degrees  of  comparison

 

        primary                                   added   directly   to  root

                 īyāms       better

                 iṣṭha         best  

 

       secondary                                added  to  stems

                  tara          better  

                  tama        best

                                   --------------------------------------------------

                                                  īyāms      iṣṭha

 

   tejīyāms       sharper                 tejiṣṭha    most  sharp              tij      be sharp

   javiīyāms     quicker                  javiṣṭha    quickest                         be swift

   yajīyāms     sacrifice better       yajiṣṭha    sacrifice  best          yaj    sacrifice

                                           mamhiṣṭha   most  liberal     mah   bestow  abundantly

                                                    jyeṣṭha      greatest 

                                                    jyeṣtha      eldest           jyā   overcome

   aṇīyams        smaller                aṇiṣtha   smallest           anu       minute

   davīyāms      farther                                                        dura       far

   dghīyāms     longer                 dghiṣṭha  longest         dīrgha     long

   laghīyāms      lighter                                                          laghu   light

   varīyāms   wider                        variṣṭha   widest               uru     wide

   śaśīyāms   more frequent          śaśvant   constant

   oṣiṣṭha       very quick                                                        oṣam    quickly

   barhiṣṭha    very lofty                                                          bṛhant    great

   yaviṣṭha      youngest                                                          yuvan     youth

   variṣṭha  most  excellent                                                     vara       choice

   dhiṣṭha    straightest                                                        sādhu   straight

              adj.

   āśiṣṭha   swift                                                                       āsu       reach

   kṣṇīyams   sharper                                   tīkṣṇa    sharp       tij     be sharp

   navīyāms   newer                           naviṣṭha  newest              nava   new

   sdīyāms   sweeter                     sdiṣṭha  sweetest           svādu   sweet

                                                                                                 svad   be sweet

                            ------------------------------------------------------------

                                     some  are  shorter       yāms

       tavyāms     stronger

       navyāms     newer

       panyāms    more wonderful

       byāms     becoming more

       rabhyāms   more violent

      sahyāms     stronger

      jyāms     geater   older

      preyāms     dearer                                      preṣṭha   dearest

      vasyāms     better                                       vasiṣṭha   best                 vasu   good

      śreyāms     better                                        śreṣṭha   best                  śrī   be bright

      sanyāms    older                                                                                  sana  old

                          -------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                      tara          tama

    priyatara           dearer

    tavastara            stronger

    vapuṣṭara             more wonderful

    bhagavattara          more  bounteous

    vṛtratara                  a worse Vṛtra

    bhūri-vattara       giving more abundantly

    śaśvattama             most constant

    ratna-dtama                  best  bestower of treasure

    hiraṇya-vāśī-mattama      best wielder of  the  golden  axe

    rattama                          best charioteer

                      --------------------------------------

                                 final   n     is   retained    before  these   suffixes

      madintara     more gladdening

      vṛṣantama     most manly

                                sometimes  an   n    in   inserted

     surabhintara    more  fragrant

    rayintama         very  rich

                                  sometimes       strong stem   of  Present Participle

   vdhantama      being most  mighty

   sahantama         most  victorious

                                      weak  stem  of  Present Participle

   viduṣṭara            wiser

   mīlhuṣṭama       most  gracious

                                        sometimes   doubled

   śreṣṭhatama          most  beautiful

                                        preposition

   ud     uttara      higher

   uttama             highest

                                                  f       end   in     ā

   tṛtamā        most  motherly

                  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------