8.3.33
मय उञो वो वा
Operational rule vidhi
In the context of संहिता, when a letter of the मय् प्रत्याहार occurring at end of a पद is followed by word उञ् which in turn is followed by a स्वर, then the word उञ् is optionally converted to a वकार.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Left context pañcamī · ekavacanaTarget उञः ṣaṣṭhī · ekavacanaSubstitute / term वः prathamā · ekavacanaIndeclinable वा avyaya
- Left context Pañcamī (5th case): "after X", the operation applies to what follows (1.1.67 तस्मादित्युत्तरस्य). Also used for limits and sources.
- Target Ṣaṣṭhī (6th case): names what gets replaced, "in place of X" (1.1.49 षष्ठी स्थानेयोगा).
- Substitute / term Prathamā (1st case): in operational rules, the substitute or the thing introduced; in definitions, the term or its referent.
- 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
उञः वः वा
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
उञः → वः / optional
Replace uñaḥ with vaḥ when it comes after mayaḥ, optionally. Inherited words (anuvṛtti) may add further conditions.
Commentary
व् is optionally the substitute of the Particle उ when it is preceded by मय् consonant (all consonants with the exception of the semi-vowels, sibilants, ह and ञ) and is followed by a vowel.
Thus शमु अस्तु वेदिः or शम्वस्तु वेदिः, तद् उ अस्य रेतः or तद्वस्य रेतः, किम् उ आवपनम् or किम्वावपनम् ॥ The उ is a Pragrihya by 1.1.14, and therefore would have remained unchanged, this ordains व् optionally. This व being considered asiddha, the म् is not changed to anusvara in किम्वावपनम्, शम्वस्तु &c, by 8.3.23.
When this उ is followed by इति, and preceded by a मय् consonant, then by 1.1.17, it is optionally प्रगृह्य, and it may be replaced by ऊँ ॥ When it is not a pragrihya, then it is changed to व् by यणादेश 6.1.77, or to व् by the present sutra. In the case of यणादेश व्, there is anusvara by 8.3.23, as किंविति ॥ When it is a Pragrihya, then it is changed to व् by the present sutra as किम्विति or किमु इति ॥ So also with ऊँ substitute, where the व्ँ will be nasal : as किम्विँति, or ऊँ will remain unchanged, as किम् ऊँ इति ॥ Thus we have five forms with इति ॥
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.