2.1.14 लक्षणेनाभिप्रती आभिमुख्ये

Word by word (padaccheda)

With / by लक्षणेन tṛtīyā · ekavacanaSubstitute / term अभि- प्रती prathamā · dvivacanaRight context आभिमुख्ये saptamī · ekavacana

With / by Tṛtīyā (3rd case): accompaniment or means.
Substitute / term Prathamā (1st case): in operational rules, the substitute or the thing introduced; in definitions, the term or its referent.
Right context Saptamī (7th case): "when X follows", the operation applies to what precedes (1.1.66 तस्मिन्निति निर्दिष्टे पूर्वस्य). Also a condition or domain ("in the sense of").

Dotted words are technical terms. Hover or tap one to see its card.

Full reading

लक्षणेन अभि-प्रती आभिमुख्ये

Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.

Commentary

The words अभि and प्रति when implying direction (towards), are optionally compounded with a word ending in a case-affix denoting the limit, or the goal which regulates or marks the direction and the resulting compound is अव्ययीभाव।

The word lakshana means a sign goal. See also (1.4. 84) and go for a further explanation of this word. As अभ्यग्नि or अग्निमभि शलभाः पतन्ति 'the moths fall in the direction of fire.' So also प्रत्यग्नि or अग्निं प्रति, the sense being, that making the fire their aims (लक्ष्य) they fall towards it.

Why do we say 'when meaning lakshana'? Observe स्रुग्घ्नं प्रति गतः 'he turned back and went towards Srughna i.e., having turned back he went only towards the direction of Srughna but not to that place itself.

Why do we say the words abhi and prati? Observe येनाग्निस्तेन गतः 'he went in the direction of the fire' .

Why do we say 'when meaning direction towards'? Observe अभ्यङ्का गावः or प्रत्यङ्कागावः 'the recently marked cows.'

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