3.2.79
कर्तर्युपमाने
Operational rule vidhi
The affix णिनि comes after a verb when in composition with a word denoting an object of comparison, expressing the agent, the sense of the affix being 'doing something like that', that is to say, when the उपपद agent is the standard of comparison of the agent denoted by the word to which the sense of the affix refers.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Right context कर्तरि saptamī · ekavacanaRight context उपमाने saptamī · ekavacana
- 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, dashed ones pratyāhāras (names for classes of sounds or affixes). Hover or tap one to see its card.
Full reading
कर्तरि उपमाने
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The affix णिनि comes after a verb when in composition with a word denoting an object of comparison, expressing the agent, the sense of the affix being 'doing something like that', that is to say, when the उपपद agent is the standard of comparison of the agent denoted by the word to which the sense of the affix refers.
Thus उष्ट्र इव क्रोशति = उष्ट्रक्रोशिन् 'who makes a noise like a camel'; ध्वाङ्क्षराविन् 'who makes a noise like a crow'.
This sutra applies where 'habit' is not indicated : or where 'genus' is denoted in opposition to the last aphorism.
Why do we say 'when expressing the agent'? Witness as अपूपानिव भक्षयति माषान् 'he eats masha like apupa'. Here अपूपा is object and not agent, and hence no composition takes place.
Why do we say 'denoting a standard of comparison'? Otherwise there will be no composition. As उष्ट्रः क्रोशति 'the camel makes noise'. For the accents of these words, see 6.2.80.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.