8.2.87
ओमभ्यादाने
Operational rule vidhi
The vowel in ओम् is प्लुत in the beginning of a sacred text.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Indeclinable ओम् avyayaRight context अभ्यादाने 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
ओम् अभ्यादाने
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The vowel in ओम् is प्लुत in the beginning of a sacred text.
The word अभ्यादानं and means the commencement of a sacred mantra or Vedic text. Thus ओ३म् अ॒ग्निमीले॑ पु॒रोहि॑तं य॒ज्ञस्य॑ दे॒वमृ॒त्विजं॑ ॥ (Rig I.I.I).
Why do we say "in the beginning"? Observe ओमित्येतदक्षरमुद्गीथमुपासीत (Chhandogya Upanishad. I.1.1). Here ओम् is not used to indicate the commencement of a Text or Mantra, but is itself the subject of comment.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.