8.4.33
वा निंसनिक्षनिन्दाम्
Operational rule vidhi
The न् of निस् , निक्ष and निन्द is changed to a ण optionally, when preceded by an उपसर्ग having in it a cause of change.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Indeclinable वा avyayaTarget निंस- निक्ष- निन्दाम् ṣaṣṭhī · bahuvacana
- Indeclinable An avyaya such as च "and", वा "optionally", न "not".
- Target Ṣaṣṭhī (6th case): names what gets replaced, "in place of X" (1.1.49 षष्ठी स्थानेयोगा).
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Full reading
वा निंस-
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The न् of निस् , निक्ष and निन्द is changed to a ण optionally, when preceded by an उपसर्ग having in it a cause of change.
Thus प्रणिंसनम् or प्रनिंसनम्, प्रणिक्षणम् or प्रनिक्षणम्, प्रणिन्दनम् or प्रनिन्दनम् ॥
These verbs are written with ण in the Dhatupatha, and therefore by rule 8.4.14 ante, the change of न into ण would have been obligatory. The present sutra makes it optional. The root णिसि means 'to kiss', णिक्षि रोषणे, and णिदि कुत्सायाम् ॥
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.