6.1.97
अतो गुणे
Operational rule vidhi
In the context of संहिता, when an अपदान्त अकार is followed by a गुण letter, both of them are replaced by a single पररूप.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Left context अतः pañcamī · ekavacanaRight context 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, dashed ones pratyāhāras (names for classes of sounds or affixes). Hover or tap one to see its card.
Full reading
अतः
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
Also when the short अ , not being final in a पद , is followed by a गुण letter, then in the room of both the precedent and the subsequent - the single substitute is the form of the subsequent i.e. the गुण।
Thus पच् + शप् + अन्ति = पच + अन्ति = पचन्ति so also यजन्ति ॥ This debars lengthening of 6.1.101. पच + ए = पचे, यज + ए = यजे, here the Vriddhi is debarred 6.1.88. Why do we say "after the short vowel अ?" Observe या + अन्ति = यान्ति, वान्ति ॥ Why do we say when followed by 'a Guna letter ?' Observe अपच + इ = अपचे, अयजे ॥ When final in a Pada, this rule does not apply : as दण्ड + अग्रं = दण्डाग्रम्, यूपाग्रम्, क्षुद्राग्रम् ॥
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.