1.3.45
अकर्मकाच्च
Operational rule vidhi
And when used intransitively after the verb ज्ञ , the आत्मनेपद is used, when the fruit of the action does not accrue to the agent.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Left context अकर्मकात् pañcamī · ekavacanaIndeclinable च avyaya
- Left context Pañcamī (5th case): "after X", the operation applies to what follows (1.1.67 तस्मादित्युत्तरस्य). Also used for limits and sources.
- Indeclinable An avyaya such as च "and", वा "optionally", न "not".
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Full reading
अकर्मकात् च
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
And when used intransitively after the verb ज्ञ , the आत्मनेपद is used, when the fruit of the action does not accrue to the agent.
As सर्पिषो जानीते मधुनो जानीते 'he engages in sacrifice by means of clarified butter or honey.' (See 2.3.51).
This Atmanepadi form of jna is employed when the fruit of the action does not accrue to the agent. From sutra 1.3.76 it will be seen that when the fruit of the action accrues to the agent, the verb is Atmanepadi.
How in the above example the verb jna is intransitive? Because the word sarpih is not the object of knowledge, but it is an instrument of sacrifice, into which one engages from complete knowledge (jnana); and it (sarpishah) is in the genitive case by virtue of 2.3.51 (ज्ञोऽविदर्थस्य करणे) by which the instrumental karaka of the jna is put in the genitive case.
Why do we say of "Intransitive"? Because in the transitive it is parasmaipadi, as स्वरेण पुत्रं जानाति 'he knows (recognizes) the son by his voice.'
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.