6.2.56
प्रथमोऽचिरोपसम्पत्तौ
Operational rule vidhi
The word प्रथम when first in a compound optionally retains its original accent when meaning 'a novice'.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Substitute / term prathamā · ekavacanaRight context अचिर- उपसम्पत्तौ 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").
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Full reading
अचिर-
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The word प्रथम when first in a compound optionally retains its original accent when meaning 'a novice'.
Thus प्रथमवैयाकरणः or प्रथमवैयाकरणः = संप्रतिव्याकरणमध्येतुं प्रवृत्तः 'one who has recently commenced to study Grammar'. The word प्रथम is derived from प्रथ by अमच् (Unadi V. 68) and by चित् accent the acute falls on the last. Why do we say when meaning 'a Novice?' Observe प्रथमवैयाकरणः (वैयाकरणानामाद्यो मुख्यो वा यः सः) 'the first Grammarian or a Grammarian of the first rank'. It will always have acute on the final.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.