Today we will look at the form अष्टौ from श्रीमद्वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् ।

अष्टौ वर्षसहस्राणि तेनास्मिन्नृषिणा गिरौ |
वसतो मम धर्मज्ञे स्वर्गते तु निशाकरे || ४-६०-९||

GitaPress translation “(Even) after Sage Niśākara, who knew what is right, had ascended to heaven eight thousand years slipped past me as I lived on this mountain without this Ṛṣi.”

‘अष्टन्’ gets प्रातिपदिकसंज्ञा by 1-2-45 अर्थवदधातुरप्रत्ययः प्रातिपदिकम्। The विवक्षा here is प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्। 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिँभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप् mandates the प्रत्ययाः सुँ, औ, जस् etc. after the प्रातिपदिकम् ‘अष्टन्’ ।

(1) अष्टन् + जस्

(2) अष्ट आ + जस् । By 7-2-84 अष्टन आ विभक्तौ, when followed by a विभक्तिः affix that begins with a हल् letter, अष्टन् optionally gets आकारः as अन्तादेशः।
See question 1.

(3) अष्टा + जस् । There is a single substitute of दीर्घ: (आकारः) by 6-1-101 अकः सवर्णे दीर्घः।

(4) अष्टा + औश् । By 7-1-21 अष्टाभ्य औश्, the जस् and शस् affixes, that follow अष्टन् which has taken आकारः as अन्तादेशः, get औश् as replacement. By 1-1-55 अनेकाल्शित्सर्वस्य, the औश्-आदेश: replaces the entire जस्-प्रत्यय:।

(5) अष्टा + औ । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम् and 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(6) अष्टौ । By 6-1-88 वृद्धिरेचि।

Questions:

1. As per the वृत्ति: for the सूत्रम् 7-2-84 अष्टन आ विभक्तौ (“अष्टन आत्वं वा स्याद् हलादौ विभक्तौ।”), the आकारादेश: for “अष्टन्” should only come (optionally) when a हलादि-विभक्ति: follows. In the present example, we don’t have a हलादि-विभक्ति: following. Then why does the आकारादेश: come? The सिद्धान्त-कौमुदी gives the answer (under the सूत्रम् 7-1-21 अष्टाभ्य औश्) as follows – “अष्‍टभ्‍य इति वक्तव्‍ये कृतात्‍वनिर्देशो जश्‍शसोर्विषये आत्‍वं ज्ञापयति ।” Please explain.

2. What would have been the optional final form in this example (when 7-2-84 अष्टन आ विभक्तौ is not applied)?

3. Why is 7-2-84 अष्टन आ विभक्तौ only applied optionally, even though there is nothing in the सूत्रम् itself or as अनुवृत्ति: to suggest the optionality?

4. Please list the twelve synonyms for the word गिरि: (प्रातिपदिकम् “गिरि” masculine, meaning “mountain”) as given in the अमर-कोश:।
महीध्रे शिखरिक्ष्माभृदहार्यधरपर्वताः।
अद्रिगोत्रगिरिग्रावाचलशैलशिलोच्चयाः ।।२-३-१।।
(इति त्रयोदश “पर्वतसामान्यस्य” नामानि)

5. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“On this mountain, ornaments (were) thrown by Sita.” Use the adjective प्रातिपदिकम् “त्यक्त” for “thrown.”

6. While commenting on the term “अष्टन:” in the सूत्रम् “7-2-84 अष्टन आ विभक्तौ”, the तत्त्वबोधिनी-टीका says “सौत्रत्वादिहाल्लोपो न कृतः।” What does this mean?

7. Normally अनुवृत्ति: comes from an earlier rule into a later rule. In this example we have a case where a term from a following rule has come into a previous rule. Where is that?

8. Where is the प्रातिपदिकम् “अष्टन्” used in the गीता (as part of a तद्धित-प्रयोग:)?

Easy questions:

1. Please do पदच्छेद: of “अस्मिन्नृषिणा” and mention the relevant rules.

2. Consider the form “गिरौ” – the प्रातिपदिकम् is “गिरि” and the विवक्षा is सप्तमी-एकवचनम्। Steps are as follows:
गिरि + ङि by 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छस्टा…….
गिर + औ by 7-3-119 अच्च घेः।
गिरौ by ?
Which सूत्रम् was used in the last step (to get अ + औ = औ)?