practice

अहं ________ ओदनं खादामि। (चमसः) I eat rice with a spoon. Pick the form.

बालिका ________ चित्रं लिखति। (लेखनी) The girl draws a picture with a pen.

वाक्यं रचयतु — “Grandfather walks with a stick.” Arrange the words.

क्रियां करणेन योजयतु। Match each action with its natural tool.

त्वं ________ लिखसि? — अहं लेखन्या लिखामि। With what do you write? — I write with a pen.

वाक्यव्यवहारः · Use it

एकं वस्तु गृह्णातु, वदतु च — “अहम् अनेन … करोमि” इति न, अपि तु वस्तुनः नाम्ना — “अहं चमसेन खादामि” इति। एवं चत्वारि वाक्यानि वदतु।

Pick up four objects around you and announce what you do with each, naming the object in तृतीया: अहं चमसेन खादामि, अहं लेखन्या लिखामि… Four sentences, four tools, all ending in that ‑एन / ‑या sound.