4.2.52
विषयो देशे
Operational rule vidhi
When the word विषय is used to indicate the meaning of देश (ग्रामसमुदाय), then the षष्ठीसमर्थ with which the word विषय is associated gets an appropriate तद्धितप्रत्यय.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Substitute / term विषयः prathamā · ekavacanaRight context देशे saptamī · ekavacana
- Substitute / term Prathamā (1st case): in operational rules, the substitute or the thing introduced; in definitions, the term or its referent.
- 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
विषयः देशे
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 -- प्राग्दीव्यतोऽण् 4.1.83, comes after a word in the Genitive -6th-Case in construction in the sense of 'any body'sūtras sphere', if a country is indicated by such sphere.
The anuvritti of समूहः 4.2.37 does not extend further : but the anuvritti of तस्य 4.2.37 is to be read into it. The whole sutra thus becomes तस्य विषयो देशे 'his sphere-in denoting a country'. The word विषय 'sphere, topic' has many significations. Sometime it means an estate, as विषयो लब्धः, 'a village has been acquired'. Some time it means an object of perception, as चक्षु र्विषयो रूपं 'color is the object of sight' &c. Therefore the word देश has been used in the Sutra, in order to fix the particular meaning of the word विषय ॥
Thus शिबीनां विषयो देशः = शैवः 'The country within the sphere of the Sibi'. So also औष्ट्रः &c. Why do we say 'if a country is meant'? Observe देवदत्तस्य विषयोऽनुवाकः ॥
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.