5.3.27
दिक्शब्देभ्यः सप्तमीपञ्चमीप्रथमाभ्यो दिग्देशकालेष्वस्तातिः
Operational rule vidhi
The affix अस्ताति (अस्तात्) comes after the words of 'direction', 'locality' or 'time' ending in the Locative -7th case, Ablative -5th case, Nominative 1st-Case, without a change of sense.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Left context दिक्शब्देभ्यः pañcamī · bahuvacanaLeft context सप्तमी- पञ्चमी- प्रथमाभ्यः pañcamī · bahuvacanaRight context दिग्- देश- कालेषु saptamī · bahuvacanaSubstitute / term अस्ता ः prathamā · ekavacana
- 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").
- 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
दिक्शब्देभ्यः सप्तमी-
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The affix अस्ताति (अस्तात्) comes after the words of 'direction', 'locality' or 'time' ending in the Locative -7th case, Ablative -5th case, Nominative 1st-Case, without a change of sense.
The word दिक् शब्दाः means 'words denoting directions'. Thus पुरस्तात्, has all these three significations in the following sentences, पुरस्तादवसति 'he lives eastward'. पुरस्तादागतः 'he came from east' पुरस्ताद् रमणीयम् 'It was delightful previously'. Similarly with अधस्तात् ॥
Why do we say 'after words of direction'? Observe ऐन्द्र्यां दिशि वसति ॥ Why do we say 'ending in the locative, ablative and nominative'? Observe पूर्वम् ग्रामं गतः ॥ Why do we say when the sense is 'a direction', 'a locality' or 'a time'? Observe पूर्वस्मिन् गुरौ वसति 'he lives in the presence of the guru'.
This affix is a स्वार्थिक affix, like the affixes taught previously. The words denoting direction must be primitive words of direction; and not derivative words like ऐन्द्री &c. which also denote direction. The rule of यथासंख्य does not apply here.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.