5.2.1
धान्यानां भवने क्षेत्रे खञ्
Operational rule vidhi
The affix खञ् comes in the sense of 'a place of growing when that place is a field' after the name of any particular corn being in the Genitive 6th-Case.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Target धान्यानाम् ṣaṣṭhī · bahuvacanaRight context भवने saptamī · ekavacanaRight context क्षेत्रे saptamī · ekavacanaSubstitute / term prathamā · ekavacana
- Target Ṣaṣṭhī (6th case): names what gets replaced, "in place of X" (1.1.49 षष्ठी स्थानेयोगा).
- 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").
- Substitute / term Prathamā (1st case): in operational rules, the substitute or the thing introduced; in definitions, the term or its referent.
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Pink letters are it-markers (anubandhas), tags dropped by 1.3.9. Hover or tap one for the rule that marks it, or try the it-letter finder.
Full reading
धान्यानाम् भवने क्षेत्रे खञ्
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
धान्यानाम् → खञ् / भवने क्षेत्रे
Replace dhānyānām with khañ when bhavane kṣetre follows. Inherited words (anuvṛtti) may add further conditions.
Commentary
The affix खञ् comes in the sense of 'a place of growing when that place is a field' after the name of any particular corn being in the Genitive 6th-Case.
According to Bohtlingk, the Sutra should be thus translated. "To a corn-name is added ईन, to express the fields in which the corn grows". According to Ballantyne, it is translated "when we speak of a place for grain, or a field of it, there may be the affix khan".
The word धान्यानां 'of grains', shows that the word in construction should be in the genitive case. The plural number shows that the affix is not to be added to the word-form धान्य, but to words which denote various kinds of dhanya 1.1.63. भवन means 'the place where a thing is produced or grows (भवन्ति जायन्ते)' ॥
Thus मुद्गानां भवनं क्षेत्रं = मौद्गीनम्, कौद्रवीणम्, कौलत्थीनम् ॥
Why do we say "of grains"? There will be no affixing in a case like this तृणानां भवनं क्षेत्रं ॥
Why do we say "when it is a field"? Observe मुद्गानां भवनं कुशूलं 'a granary where kidney-beans grow'.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.