5.4.43
संख्यैकवचनाच्च वीप्सायाम्
Operational rule vidhi
The affix शस् comes optionally after crude forms denoting numbers and words denoting units of a coin in the singular number when a distributive sense is to be expressed (and the word is a कारक).
Word by word (padaccheda)
Left context सङ्ख्या- pañcamī · ekavacanaIndeclinable च avyayaRight context वीप्सायाम् 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.
- 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").
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Full reading
सङ्ख्या-
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The affix शस् comes optionally after crude forms denoting numbers and words denoting units of a coin in the singular number when a distributive sense is to be expressed (and the word is a कारक).
Thus द्वौ द्वौ मोदकौ ददाति = द्विशो मोदकौ ददाति "He gives two sweet-meats to each". So also त्रिशः ॥ Similarly after words in the singular number as, कार्षापणशो ददाति "he gives a Karshapana coin to each". So also माषशः, पादशः ॥ That by which the sense of unit is expressed is called eka-vachana. The words karshapana &c denote quantity, but their function in the sentence is to denote one-ness i. e. one to each, though in fact many are given.
Why de we say "after Numerals and units of coin"? Observe घटं घटं ददाति "he gives a pot to each". Why do we say "when a distributive sense is meant"? Observe द्वौ ददाति "He gives two". कार्षापणम् ददाति "he gives a karshapana".
This rule of course applies when the word is in relation with a verb viz. when it is a karaka, and not when it is in the genitive case governing another noun. As द्वयोर्द्वयोः स्वामी "Lord of two each". कार्षापणस्य कार्षापाणस्य स्वामी "Possessor of a karshapanas each". In fact the work "karakat" of the last sutra is understood here also. This sutra is exception to 8.1.4.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.