2.4.65
अत्रिभृगुकुत्सवसिष्ठगोतमाङ्गिरोभ्यश्च
Operational rule vidhi
After the words अत्रि , भृगु , कुत्स , वशिष्ठ , गोतम , अङ्गिरस , there is elision of the गोत्र affix, when the word takes the plural, but not in the feminine.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Left context अत्रि- भृगु- कुत्स- वसिष्ठ- गोतम- अङ्गिरोभ्यः pañcamī · bahuvacanaIndeclinable 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".
Dotted words are technical terms. Hover or tap one to see its card.
Full reading
अत्रि-
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
After the words अत्रि , भृगु , कुत्स , वशिष्ठ , गोतम , अङ्गिरस , there is elision of the गोत्र affix, when the word takes the plural, but not in the feminine.
Thus the plural of आत्रेय (अत्रि + ढक (IV.1.122.)) the descendent of अत्रि, is अत्रयः, the regular plural of अत्रि. So also, singular भार्गवः, plural भृगवः, singular कौत्सः, plural कुत्साः; so, वसिष्ठाः, गोतमाः, अङ्गिरसः. In all these the affix has been elided. Thus भृगु + अण् = भार्गवः 'the descendent of Bhrigu.' Of course, it is only in the plural number that the Gotra affixes ढक् and अण् are elided, not in any other number; so we have in singular आत्रेयः भार्गवः; dual आत्रेयौ भार्गवौ; plural आत्रयः भृगवः &c.
But when these words are part of a compound, the Gotra affixes are not elided in forming their plural. Thus प्रियात्रेयाः or प्रियभार्गवाः ।
In the Feminine plural the affixes are not elided. Thus:- आत्रेय्यः स्त्रियः ।
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.