8.3.21
उञि च पदे
Operational rule vidhi
A पदान्तयकार and a पदान्तवकार coming after an अकार is removed when followed by the पद उञ् in the context of संहिता.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Right context उञि saptamī · ekavacanaIndeclinable च avyayaRight context 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").
- Indeclinable An avyaya such as च "and", वा "optionally", न "not".
Dotted words are technical terms, dashed ones pratyāhāras (names for classes of sounds or affixes). Hover or tap one to see its card.
Full reading
उञि च
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
व् and य् (preceded by अ or आ and the end of a पद) and followed by उ , when it is a word, are elided necessarily.
The particle उ is a full pada or word. That Particle is meant here by the word उञ्, and not the उञ्, which is a root obtained by the samprasarana of वेञ् ॥ Thus स उ एकविंशतिः, स उ एकाग्निः ॥
Why do we use the word पदे "उ when it is a pada"? So that the rule may not apply to उञ् the form assumed by वेञ् by samprasarana as तन्त्रे उतं = तन्त्रयुतम् ॥ Objection:- उञ् could never have meant the form assumed by वेञ्, for the samprasarana of वेञ् is उ, the ञ् is merely indicatory. Moreover the maxim of lakshana-pratipadokta &c, will prevent the inclusion of this उञ् resulting from vocalisation, when there is a separate Particle उञ् ॥
Answer:- The word पदे is used here for the sake of the subsequent sutras like 8.3.32. So that ङ्मुट् may come before a word beginning with a vowel, and not before a vowel which is an affix. Thus there is no double in न् in परमदण्डिना ॥ This is also a nitya rule, and not optional. Had it been optional, there would have been no necessity of this aphorism, because 8.3.19, would have been enough.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.