2.2.1
पूर्वापराधरोत्तरमेकदेशिनैकाधिकरणे
Operational rule vidhi
The words पूर्व 'front', अपर 'near', अधर 'lower', उत्तर 'upper', are compounded when in construction with a word signifying a thing that has parts, provided that the thing having parts is distinguished numerically by unity; and the compound is तत्-पुरुष.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Substitute / term पूर्व- अपर- अधर- उत्तरम् prathamā · ekavacanaWith / by एकदेशिना tṛtīyā · ekavacanaRight context एकाधिकरणे saptamī · ekavacana
- Substitute / term Prathamā (1st case): in operational rules, the substitute or the thing introduced; in definitions, the term or its referent.
- With / by Tṛtīyā (3rd case): accompaniment or means.
- 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
पूर्व-
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The words पूर्व 'front', अपर 'near', अधर 'lower', उत्तर 'upper', are compounded when in construction with a word signifying a thing that has parts, provided that the thing having parts is distinguished numerically by unity; and the compound is तत्-पुरुष।
The word ekadhikarana (the unity of substance) is the attribute of or qualifies the word ekadesin. This debars the Genitive Tat-purusha compound ordained by sutra 9 ; which would have placed the words purva &c., last in the compound, whereas being here exhibited in the nominative case 1.2.43 and 2.2.30, they take the precedence.
पर्व+कायस्य = पर्वकायः 'the front of the body'; अपरकायः 'the back of the body'; अधरकायः 'the lower part of the body '; and उत्तरकायः 'the upper part of the body.'
Why do we say 'what signifies a thing that has parts'? Observe पूर्व नाभेः कायस्य. But not so in पूर्वं छात्राणामामन्त्रय 'invite the fore-most of the pupils': because here the substratum (adhikarana) is not unity (eka). But how do we get the compounds like मध्याह्नः 'noon'; सायाह्नः 'evening'? The word ahna is compounded with every word signifying its parts, because we learn this by inference from sutra 6.3.110.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.