5.4.103 अनसन्तान्नपुंसकाच्छन्दसि

Word by word (padaccheda)

Left context अन्- असन्तात् pañcamī · ekavacanaLeft context नपुंसकात् pañcamī · ekavacanaRight context छन्दसि saptamī · 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").

Dotted words are technical terms. Hover or tap one to see its card.

Full reading

अन्-असन्तात् नपुंसकात् छन्दसि

Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.

Commentary

In the छन्दस् (Vedas) the affix टच् comes after a तत्-पुरुष समास in Neuter Gender ending in अन् or अस्।
Thus हस्ति + चर्मन् = हस्तिचर्मम् as in हस्तिचर्मे जुहोति, so also ऋषभचर्मेऽभिषिंचति ॥ So also when a word ends in अस् as, देवच्छन्दसानि (देव + छन्दस् = देव + छन्दस् + टच् = देवच्छन्दसम्) so also मनुष्य च्छन्दसानि ॥

Why do we say "when ending in अन् or अस्"? Observe बिल्वदारु जुहोति ॥ Why do we say "in the Neuter"? Observe सुत्रामाणं पृथिवीं द्यामनेहसम् ॥

Vart:- The word वा "optionally" should be read into the sutra. Therefore टच् is optionally added, as ब्रह्मसाम or ब्रह्मसामम्, देवच्छन्दः or देवच्छन्दसम् ॥

Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.