8.4.10
वा भावकरणयोः
Operational rule vidhi
Optionally when the compound denotes a condition or an instrument, the न् of पान is changed to ण , when it is a second member, the cause of change occurring in the first member in a compound.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Indeclinable वा avyayaRight context भाव- saptamī · dvivacana
- 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 भाव-
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
Optionally when the compound denotes a condition or an instrument, the न् of पान is changed to ण , when it is a second member, the cause of change occurring in the first member in a compound.
Thus क्षीरपाणम् or क्षीरपानम् "drinking of milk" कषायपानम् or कषायपाणम् 'drinking of kashaya'. सुरापाणम् or सुरापानम् &c are examples of भाव or condition.
Similarly क्षीरपाणः of क्षीरपानः कंसः 'a vessel for drinking milk'. This is an example of करण or instrument.
Vart:- Optionally so in the case of गिरिनदी &c. Thus गिरिनदी or गिरिणदी; चक्रनदी or चक्रणदी, चक्रनितम्बा or चक्रणितम्बा ॥
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.