5.3.85
अल्पे
Operational rule vidhi
The above-mentioned affix क -- प्रागिवात्कः (5.3.70), and the rest come in expressing the small quantity or small number of anything.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Right context अल्पे saptamī · ekavacana
- 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
अल्पे
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The above-mentioned affix क -- प्रागिवात्कः 5.3.70, and the rest come in expressing the small quantity or small number of anything.
Thus अल्पं तैलं = तैलकं 'a little oil'. सर्वकम्, घृतकम्, विश्वकम्, उच्चकैः, नीचकैः 'a somewhat high, a somewhat low &c'. पचतकि 'he cooks a little'. जल्पतकि 'he speaks somewhat'.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.