Today we will look at the form घ्नन्ति 3Ap-लँट् from श्रीमद्भागवतम् Sb10-1-67.

मातरं पितरं भ्रातॄन्सर्वांश्च सुहृदस्तथा ।
घ्नन्ति ह्यसुतृपो लुब्धा राजानः प्रायशो भुवि ।। १०-१-६७ ।।

Gita Press translation “Greedy monarchs given to self-gratification on this earth generally, as a matter of fact, kill their (own) father and mother, brothers as well as all their relations.”

घ्नन्ति is derived from the धातुः √हन् (हनँ हिंसागत्योः, अदादि-गणः, धातु-पाठः #२. २)

The विवक्षा is लँट्, कर्तरि प्रयोग:, प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्।

The ending अकारः (which is an इत्) of “हनँ” has a उदात्त-स्वरः। Thus the √हन्-धातुः is devoid of any indications for bringing in आत्मनेपद-प्रत्यया:। (Neither 1-3-12 अनुदात्तङित आत्मनेपदम् nor 1-3-72 स्वरितञितः कर्त्रभिप्राये क्रियाफले applies.) Therefore, as per 1-3-78 शेषात् कर्तरि परस्मैपदम्, the √हन्-धातुः, in कर्तरि प्रयोग:, will take the परस्मैपद-प्रत्यया: by default.
Since the विवक्षा is प्रथम-पुरुष-बहुवचनम्, the प्रत्यय: will be “झि”।

(1) हन् + लँट् । By 3-2-123 वर्तमाने लट्, the affix लँट् comes after a धातुः when denoting an action in the present tense.

(2) हन् + ल् । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-2 उपदेशेऽजनुनासिक इत्, 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(3) हन् + झि । 3-4-78 तिप्तस्झिसिप्थस्थमिब्वस्मस् तातांझथासाथांध्वमिड्वहिमहिङ् mandates the प्रत्ययः “झि” as the substitute for the लकारः। “झि” gets the सार्वधातुक-सञ्ज्ञा by 3-4-113 तिङ्शित्सार्वधातुकम् – The affixes of the तिङ्-प्रत्याहारः and the affixes that have the letter ‘श्’ as a इत् get the designation of सार्वधातुकम् if they are prescribed in the “धातो:” अधिकार:।

(4) हन् + शप् + झि । By 3-1-68 कर्तरि शप्‌, the शप्-प्रत्यय: is placed after a verbal root, when followed by a सार्वधातुक-प्रत्यय: that is used signifying the agent. The शप्-प्रत्यय: which is a शित् (has the letter ‘श्’ as a इत्), gets सार्वधातुक-सञ्ज्ञा by 3-4-113 तिङ्शित्सार्वधातुकम्।

(5) हन् + झि । By 2-4-72 अदिप्रभृतिभ्यः शपः, the शप्-प्रत्ययः takes the लुक् elision when following a verbal root belonging to अदादि-गणः।

(6) हन् + अन्ति । By 7-1-3 झोऽन्तः,“अन्त्” comes in as a replacement for the झकारः of a प्रत्यय:।

(7) ह् न् + अन्ति । By 6-4-98 गमहनजनखनघसां लोपः क्ङित्यनङि, the उपधा (penultimate letter – ref. 1-1-65) of the verbal roots √गम् (गमॢँ गतौ १. ११३७), √हन् (हनँ हिंसागत्योः २. २), √जन् ([जनीँ प्रादुर्भावे ४. ४४], [जनँ जनने ३. २५]), √खन् (खनुँ अवदारणे १. १०२०) and √घस् (घसॢँ अदने १. ८१२) is elided, when followed by an अजादि-प्रत्ययः which is a कित् (has the letter ‘क्’ as a इत्) or a ङित् (has the letter ‘ङ्’ as a इत्) with the exclusion of the अङ्-प्रत्ययः।
“अन्ति” is not a पित् affix – does not have the letter ‘प्’ as a इत् – and therefore it is ङिद्वत् (behaves like having the letter ‘ङ्’ as a इत्) by 1-2-4 सार्वधातुकमपित्। This allows 6-4-98 to apply here.

(8) घ्नन्ति । By 7-3-54 हो हन्तेर्ञ्णिन्नेषु, The हकारः of हन् gets replaced by a letter of the कवर्ग: when followed by an affix with ञकारः or णकारः as an इत् , or when followed (immediately) by a नकारः।
Note: By 1-1-50 स्थानेऽन्तरतमः, of the five letters in the क-वर्गः (क्, ख्, ग्, घ्, ङ्), घ् is the closest substitute because it is both voiced (घोषवान्) as well as aspirate (महाप्राण:) just like the हकार:।

Questions:

1. In which chapter of the गीता has √हन् (हनँ हिंसागत्योः २. २) been used in the last verse?

2. Can you recall a प्रातिपदिकम् (which we have studied) where we used 7-3-54 हो हन्तेर्ञ्णिन्नेषु in the derivation of द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्?

3. The verbal root √गम् (गमॢँ गतौ १. ११३७) is also listed (along with √हन्) in the सूत्रम् 6-4-98 गमहनजनखनघसां लोपः क्ङित्यनङि। But then why doesn’t this सुत्रम् get a chance to apply when deriving लँट्, कर्तरि प्रयोग:, प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम् of √गम्?

4. Which अव्ययम् used in the verse has been translated to “as a matter of fact”? Which अव्ययम् has been translated to “as well as”? Which अव्ययम् has been translated to “generally”?

5. Where has 7-3-110 ऋतो ङिसर्वनामस्थानयोः been used?

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“The body gets killed, but not the Self.” Use the masculine प्रातिपदिकम् “आत्मन्” for “Self”, and the अव्ययम् “तु” for “but.”

Easy questions:

1. Which सूत्रम् was used to replace the ending सकार: of the शस्-प्रत्यय: by a नकार: in the form भ्रातॄन्?

2. Where has 8-3-7 नश्छव्यप्रशान् been used in the verse?