Today we will look at the form लेभे 3As-लिँट् from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 3.2.23

अहो बकी यं स्तनकालकूटं जिघांसयापाययदप्यसाध्वी ।
लेभे गतिं धात्र्युचितां ततोऽन्यं कं वा दयालुं शरणं व्रजेम ।। ३-२-२३ ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका –
एवमनुवृत्तिः कृपयैवेति सूचयन्नपकारिष्वपि तस्य कृपालुतां दर्शयन्नाह । अहो आश्चर्यं कृपालुतायाः । हन्तुमिच्छ्यापि स्तनयोः संभृतं कालकूटं विषं यमपाययत् । बकी पूतना असाध्वी दुष्टापि धात्र्या यशोदाया उचितां गतिं लेभे । भक्तवेषमात्रेण यः सद्गतिं दत्तवानित्यर्थः । ततोऽन्यं कं वा भजेम ।।

Gita Press translation “Oh, even that impious woman, Pūtanā (the sister of demon Baka) – who suckled Him (as a Babe) at her breast, which was daubed with a most deadly poison, with intent to kill Him – got from Him (in return) the destiny appropriate to a foster-mother! Is there anyone so merciful, whom we should resort to for protection, other than Him?”

लेभे is derived from the धातुः √लभ् (भ्वादि-गणः, डुलभँष् प्राप्तौ, धातु-पाठः #१. ११३०)

The “डु” at the beginning of this धातुः gets the इत्-सञ्ज्ञा by 1-3-5 आदिर्ञिटुडवः, the अकार: following the भकार: gets the इत्-सञ्ज्ञा by 1-3-2 उपदेशेऽजनुनासिक इत् and the षकारः at the end gets the इत्-सञ्ज्ञा by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्। All three take लोप: by 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

The इत् vowel (अकार:) of “डुलभँष्” has a अनुदात्त-स्वर:। Thus by 1-3-12 अनुदात्तङित आत्मनेपदम् √लभ् takes आत्मनेपद-प्रत्ययाः। As per 1-4-100 तङानावात्मनेपदम्, the nine प्रत्यया: from “त” to “महिङ्” get the आत्मनेपद-सञ्ज्ञा। So √लभ् can take only one of these nine प्रत्यया: in कर्तरि प्रयोग:।

The विवक्षा is लिँट्, कर्तरि प्रयोग:, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, hence the प्रत्ययः is “त”।

(1) लभ् + लिँट् । By 3-2-115 परोक्षे लिँट्, the affix लिँट् (Perfect Tense) comes after a verbal root in the sense of the past not of today, provided that the action is unperceived by the narrator.

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

(3) लभ् + त । 3-4-78 तिप्तस्झिसिप्थस्थमिब्वस्मस्तातांझथासाथांध्वमिड्वहिमहिङ् mandates the प्रत्ययः “त” as the substitute for the लकारः। By 3-4-115 लिट् च, a तिङ्-प्रत्यय: which comes in place of लिँट् gets the आर्धधातुक-सञ्ज्ञा। Therefore “त” gets the आर्धधातुक-सञ्ज्ञा। This prevents 3-1-68 कर्तरि शप्‌ (which requires a सार्वधातुक-प्रत्यय: to follow) from applying.

(4) लभ् + एश् । By 3-4-81 लिटस्तझयोरेशिरेच्, when they come in place of लिँट्, the affixes “त” and “झ” take the substitutions “एश्” and “इरेच्” respectively.
As per 1-3-10 यथासंख्यमनुदेशः समानाम्, 1-1-55 अनेकाल् शित् सर्वस्य, “एश्” comes as a substitute for “त”।

(5) लभ् + ए । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(6) लभ् लभ् + ए । By 6-1-8 लिटि धातोरनभ्यासस्य, when लिँट् follows a verbal root, there is reduplication of the first portion – containing a single vowel – of the verbal root which is not already reduplicated. But if the verbal root (that has more than one vowel) begins with a vowel, then the reduplication is of the second portion – containing a single vowel.

(7) ल लभ् + ए । By 7-4-60 हलादिः शेषः, of the consonants of a reduplicate (अभ्यासः – ref. 6-1-4 पूर्वोऽभ्यासः), only the one (if any) at the beginning is retained, the rest are elided.

(8) लेभे । By 6-4-120 अत एकहल्मध्येऽनादेशादेर्लिटि, the अकार: of a अङ्गम् takes एकार: as the substitute and simultaneously there is लोप: (elision) of the अभ्यास:, when all the following conditions are satisfied:
(i) the अकार: is preceded and followed by a single (non-conjunct) consonant
(ii) the अङ्गम् is followed by a लिँट् affix which is कित्
(iii) in place of the first letter of the अङ्गम् there is no आदेश: (substitution) that is based on the लिँट् affix.

Note : By 1-2-5 असंयोगाल्लिट् कित्, a लिँट् affix which is not a पित् – does not have पकार: as a इत् – shall be considered to be a कित् (as having ककार: as a इत्), as long as there is no संयोग: (conjunction consonant) prior to the affix. Hence “एश्” is a कित्-प्रत्यय: here. This allows 6-4-120 to apply.

Questions:

1. Where has √लभ् (भ्वादि-गणः, डुलभँष् प्राप्तौ, धातु-पाठः #१. ११३०) been used in a तिङन्तं पदम् in Chapter Eleven of the गीता?

2. Where has 7-3-37 शाच्छासाह्वाव्यावेपां युक् been used in the verse?

3. Where has विधि-लिँङ् been used in the verse?

4. Can you spot a “यासुट्”-आगम: in the commentary?

5. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“On hearing Sri Krishna’s advice, Arjuna was at ease.” Paraphrase “was as ease” to “obtained ease.” Use the अव्ययम् “श्रुत्वा” for “on hearing (having heard)” and use the neuter प्रातिपदिकम् “स्वास्थ्य” for “ease.”

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“On seeing Sita again, Sri Rama obtained immense joy.” Use the adjective प्रातिपदिकम् “अपार” for “immense (unbounded)” and the अव्ययम् “दृष्ट्वा” for “on seeing (having seen.)”

Easy questions:

1. Can you spot a “आट्”-आगम: in the commentary?

2. In how many places has 8-3-32 ङमो ह्रस्वादचि ङमुण्नित्यम् been used in the commentary?