4.2.3
नक्षत्रेण युक्तः कालः
Operational rule vidhi
To indicate the meaning of 'time occupied by a certain नक्षत्र', an appropriateतद्धित प्रत्यय can be attached to the word in तृतीया विभक्ति that indicates name of the नक्षत्र.
Word by word (padaccheda)
With / by नक्षत्रेण tṛtīyā · ekavacanaSubstitute / term युक्तः prathamā · ekavacanaSubstitute / term कालः prathamā · 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.
Dotted words are technical terms. Hover or tap one to see its card.
Full reading
नक्षत्रेण युक्तः कालः
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The affix अण् already ordained -- प्राग्दीव्यतोऽण् 4.1.83, comes after a word in the Instrumental -3rd case in construction which is the name of a lunar mansion, to signify a time connected with the asterism.
A time is said to be connected with an asterism when the moon is in conjunction with any one of such asterism. Thus पुष्य, तिष्य, मघा &c are lunar asterisms, when the moon is in any one of these asterisms, then the affix is added to the name of such asterism in order to denote time of such conjunction. Thus पुष्य + अण् = पौषः 6.4.149 e.g. पौषिरात्रिः "the night in which moon is in Pushya". So also माघी रात्रिः; पौषमह 'the month in which the moon is full in Pushya i. e. December', so also माघमह 'the month Magha' &c.
Why do we say नक्षत्रेण 'connected with the asterism'? Observe चन्द्रमसा युक्ता रात्रिः ॥ Why do we say काल 'time'? Observe पुष्येण युक्तचन्द्रमाः ॥
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.