उत्सर्ग अपवादः

Every rule in the अष्टाध्यायी has its field of application. A rule has to be obligatorily applied when conditions satisfying its application are obtained i.e., its field of application (or input environment) is obtained.

What if a given situation represents the environments of multiple rules? That is to say, multiple rules are applicable at the same time? In that situation, which of the competing rules is to be applied?

Here we are guided by the परिभाषा of उत्सर्ग and अपवाद which says that an अपवाद ‘exception’ or ’specific rule’ is more powerful than an उत्सर्ग ‘general rule’.  This   परिभाषा then enjoins us to apply a specific (or more restricted) rule in preference to a general (or less restricted) rule. In other words, a specific rule (अपवाद) blocks the application of the general rule (उत्सर्ग).

Therefore before applying the उत्सर्ग, one has to check for the applicability of any of its अपवाद. The उत्सर्ग is thus applicable only in the environment not included in the  environments of its अपवाद. This is summarized as:

पूर्वं हि अपवादाः अभिनिविशन्ते पश्चादुत्सर्गाः।  प्रकल्प्य चापवादविषयं तत उत्सर्गोऽभिनिविशते।

Because the specific rules become effective first, and general rules afterwards only, and thus after we have formed an idea of the (input environment of the) specific rule, the general rule becomes effective.

This effectively means that: keep an eye on the specific rule; decide the input environment where the अपवाद (exception/specific rule) is applicable and apply the उत्सर्ग (general rule) in the remaining environment.

Let’s consider the rules below:

15      इको यणचि                                   6.1.77

          इकः                       यण्                        अचि            (संहितायाम्)

           इक् -षष्ठी           यण्-प्रथमा             अच्-सप्तमी

          ‘ Let a इक् be substituted by यण् when अच्  follows, in close contact’

इ,उ,ऋ,लृ  ->           य्,व्,र्,ल्

27     आद्गुणः                                                6.1.87    

        आत्                       गुणः                       (अचि)        (एक: पूर्वपरयोः)  (संहितायाम्) 

        अ-पञ्चमी                 गुण-प्रथमा                    

‘When अ (or its सवर्ण) is followed by vowel, let गुण (अ, ए, ओ) be the single substitute for both, in close contact’

42     अकः सवर्णे दीर्घः                            6.1.101

          अकः             सवर्णे            दीर्घः      (अचि)      (एक: पूर्वपरयोः)  (संहितायाम्)

        अक्-षष्ठी                 सवर्ण -सप्तमी           दीर्घ - प्रथमा  

‘When a अक् is followed by its सवर्ण, let the corresponding दीर्घ अच् (long vowel) be the एकादेशः (single substitute) for both’

As far as the above three rules are concerned, the following observations may be made:

There is no overlap between the input environments of any two of the three rules 15, 27 and 42.

Rules 15 and 42 overlap for इ+इ, उ+उ

Rules 27 and 42 overlap for अ+अ

Rules 15 and 27 have no common input environment.

If the rules are taken pair-wise, there is no general-special relationship apparent. However if we take the three rules together, it is evident that the input to 42 is a proper subset of the combined inputs to 15 and 27. From this perspective, 42 should set aside each of the other two rules in their respective shared environments. This yields the correct result, for it is true that 42 always wins both over 27 (अ+अ->आ, not अ), and over 15, (इ+इ->ई, not यि).

The principal restriction on 27 is 33 below:

33     वृद्धिरेचि                                       6.1.88   

वृद्धिः                      एचि                        (आत्)        (एक: पूर्वपरयोः)  (संहितायाम्)

वृद्धि-प्रथमा               एच्-सप्तमी               

‘When अ (or its सवर्ण) is followed by एच् (ए, ओ, ऎ, औ), let वृद्धि (आ, ऎ, औ) be the single substitute for both, in close contact’.

उपेत्य+ओदनः -> उपेत्यौदनः.  

33 is in turn blocked by 38.

38     एङि पररूपम्                                 6.1.94   

एङि              पररूपम्                   (उपसर्गात्, धातौ)       (आत्)  (संहितायाम्)

एङ्-सप्तमी     

‘अ (or its सवर्ण) followed by ए, ओ in aधातु are together replaced by the second vowel,  in close contact’.

उप+एलयति -> उपेलयति

38 is in turn blocked by 34.

