Today we will look at the form शुश्रूषध्वम् 2Ap-लोँट् from श्रीमद्भागवतम् Sb10.29.22.

तद्यात मा चिरं गोष्ठं शुश्रूषध्वं पतीन्सतीः । क्रन्दन्ति वत्सा बालाश्च तान्पाययत दुह्यत ॥ १०-२९-२२ ॥
अथवा मदभिस्नेहाद्भवत्यो यन्त्रिताशयाः । आगता ह्युपपन्नं वः प्रीयन्ते मयि जन्तवः ॥ १०-२९-२३ ॥

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका –
सतीः हे सत्यः ॥ २२ ॥ संरम्भक्षुभितदृष्टीः प्रत्याह – अथवेति । यन्त्रिताशया वशीकृतचित्ताः । उपपन्नं युक्तम् । प्रीयन्ते प्रीता भवन्ति ॥ २३ ॥

Gita Press translation – Therefore, return without delay to Vraja and serve your husbands, O virtuous ladies! The calves as well as children are crying (due to hunger); nourish them with milk and milk the cows (22). Or (may be) you have come because your mind is bound by ties of attachment for Me. (If so) it is but proper for you; for (all) creatures find delight in Me (23).

Note: The literal meaning of the सन्नन्त-धातुः ‘शुश्रूष’ is ‘to desire to listen’, which in turn means ‘to wait on/ to serve.’

शुश्रूषध्वम् is derived from the desiderative form of the verbal root √श्रु (श्रु श्रवणे १. १०९२)

श्रु + सन् । By 3-1-7 धातोः कर्मणः समानकर्तृकादिच्छायां वा – In order to express wish/desire, the affix सन् is optionally prescribed after a verbal root which underlies the object of and shares the same agent with the verbal root √इष् (इषुँ इच्छायाम् ६. ७८).

= श्रु + स । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

Note: 7-2-10 एकाच उपदेशेऽनुदात्तात्‌ stops 7-2-35 आर्धधातुकस्येड् वलादेः।
By 1-2-9 इको झल् – The affix सन् is considered to be a कित् (having the letter ‘क्’ as a इत्) when it begins with a झल् letter and follows a verbal root that ends in a इक् letter. This allows 1-1-5 क्क्ङिति च to stop 7-3-84 सार्वधातुकार्धधातुकयोः।

= श्रू + स । By 6-4-16 अज्झनगमां सनि – When the affix सन् beginning with a झल् letter follows, there is an elongation of a verbal root which ends in a vowel, as well as of the verbal root √हन् (हनँ हिंसागत्योः २. २) and √गम् (‘गम्’-आदेशः which comes in place of √इ (इङ् अध्ययने | नित्यमधिपूर्वः २. ४१) by 2-4-48 इङश्च)।

= श्रूस् श्रूस । By 6-1-9 सन्यङोः – There is reduplication of the first portion – containing a single vowel – of a verbal root ending in the affix सन्/यङ् 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.

= शू श्रूस । 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.

= शु श्रूस । By 7-4-59 ह्रस्वः, the अच् (vowel) of a reduplicate (अभ्यासः – ref. 6-1-4 पूर्वोऽभ्यासः) is substituted by a short vowel.

= शुश्रूष । By 8-3-59 आदेशप्रत्यययो:, the letter ‘स्’ is replaced by the cerebral ‘ष्’ when preceded either by a letter of the इण्-प्रत्याहार: or a letter of the क-वर्ग: (‘क्’, ‘ख्’, ‘ग्’, ‘घ्’, ‘ङ्’)। This substitution only takes place if the letter ‘स्’ is an आदेश: (substitute) or part of a प्रत्यय: (affix.)

‘शुश्रूष’ has धातु-सञ्ज्ञा by 3-1-32 सनाद्यन्ता धातवः।

As per 1-3-57 ज्ञाश्रुस्मृदृशां सनः – A आत्मनेपदम् affix is used after a desiderative form of any of the following verbal roots – √ज्ञा (ज्ञा अवबोधने ९. ४३), √श्रु (श्रु श्रवणे १. १०९२), √स्मृ (स्मृ चिन्तायाम् १. १०८२) or √दृश् (दृशिँर् प्रेक्षणे १. ११४३).

The विवक्षा is लोँट्, कर्तरि प्रयोगः, मध्यम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्।

(1) शुश्रूष + लोँट् । By 3-3-162 लोट् च, the affix लोँट् comes after a धातुः when used in the sense of command/request.

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

(3) शुश्रूष + ध्वम् । By 3-4-78 तिप्तस्झिसिप्थस्थमिब्वस्मस्तातांझथासाथांध्वमिड्वहिमहिङ्, 1-3-57 ज्ञाश्रुस्मृदृशां सनः।

(4) शुश्रूष + ध्वे । By 3-4-79 टित आत्मनेपदानां टेरे, the टि-भागः of a आत्मनेपदम् affix which substitutes a टित्-लकारः (a लकार: which has the letter ‘ट्’ as a इत्), gets the letter ‘ए’ as the replacement.

(5) शुश्रूष + ध्वम् । By 3-4-91 सवाभ्यां वामौ, the letter ‘ए’ of लोँट् which follows the letter ‘स्’ or ‘व्’ is replaced by ‘व’ and ‘अम्’ respectively. 1-3-4 न विभक्तौ तुस्माः prevents the ending letter ‘म्’ of ‘अम्’ from getting the इत्-सञ्ज्ञा।

(6) शुश्रूष + शप् + ध्वम् । By 3-1-68 कर्तरि शप्‌, the affix शप् is placed after a verbal root, when followed by a सार्वधातुकम् affix that is used signifying the agent.

(7) शुश्रूष + अ + ध्वम् । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-8 लशक्वतद्धिते, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(8) शुश्रूषध्वम् । By 6-1-97 अतो गुणे।

Questions:

1. Commenting on the सूत्रम् 1-2-9 इको झल् (used in this example) the तत्त्वबोधिनी says ‘असंयागाल्लिट् कित्’ इत्यतः किदनुवर्तते। Please explain.

2. Commenting on the सूत्रम् 1-3-57 ज्ञाश्रुस्मृदृशां सनः (used in this example) the काशिका says सन इति किम्? शृणोति। Please explain.

3. Which सूत्रम् is used for the ‘युक्’-आगमः in the form पाययत?

4. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“We should serve our gurus.”

5. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“If you had not served your teacher (which clearly you did), you would not have gained knowledge.”

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“I want to hear this story again.”

Easy Questions:

1. Can you spot a सुबन्तं पदम् which is a आर्ष-प्रयोगः (grammatically irregular form) in the verses? Hint: See commentary.

2. Where has the सूत्रम् 6-1-87 आद्गुणः been used in the commentary?