वा संज्ञायाम्

Operational rule vidhi

The substitution of अनङ् does not optionally take place when the बहुव्रीहि समास is a name.

Word by word (padaccheda)

Indeclinable वा avyayaRight context संज्ञायाम् saptamī · ekavacana

Indeclinable An avyaya such as च "and", वा "optionally", न "not".
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

वा संज्ञायाम्

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

Commentary

The substitution of अनङ् does not optionally take place when the बहुव्रीहि समास is a name.
This declares an option, where the last sutra had made the substitution compulsory. As शतधनुः or शतधन्वा, दृढधनुः or दृढधन्वा ॥

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