यावदवधारणे

Operational rule vidhi

When the word 'यावत्' is used in the the meaning of अवधारणा (indication of a number, For example - 'as many'), it undergoes a समास with a related सुबन्त, and the समास is called अव्ययीभावसमास.

Word by word (padaccheda)

Indeclinable यावत् avyayaRight context अवधारणे saptamī · ekavacana

Indeclinable An avyaya such as च "and", वा "optionally", न "not".
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").

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Full reading

यावत् अवधारणे

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

Commentary

The indeclinable word यावत् when it signifies limitation, is invariably compounded with a word ending in a case-affix which is in construction with it, and the compound so formed is called अव्ययीभाव।
The word अवधारण means accurate ascertainment, restriction or limitation. As, यावदमत्रं ब्राह्मणानामन्त्रयस्व invite so many Bráhmanas only and not more as there are pots': i.e., if there are five pots then invite five Bráhmans; if six pots, then invite six Bráhmans.

Why do we say 'when meaning limitation'? Observe यावद्दत्तं तावत् भुक्तम् 'I ate so long as it was given to me,' i.e. I do not know for certainty how much I have eaten.

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