5.4.93
अग्राख्यायामुरसः
Operational rule vidhi
The affix टच् comes after the word उरस् standing at the end of a तत्-पुरुष समास when it has the sense of 'the most excellent of its kind'.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Right context अग्र- आख्यायाम् saptamī · ekavacanaLeft context उरसः pañcamī · 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").
- Left context Pañcamī (5th case): "after X", the operation applies to what follows (1.1.67 तस्मादित्युत्तरस्य). Also used for limits and sources.
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Full reading
अग्र-
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Commentary
The affix टच् comes after the word उरस् standing at the end of a तत्-पुरुष समास when it has the sense of 'the most excellent of its kind'.
The word अग्र means 'the principal': as the word उरस् is the principal member of an animal, so by metonomy it has come to mean 'the principal'. Thus अश्वानां उरः = अश्वोरसम् so also हस्त्युरसम् "the most excellent of horses or elephants".
Why do we say "when meaning the most excellent". Observe देवदत्तस्योरः = देवदत्तोरः "the breast of Devadatta".
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.