Today we will look at the form ऋत्विग्भिः from श्रीमद्भागवतम् SB 9-13-3.

निमिश्चलमिदं विद्वान् सत्रमारभतात्मवान् ।
ऋत्विग्भिरपरैस्तावन्नागमद् यावता गुरुः ।। ९-१३-३ ।।

Gita Press translation “Knowing all this (his life and everything connected with it) to be evanescent, the thoughtful Nimi proceeded with the sacrificial session with the help of other priests and continued it till his preceptor (the sage Vasiṣṭha) did not return.”

By 3-2-59 ऋत्विग्दधृक्स्रग्दिगुष्णिगञ्चुयुजिक्रुञ्चां च we get “ऋत्विज्” as a ready-made प्रातिपदिकम्, ending in the क्विन्-प्रत्यय:। By अनुबन्ध-लोपः the ककार: and नकार: are removed using 1-3-8 लशक्वतद्धिते and 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम् along with 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः। The इकारः in the क्विन्-प्रत्यय: is उच्चारणार्थः। The single letter वकार: that remains gets अपृक्त-सञ्ज्ञा by 1-2-41 अपृक्त एकाल् प्रत्ययः। By 6-1-67 वेरपृक्तस्य, this वकार: which is अपृक्तः takes लोपः।

The क्विन्-प्रत्यय: has the कृत्-सञ्ज्ञा by 3-1-93 कृदतिङ् । By 1-1-62 प्रत्ययलोपे प्रत्ययलक्षणम्, even though the क्विन्-प्रत्ययः has taken लोपः, ऋत्विज् gets प्रातिपदिक-सञ्ज्ञा by 1-2-46 कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च and hence it will take the affixes सुँ, औ, जस् etc. mandated by 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिँभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्। The विवक्षा here is तृतीया-बहुवचनम्।

(1) ऋत्विज् + भिस् । The अङ्गम् has पद-सञ्ज्ञा by 1-4-17 स्वादिष्वसर्वनमस्थाने। 1-3-4 न विभक्तौ तुस्माः prevents the ending सकारः of भिस् from getting इत्-सञ्ज्ञा ।

(2) ऋत्विग् + भिस् । Since ‘ऋत्विज्’ ends in the affix क्विन्, by 8-2-62 क्विन्प्रत्ययस्य कुः, ‘ऋत्विज्’ which has पद-सञ्ज्ञा, takes the कवर्ग: (in this case गकार:) as a replacement for its ending जकार:।

(3) ऋत्विग्भिः । रुँत्व-विसर्गौ 8-2-66 ससजुषो रुः and 8-3-15 खरवसानयोर्विसर्जनीयः।

Questions:

1. Why do we need to use 8-2-62 क्विन्प्रत्ययस्य कुः in step 2? Why not simply use 8-2-30 चोः कुः?

2. In the third chapter of the अष्टाध्यायी, why does पाणिनि: run the “धातो:” अधिकार: a second time starting from 3-1-91 धातोः ? Why not just let the prior “धातो:” अधिकार: (starting from 3-1-22 धातोरेकाचो हलादेः क्रियासमभिहारे यङ्।) run all the way through?

3. Please state the one synonym for the word ऋत्विक् (प्रातिपदिकम् “ऋत्विज्” masculine, meaning “a priest who officiates at a sacrifice”) as given in the अमर-कोश:।
ऋत्विजो याजकाश्च ते ।।२-७-१७।।

4. How do you say this in Sanskrit?
“What else?” Take the answer from Chapter 16 of the गीता।

5. Where has the सूत्रम् 7-1-24 अतोऽम् been used in this verse?

6. What would have been the problem if पाणिनि: did not say “अतिङ्” in the सूत्रम् 3-1-93 कृदतिङ् ?

7. Which सर्वनाम-शब्द: has been used in this verse?

8. Which word in the verse has समानाधिकरम् with the word “ऋत्विग्भिः”?

9. Can you recall another सूत्रम् (besides 6-1-67 वेरपृक्तस्य) which we have studied, in which पाणिनि: uses the अपृक्त-सञ्ज्ञा ?

Easy questions:

1. Please do पदच्छेद: of निमिश्चलम्।

2. Can you spot the place where the सूत्रम् 8-4-45 यरोऽनुनासिकेऽनुनासिको वा has been used in this verse?