5.2.41
किमः संख्यापरिमाणे डति च
Operational rule vidhi
The affixes डति (अति with the elision of इम्) and वतुप् come in the sense of 'numerical quantity' after the word किम् in the Nominative 1st-Case in construction.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Left context किमः pañcamī · ekavacanaRight context संख्यापरिमाणे saptamī · ekavacanaWord डति Indeclinable 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.
- 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").
- Word Case not marked in the source data.
- 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
किमः संख्यापरिमाणे डति च
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The affixes डति (अति with the elision of इम्) and वतुप् come in the sense of 'numerical quantity' after the word किम् in the Nominative 1st-Case in construction.
The च introduces the affix वतुप् which is changed into घतुप् (इयत्) ॥
The word संख्यापरिमाणे means संख्यायाः परिमाणं i.e. संख्यापरिच्छेदः 'making estimate by numbers'. As का संख्या परिमाणमेषां ब्राह्मणानां = कति ब्राह्मणाः or कियन्तो ब्राह्मणाः 'how many Brahmanas in number do you estimate these'. This always comes in the plural.
This word is formed, in fact, when a question is put relating to the numerical quantity (sankhya-parimana) of any thing. But the word sankhya-parimana may be explained also as a Karmadharaya, in which the attributive word has been placed second. It will then mean "quantitative number". The sutra will be rendered thus: "kim takes dati, when it means a quantitative number". It should not be objected that numbers are always quantitative, and therefore parimana is redundant in the aphorism. For sometimes numbers are used not to define any quantity but merely to mark contempt. As in the following:-
अव्रतानाममन्त्राणां जातिमात्रोपजीविनाम् । सहस्रशः समतानां पारषत्वं न विद्यते॥ Here the word सहस्रशः is used indefinitely in a contemptuous sense. Therefore, it is not true that a number always defines a quantity. Where किम् is used to express contemptuous number, no affixing takes place : as केयमेषां संख्या दशानाम् ॥ The word parimana in this sutra is not used in its technical sense; as in Sutra 5.2.39 ante: for its very repetition here shows that it is used here to denote 'quantity' in general, and not 'capacity', for a number cannot mean 'capacity'.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.