34     एत्येधत्यूठ्सु                          6.1.89   

एति-एधति-ऊठ् सप्तमी बहुवचन  (वृद्धि)    (आत्)        (एक: पूर्वपरयोः)  (संहितायाम्)

‘अ (or its सवर्ण) followed by ए, ओ, ऎ,औ in the धातु  एति, एधति or when followed by ऊठ्, are together replaced by वृद्धि,  in close contact’.

उप+एति -> उपैति

34 is in turn blocked by 40.

40     ओमाङोश्च                                               6.1.95

ओमाङोः च   (एङि पररूपम्)                        (आत्)        (एक: पूर्वपरयोः)  (संहितायाम्)

 ‘When अ (or its सवर्ण) is followed by ॐ or the उपसर्ग आङ्, let the form of the subsequent be the single substitute for both,  in close contact’.

उप+आ+इत्य -> उपेत्य

===

Similarly, the following two rules have a उत्सर्ग- अपवाद relationship:

22     एचोऽयवायावः                                                        6.1.78

43     एङः पदान्तादति                                     6.1.109

हरे + अव = हरेऽव

43 may be blocked by the optional rule 44

44     सर्वत्र विभाषा गोः                                   6.1.122

गो + अग्रम्   = गोअग्रम्

47 may optionally block 22 and 44

47     अवङ् स्फोटायनस्य                                  6.1.123

गो + अग्रम् = गवाग्रम्

48, in its environment, obligatorily blocks 22

48     इन्द्रे च                                                         6.1.124

गो + इन्द्र = गवेन्द्र

सामर्थ्य

(To be revised) 

ज्ञापक or सामर्थ्य is one method of interpreting the अष्टाध्यायी. It is a guide to deciding the correctness of any issue. We make a particular assumption owing to a ज्ञापक ‘clue’ or सामर्थ्य ‘an otherwise redundant element’. If we do not make the assumption then either the rule or certain elements of it will be rendered redundant.

सामर्थ्य is quite often an important guiding principle for determining field of application of a rule as well as for determining अनुवृत्ति.

Here we discuss सामर्थ्य in the context of अनुवृत्ति.

When we consider अनुवृत्ति, we are always up against continuing or n ot continuing elements from prior rules. Here सामर्थ्य plays a non-trivial role. As soon as the continuation (or lack thereof) is assumed on grounds of सामर्थ्य, a rule or elements in that rule become purposeful.

Let us take the example of various प्रगृह्य rules to better understand how सामर्थ्य applies.

51 ईदूदेद् द्विवचनं प्रगृह्यम् 1.1.11
अनुवृत्तिः
52 अदसो मात् 1.1.12
अनुवृत्तिः ईदूदेद् प्रगृह्यम्
In rule 52, the word द्विवचनं is discontinued on the basis of सामर्थ्य. If the word द्विवचनं is continued, then the examples of rule 52 will be covered by rule 51 itself. This renders rule 52 superfluous.

Therefore for the discontinuation of द्विवचनं, no explicit principle is required. Common sense alone would be deemed sufficient.

55 निपात एकाजनाङ् 1.1.14
अनुवृत्तिः प्रगृह्यम्
56 ओत् 1.1.15
अनुवृत्तिः निपातः, प्रगृह्यम्

ओत् does not cancel निपातः but cancels the modifier एकाच् on the basis of सामर्थ्य. If the word एकाच् is continued, then the examples of rule 56 will be covered by the preceding rule itself viz., rule 55. Accordingly, सामर्थ्य decides the discontinuation of एकाच्.

57 सम्बुद्धौ शाकल्यस्येतावनार्षे 1.1.16
अनुवृत्तिः ओत्, प्रगृह्यम्

The item ओत् is continued but the item निपातः is discontinued. If the item निपातः is continued, the a separate phrasing of rule 57 would seem superfluous. All the examples of rule 57 would be taken care of by rule 56. (How?)

असिद्धत्वम्

31 पूर्वत्रासिद्धम् 8.2.1

हर इह, हरयिह

असिद्धम् implies a form of rule ordering so that only desired outputs are achieved and undesirable outputs are averted.This implies we order rules such that B is invisible to A. Thus A will be sequentially placed before B in the अष्टाध्यायी

This ordering has two important implications:

1. आदेशलक्षणप्रतिशेध

Output of B is invisible to A, so B can not feed A.

