अलोऽन्त्यात् पूर्व उपधा

Definition saṃjñā उपधासंज्ञा

The second-last letter of a word is called उपधा.

Word by word (padaccheda)

From / after pañcamī · ekavacanaFrom / after अन्त्यात् pañcamī · ekavacanaTerm / subject पूर्वः prathamā · ekavacanaTerm / subject prathamā · ekavacana

From / after Pañcamī (5th case): "from X" or "after X"; in headings, often the limit of their scope.
Term / subject Prathamā (1st case): the term being defined, or the subject of the statement.

Dotted words are technical terms, dashed ones pratyāhāras (names for classes of sounds or affixes). Hover or tap one to see its card.

Full reading

अन्त्यात् पूर्वः

Commentary

The letter immediately preceding the last letter of a word is called penultimate (उपधा).
This defines उपधा or penultimate. Thus in the words पच्, भिद्, बुध्, वृत् the letters अ, इ, उ, and ऋ are उपधा.

The word 'upadha' occurs in sutra 7.2.116.

Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.