1.2.35
उच्चैस्तरां वा वषट्कारः
Operational rule vidhi
The pronunciation of the word वषट् , may optionally be by raising the voice (acutely accented), or it may be pronounced with monotony.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Indeclinable उच्चैस्तराम् avyayaIndeclinable वा avyayaSubstitute / term वषट्कारः prathamā · ekavacana
- Indeclinable An avyaya such as च "and", वा "optionally", न "not".
- Substitute / term Prathamā (1st case): in operational rules, the substitute or the thing introduced; in definitions, the term or its referent.
Full reading
उच्चैस्तराम् वा वषट्कारः
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The pronunciation of the word वषट् , may optionally be by raising the voice (acutely accented), or it may be pronounced with monotony.
The phrase "yajna-karma" is understood here. Even in yajna-karmas or sacrifices the word वौषट् may optionally be pronounced in a raised tone. The word वषट् in the sutra signifies वौषट्. But why was not the word वौषट् used in the text? It could have been used with as much case as वषट्. To this natural query, the only answer is, विचित्राः हि सूत्रस्य कृतिः पाणिनेः strange and wonderful is the structure of Panini's aphorisms, Thus सोमस्याग्ने वीही३ वौ३ षट् or सोमस्याग्ने वीही३ वौ३ षट्.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.