Here consider

लोपः शाकल्यस्य 8.3.19 B

आद् गुणः 6.1.87 A

Consider the case where we have हरे इह

By एचोऽयवायावः 6.1.78, this should yield हर + अय् + इह

Now by applying लोपः शाकल्यस्य 8.3.19 B, we can optionally delete the अय् and get हर इह

Now the important question is whether this now becomes हरेह by virtue of आद् गुणः 6.1.87 A

The answer is NO because B can not feed A as B is invisible to A

2. उत्सर्गलक्षणभाव

Input of B is visible to A, so B can not bleed A

This is the case where both rules are immediately applicable

भुग्न

Here there are two rules at stake:

ओदितश्च 8.2.45 B

ओदितश्च धातोः निष्ठातकारस्य नत्वम् इत्यर्थः

त in niShTha suffixes (such as the past participle ending -क्त) is replaced by न after roots with the marker ओ.

चोः कुः 8.2.30 A

चवर्गस्य कवर्गः स्यात् झलि पदान्ते च

A palatal (चवर्ग) is replaced by a velar (कवर्ग) before a झल् and at the end of a word. E.g., वच् + तुमुन् -> वक्तुम्

In the underlying example, भुज्ओ-क्त, both rules are applicable: the replacement of त by न, and the substitution of the root-final - ज् by - ग् before a झल्. If त -> न were to take place first, it would bleed ज् -> ग्, yielding the wrong term

*भुज्न (->भुज्ज्ञ by स्तोः श्चुना श्चुः 8.4.41).

Does this happen in reality?

The answer is NO because B can not bleed A as B takes into effect after A

In other words, in order to ensure that B does not count with respect to A, it is placed after it in the त्रिपादी. It is thereby असिद्ध with respect to A and therefore fails to bleed it.

So the correct sequence of application would be

भुज्ओ-क्त by 8.2.30 would yield भुग्ओ-क्त. Now applying 8.2.45 would yield the correct derivation भुग्न.

Summary:

The learner is urged to remember that असिद्धत्वं in the अष्टाध्यायी is simply a restriction on rule ordering such that correct derivations are produced.

सूत्रपठनविधि

The learner should follow the procedure given below to penetrate the outer shell of the sutra and to partake of the clear essence inside.

I. पदच्छेद

The learner must break up the sandhi in the sutra and look at each पद separately. Example: इको यणचि. पदच्छेद gives इकः यण् अचि.

II. विभक्ति वचन

Once the individual पद is available, determine which case (विभक्ति) and what number (वचन), it is in.

Example: इकः is षष्ठी एकवचन of इक्. अचि is सप्तमी एकवचन of अच्. इक्, यण्, अच् - all three are प्रत्याहार. The learner should remember that षष्ठी and सप्तमी have special purport in the अष्टाध्यायी.

III. समास

When a पद is a compound noun (i.e., in समास form), it should be analyzed in terms of its constituent elements. It is expected that पदच्छेद and विभक्ति वचन analysis will have already provided a clue to its meaning.

IV. अनुवृत्ति

The अनुवृत्ति is required to complete the sutra. The learner must use terms in the अनुवृत्ति (provided for each sutra) to make as complete a statement of the sutra as possible i.e., without adding any words other than a supporting verb. At this stage, the purport of the sutra should be clear.

Example: For the sutra, इको यणचि (6.1.77), the अनुवृत्ति is संहितायाम्. So a statement of the sutra may be formulated as follows: इकः यण् (स्यात्) अचि संहितायाम्

V. वृत्ति

At this stage, the वृत्ति should be read. The learner must note carefully any words in the वृत्ति additional to the statement he formed in IV above. In practice, the वृत्ति should be very close to the complete statement of the sutra that the learner formed for himself based on the sutra text and the अनुवृत्ति.

Example: the वृत्ति for इको यणचि (6.1.77) is given as इकः स्थाने यण् स्यात् अचि संहितायाम् विषये. Here we notice that only स्थाने is the extra word introduced by the वृत्ति. विषये is used in the day to day sense to indicate context i.e., वृत्ति says we are talking of संहिता here. This anyway is obvious from the अनुवृत्ति term namely, संहितायाम्. That leaves स्थाने. On further investigation, the reader finds that this is a technical term related to इक् being in षष्ठी. This completes an initial understanding of the text of the वृत्ति.

VI. उदाहरण

The वृत्ति gives many pertinent examples and counter examples. The learner must work out the example for himself based on his understanding of the sutra. It is possible that other sutras are required to be applied to arrive at the final form given in the example. But the वृत्ति example is always chosen such that these other sutras would have been covered already. Therefore the learner should be able to chart the intermediate steps i.e., cite the other sutras invoked in the example. Only then can the learner consider that he has completed the first time learning of the sutra. (प्रथमावृत्ति)