Consonant stems have two distinct attributes. They for one distinguish between strong and weak forms. The strong and weak forms of a consonant stem are used with particular, set case-endings, as described below. Secondly in certain declension cases of this type of noun and adjective, the stem of their roots is considered a separate word from the case-endings. When adding those case endings, sandhi is applied between word and the ending, and for this reason these endings are known as pāda or “word” endings.

In terms of the strong and weak forms of a consonant stem, the difference is usually formed by the presence or absence of a nasal, or a change in the stem vowel, and sometimes through other methods. For some words, the strong and weak form are identical. For masculine and feminine words (whose declension endings are identical), strong forms are used in the sing. nom., sing. acc., dual nom., dual acc., and plural nom. For neuter words, they are just found in plu. nom and plu. accusative.

“Pāda” endings are dual inst., dual. dat., dual abl., pl. inst., pl. dat, pl. abl., and pl. loc. These are considered like stand-alone words and are joined with stand-alone roots via saṃdhi. The stand-alone root (my term) is one where the final consonant is changed to a permissible ending. Thus, पद् → पत् (in the weak form). Then saṃdhi is applied when joined with the pāda endings. Thus, the dual instrumental, etc. of पद् is constructed as follows: पद् + भ्याम् → पत् + भ्याम् (because final -द cannot stand, but this changes back to) → पद् + भ्याम् (because final –त changes to -द before -भ) or पद्भ्याम्! With त्वच् it is clearer: त्वच् + भ्याम् → त्वक् + भ्याम् → त्वग्भ्याम् (because final -क → -ग before -भ). See also Whitney, §§ 390-391 and explanation before. (General source: Hart p. 31.)

Consonant forms are very important. Many other declension are variations of these endings:

Strong/Weak Forms

पद् (m., foot, nom. sing. → पात्)

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Single Forms

त्वच् (f., skin, nom. sing. → त्वक्)

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