6.4.23
श्नान्नलोपः
Operational rule vidhi
After न which is added to the roots of the रुधादिगणः (7th Conjugation) as a गणविकरण - श्नम् (characteristic), there is the elision of the following न.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Left context श्नात् pañcamī · ekavacanaSubstitute / term नलोपः prathamā · ekavacana
- Left context Pañcamī (5th case): "after X", the operation applies to what follows (1.1.67 तस्मादित्युत्तरस्य). Also used for limits and sources.
- Substitute / term Prathamā (1st case): in operational rules, the substitute or the thing introduced; in definitions, the term or its referent.
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Full reading
श्नात् नलोपः
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
After न which is added to the roots of the रुधादिगणः (7th Conjugation) as a गणविकरण - श्नम् (characteristic), there is the elision of the following न।
Thus अनक्ति and भनक्ति from अञ्ज 'to anoint', and भञ्ज 'to break'. Thus अञ्ज् + श्नम् +तिप् = अनञ्ज् + ति 1.1.47 = अनज् + ति 6.4.23 = अनक्ति ॥ So also हिनस्ति from हिसि (हिन्स्) 'to injure'. Why do we say 'after श्न' and not merely 'after न', without the indicatory श ? Observe यज्ञानाम्, यत्नानाम्, where the न of नाम् is not elided after the न of यज्ञ and यत्न, the lengthening of अ by 7.3.102 being sthanivat would not have prevented the elision. In the case of विश्नानाम् and प्रश्नानाम् (formed by विश्न + नाम् and प्रश्न + नाम्) also, the न of नाम् is not elided after श्न of विश्न ॥ For the श्न of the sutra is the technical श्न the vikarana, and not any combination of the letters श and न ॥ The pratipadokta maxim applies here. लक्षणप्रतिपदोक्तयोः प्रतिपदोक्तस्यैव ग्रहणम् ॥
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.