8.4.9
पानं देशे
Operational rule vidhi
The न of पान is changed into ण , when occurs as the second member of a compound, the first member of which contains a letter causing change; and the whole compound denotes a country or people.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Substitute / term पानम् prathamā · ekavacanaRight context देशे saptamī · ekavacana
- Substitute / term Prathamā (1st case): in operational rules, the substitute or the thing introduced; in definitions, the term or its referent.
- 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").
Full reading
पानम् देशे
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The न of पान is changed into ण , when occurs as the second member of a compound, the first member of which contains a letter causing change; and the whole compound denotes a country or people.
The word पान is formed by the affix ल्युट् 3.3.113. Thus क्षीरपाणा उशीनराः = क्षीरपाणं येषां 'the milk-drinking Usinaras'. सुरापाणाः प्राच्याः 'the wine-drinking Prachyas'. सौवीरपाणा बाह्लीकाः "the sauvira-drinking Bahlikas". कषायपाणा गान्धाराः &c.
Why do we say "when denoting a country"? Observe दक्षिपानं the drink of the Dakshis.
The words उशीनर and the rest are applied to persons also through the medium of being country-names.
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.