कु तिहोः

Operational rule vidhi

The word किम् is converted to कु when followed by a विभक्तिप्रत्यय that begins with a शब्दस्य तकार or a हकार.

Word by word (padaccheda)

Substitute / term कु prathamā · ekavacanaRight context ति- होः saptamī · dvivacana

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

कु ति-होः

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

Commentary

कु is substituted for किम् before a विभक्ति affix beginning with a त or ह।
Thus कुतः, कुत्र, कुह 5.3.13, 5.3.7. The इ in ति means beginning with a त ॥

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