Today we will look at the form नृशंसम् nAs from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 6.11.13

न सन्नवाहाय विषण्णचेतसे प्रायुङ्क्त भूयः स गदां महात्मा । इन्द्रोऽमृतस्यन्दिकराभिमर्शवीतव्यथक्षतवाहोऽवतस्थे ।। ६-११-१२ ।।
स तं नृपेन्द्राहवकाम्यया रिपुं वज्रायुधं भ्रातृहणं विलोक्य । स्मरंश्च तत्कर्म नृशंसमंहः शोकेन मोहेन हसन्जगाद ।। ६-११-१३ ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका –
सन्नोऽवसन्नो वाहो यस्य तस्मै न प्रायुङ्क्त । अमृतस्यन्दी अमृतस्रावी यः स्वकरस्तेनाभिमर्शः स्पर्शस्तेन वीतव्यथो गतदुःखः क्षतो वाहो यस्येन्द्रस्य स तथाभूतोऽवतस्थे ।। १२ ।। स वृत्रः हे नृपेन्द्र, आहवकाम्यया युद्धेच्छयावस्थितम् । भ्रातृहणं भ्राता विश्वरूपस्तस्य हन्तारम् । नृशंसं क्रूरं तदेवांहः पापं तस्य कर्म स्मरन् ।। १३ ।।

Gita Press translation – That noble soul (Vṛtra) did not aim the mace for a second time at Indra, who felt dejected in mind and whose elephant was stunned (with the blow.) (Meanwhile,) O king of kings, Indra, whose wounded elephant was rid of its pain by the (very) touch of his hand, that shed drops of nectar, stood (once more) before Vṛtra (12). Seeing the aforesaid Indra (his own enemy and) the slayer of his (elder) brother (Viśwarūpa,) standing (before him) armed with the thunderbolt and seeking a (single) combat with him, O king of kings, Vṛtra was filled with grief and infatuation as he recollected that cruel and sinful deed of his adversary, and spoke laughing (13).

नॄञ्शंसतीति नृशंसः।

“शंस” is a कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिकम् (participle form) derived from the verbal root √शंस् (शंसुँ स्तुतौ | दुर्गतावपीत्येके (इति दुर्गः)१. ८२९). Note: This verbal root has been used here in the sense of हिंसायाम्।

The (compound) प्रातिपदिकम् “नृशंस” is derived as follows:

(1) नृ + आम् (ref: 2-3-65 कर्तृकर्मणोः कृति) + शंस् + अण् । By 3-2-1 कर्मण्यण् – The affix “अण्” may be used after a verbal root when in composition with a पदम् which denotes the object (of the action.) Note: In the सूत्रम् 3-2-1 कर्मण्यण्, the term कर्मणि ends in the seventh (locative) case. Hence “नृ + आम्” (which is the object (कर्म-पदम्) of शंसति) gets the उपपद-सञ्ज्ञा here by 3-1-92 तत्रोपपदं सप्तमीस्थम्‌ – The designation उपपदम् is applied to a term which denotes a thing – like a pot etc. – which is present (as the thing to be expressed) in a word ending in the locative case in the सूत्रम्।
Note: The affix आम् is used here as per 2-3-65 कर्तृकर्मणोः कृति – To express the agent or the object (of an action), a nominal stem takes a sixth case affix when the nominal stem is used in conjunction with a term which ends in a कृत् affix. (This is what is called as कृद्योगे षष्ठी)।

(2) नृ + आम् +शंस । अनुबन्ध-लोप: by 1-3-7 चुटू and 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(3) नृ + आम् + शंस । We form a compound between “नृ + आम्” (which is the उपपदम्) and “शंस” by using the सूत्रम् 2-2-19 उपपदमतिङ् – A सुबन्तम् (term ending in a सुँप् affix) having the designation “उपपद” (in this case “नृ + आम्”)  invariably compounds with a syntactically related term (in this case “शंस”) as long as the compound does not end in a तिङ् affix.

In the compound, “नृ + आम्” is placed in the prior position as per 2-2-30 उपसर्जनं पूर्वम्‌ – In a compound a term which has the designation “उपसर्जन” should be placed in the prior position. Note: Here “नृ + आम्” is the उपपदम् and hence it gets the उपसर्जन-सञ्ज्ञा by 1-2-43 प्रथमानिर्दिष्टं समास उपसर्जनम् – A term denoted by a word (in this case “उपपदम्”) ending in a nominative case in a सूत्रम् (in this case 2-2-19 उपपदमतिङ्) which prescribes a compound gets the designation “उपसर्जन”।

“नृ आम् + शंस” gets प्रातिपदिक-सञ्ज्ञा by 1-2-46 कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च – A word form that ends in a कृत्-प्रत्ययः or a तद्धित-प्रत्ययः and so also compounds get the name प्रातिपदिकम्।

(4) नृशंस । By 2-4-71 सुपो धातुप्रातिपदिकयोः – A सुँप् affix takes a लुक् elision when it is a part of a धातुः or a प्रातिपदिकम्।

The विवक्षा is नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-एकवचनम्।

(5) नृशंस + अम् । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिँभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्।

(6) नृशंस + अम् । By 7-1-24 अतोऽम् – The affixes “सुँ” and “अम्” that follow a neuter अङ्गम् ending in the short vowel “अ” take “अम्” as their replacement. 1-3-4 न विभक्तौ तुस्माः prevents the ending मकार: of “अम्” from getting the इत्-सञ्ज्ञा।

(7) नृशंसम् । By 6-1-107 अमि पूर्वः – In place of a preceding अक् letter and the following vowel (अच्) belonging to the affix “अम्” there is a single substitute of that preceding अक् letter.

Questions:

1. Commenting on the सूत्रम् 2-2-19 उपपदमतिङ्, the सिद्धान्तकौमुदी says – अतिङ्ग्रहणं ज्ञापयति सुपेत्येतन्नेहानुवर्तत इति। Please explain.

2. Which सूत्रम् is used for the affix “काम्यच्” in the word आहवकाम्यया?

3. Where has the सूत्रम् 1-3-22 समवप्रविभ्यः स्थः been used in the verses?

4. Can you spot the affix “श्नम्” in the verses?

5. Can you spot the affix “तृच्” in the commentary?

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“Where there is smoke there must be fire.” Paraphrase to “Where smoke is there fire must be.” Use the अव्ययम् “एव” to express the meaning of “must.” Use a उपपद-समास: for “fire” = “one who bears (carries) the oblation.” (हव्यं वहति)।

Easy Questions:

1. Which सूत्रम् is used for the णकारादेश: in the word भ्रातृहणम्?

2. Can you spot a place in the verses where a सन्धि-कार्यम् has not been done?