6.2.98
सभायां नपुंसके
Operational rule vidhi
Before the word सभा when it is exhibited as Neuter, the first member of the compound gets the acute accent (उदात्त) on the last syllable.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Right context सभायाम् saptamī · ekavacanaRight context नपुंसके saptamī · 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").
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Full reading
सभायाम् नपुंसके
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
Before the word सभा when it is exhibited as Neuter, the first member of the compound gets the acute accent (उदात्त) on the last syllable.
Thus गोपाल꣡सभम्, पशुपाल꣡सभम्, स्त्री꣡सभम्, दासी꣡सभम्, गावडाल꣡सभम् ॥ Why do we say 'before सभा'? Observe ब्राह्मणसभम् ॥ Why do we say 'when in the Neuter'? Observe राजसभा, ब्राह्मणसभा ॥ The word सभा becomes Neuter under Rules 2.4.23 — 2.4.24: therefore when the word सभा does not become Neuter under those rules, then by the maxim of Pratipadokta &c: the accent does not fall on the final of the preceding term as, रमणीयसभं, here the word सभा is neuter not by the force of any particular rules, but because the thing designated (अभिधेय) is neuter.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.