ग्रामः शिल्पिनि

Operational rule vidhi

The word ग्राम when first member of a compound optionally retains its original accent before a word denoting 'a professional man or artisan'.

Word by word (padaccheda)

Substitute / term ग्रामः prathamā · ekavacanaRight context शिल्पिनि 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").

Full reading

ग्रामः शिल्पिनि

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

Commentary

The word ग्राम when first member of a compound optionally retains its original accent before a word denoting 'a professional man or artisan'.
Thus ग्रामनापितः or ग्रामनापितः, ग्रामकुलालः or ग्रामकुलालः ॥ The word ग्राम has acute on the first. Why do we say "ग्राम"? Observe परमनापितः ॥ Why do we say 'a silpi a professional workman'? Observe ग्रामरथ्या; where there is no option.

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