Today we will look at the form शुष्कैः mIp from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 8.11.37.

सोऽयं प्रतिहतो वज्रो मया मुक्तोऽसुरेऽल्पके । नाहं तदाददे दण्डं ब्रह्मतेजोऽप्यकारणम् ।। ८-११-३६ ।।
इति शक्रं विषीदन्तमाह वागशरीरिणी । नायं शुष्कैरथो नार्द्रैर्वधमर्हति दानवः ।। ८-११-३७ ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका
दण्डं लगुडतुल्यं कुलिशम् । ब्रह्मतेजो दधीचेः सामर्थ्यम् ।। ३६ ।। ३७ ।।

Gita Press translation – (When) hurled by me at this puny Asura, the same thunderbolt has been rendered ineffectual! A (mere) staff, I shall no more handle it; though embodying the (spiritual) energy of a Brāhmaṇa (the sage Dadhīci), it is unavailing (now)” (36). To Śakra, who was thus sorrowing, an incorporeal voice said, “This demon can be killed neither with dry nor with wet things” (37).

The प्रातिपदिकम् “शुष्क” is derived from the verbal root √शुष् (शुषँ शोषणे ४. ८०).

(1) शुष् + क्त । By 3-2-102 निष्ठा – The affix “निष्ठा” (ref.1-1-26 क्तक्तवतू निष्ठा) may be used following a verbal root when denoting an action in the past tense. Note: The affix ‘क्त’ has been used कर्तरि (to denote the agent) here as per 3-4-72 गत्यर्थाकर्मकश्लिषशीङ्स्थासवसजनरुहजीर्यतिभ्यश्च – When following one of the verbal roots listed below, the affix “क्त” may be used in the active voice (कर्तरि) as well as in the passive voice (भावकर्मणो:) –
(i) any verbal root used in the sense of motion (गत्यर्थ:)
(ii) any verbal root used intransitively (अकर्मक:)
(iii) the verbal roots √श्लिष् (श्लिषँ आलिङ्गने ४. ८३), √शी (शीङ् स्वप्ने २. २६), √स्था (ष्ठा गतिनिवृत्तौ १. १०७७), √आस् (आसँ उपवेशने २. ११), √वस् (वसँ निवासे १. ११६०), √जन् (जनीँ प्रादुर्भावे ४. ४४), √रुह् (रुहँ बीजजन्मनि प्रादुर्भावे च १. ९९५) and √जॄ (जॄष् वयोहानौ ४. २५)।
Note: The verbal roots listed in (iii) are intransitive. But when used with a उपसर्ग: they may become transitive. In that case they would not be covered by (ii). This is the reason for listing them separately in (iii).

(2) शुष् + त । अनुबन्ध-लोप: by 1-3-8 लशक्वतद्धिते and 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः। Note: 7-2-10 एकाच उपदेशेऽनुदात्तात्‌ prevents the affix ‘त’ from taking the augment ‘इट्’ which would have been done by 7-2-35 आर्धधातुकस्येड् वलादेः। The affix “क्त” is a कित्। Hence 1-1-5 क्क्ङिति च prevents 7-3-86 पुगन्तलघूपधस्य च from applying.

(3) शुष् + क । By 8-2-51 शुषः कः – A ककार: is the replacement in place of a तकार: of a निष्ठा affix (ref. 1-1-26) which immediately follows the verbal root √शुष् (शुषँ शोषणे ४. ८०).

“शुष्क” 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 gets the name प्रातिपदिकम्।

The विवक्षा is नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-बहुवचनम्।

(4) शुष्क + भिस् । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिँभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्। 1-3-4 न विभक्तौ तुस्माः prevents the ending सकारः of “भिस्” from getting इत्-सञ्ज्ञा।

(5) शुष्क + ऐस् । By 7-1-9 अतो भिस ऐस् – Following a अङ्गम् ending in a अकार:, the affix “भिस्” is replaced by “ऐस्”।

(6) शुष्कैस् । By 6-1-88 वृद्धिरेचि।

(7) शुष्कैः । रुँत्व-विसर्गौ by 8-2-66 ससजुषो रुः and 8-3-15 खरवसानयोर्विसर्जनीयः।

Questions:

1. In the absence of 8-2-51 शुषः कः which सूत्रम् would have applied after step 2?

2. Which सूत्रम् requires the use of आत्मनेपदम् in the form आददे?

3. In which प्रातिपदिकम् in the verses has 6-4-37 अनुदात्तोपदेशवनतितनोत्यादीनामनुनासिकलोपो झलि क्ङिति been used?

4. From which verbal root is the प्रातिपदिकम् ‘मुक्त’ derived? Can you recall a सूत्रम् in which पाणिनि: specifically mentions this verbal root?

5. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“I think that your statement is baseless (dry).” Use the masculine प्रातिपदिकम् ‘वाद’ for ‘statement.’

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“What is gone is gone. Tell me what should be done now.”

Easy questions:

1. Which सूत्रम् is used for the substitution ‘अय्’ in the form अयम् (प्रातिपदिकम् ‘इदम्’, पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्)?

2. In the verses, can you spot a प्रातिपदिकम् which ends in ‘च्’?