6.2.119

आद्युदात्तं द्व्यच् छन्दसि

Operational rule vidhi

In a बहुव्रीहि समास in the छन्दस् (Vedas) a word of two syllables with acute accent (उदात्त) on the first syllable when preceded by सु gets acute accent (उदात्त) on the first syllable.

Word by word (padaccheda)

Substitute / term आद्युदात्तम् prathamā · ekavacanaSubstitute / term द्व्यच् prathamā · ekavacanaRight context छन्दसि saptamī · ekavacana
  • Substitute / term Prathamā (1st case): in operational rules, the substitute or the thing introduced; in definitions, the term or its referent.
  • 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

आद्युदात्तम् द्व्यच् छन्दसि

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

Commentary

In a बहुव्रीहि समास in the छन्दस् (Vedas) a word of two syllables with acute accent (उदात्त) on the first syllable when preceded by सु gets acute accent (उदात्त) on the first syllable.
In other words, such a word retains its accent. Thus:- स्वश्वा॒सिन्धुः॑ सु॒रथा॑ सु॒वासा॑ (Rig Veda X. 76.8). Here स्व꣡श्वः and सुर꣡थः have acute on अ and र, which they had originally also, for अश्व and रथ are formed by क्वन् (Unadi I.151) and क्थन् (Unadi II.2) respectively and have the नित् accent 6.1.197. Why do we say 'having acute on the first syllable'? Observe या सु॑बा॒हुः स्व॑ङ्गुरिः (Rig II.32.7). Here बाहु has acute on the final (Unadi I.27 formed by उ affix and has the accent of the affix 3.1.3). Why do we say 'having two syllables'? Observe सुगुरसत्, सुहिरण्यः ॥ This sutra is an exception to 6.2.172.

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

Try any script. Numbers jump straight to the sūtra.

↑↓ move ↵ open