6.4.38
वा ल्यपि
Operational rule vidhi
The nasal above the roots (i.e. अनुदात्त ending in a nasal and वन and तनादि) is optionally elided before the Absolutive affix ल्यप्.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Indeclinable वा avyayaRight context ल्यपि saptamī · ekavacana
- Indeclinable An avyaya such as च "and", वा "optionally", न "not".
- 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
वा ल्यपि
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The nasal above the roots (i.e. अनुदात्त ending in a nasal and वन and तनादि) is optionally elided before the Absolutive affix ल्यप्।
This is a vyavasthita-vibhasha. The option applies to roots ending in म्. In the case of roots ending in other nasals, the elision is compulsory. Thus प्रयत्य or प्रयम्य, प्ररत्य or प्ररम्य, प्रणत्य or प्रणम्य, आगत्य आगम्य, but no option in आहत्य, प्रमत्य, प्रवत्य, प्रक्षत्य ॥
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.