Today we will look at the form पुष्पैः nIp from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 10.16.29.

तस्याक्षिभिर्गरलमुद्वमतः शिरस्सु यद्यत्समुन्नमति निःश्वसतो रुषोच्चैः । नृत्यन्पदानुनमयन्दमयाम्बभूव पुष्पैः प्रपूजित इवेह पुमान्पुराणः ।। १०-१६-२९ ।। तच्चित्रताण्डवविरुग्णफणातपत्रो रक्तं मुखैरुरु वमन्नृप भग्नगात्रः । स्मृत्वा चराचरगुरुं पुरुषं पुराणं नारायणं तमरणं मनसा जगाम ।। १०-१६-३० ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका
पुनरपि रुषा उच्चैर्निःश्वसतो यद्यत्समुन्नमति तत्तत्पदाघातेनानुनमयन्निहास्मिन्नवसरे हृष्टैर्गन्धर्वादिभिः शेषासनः पुराणः पुरुष इव यशोदानन्दनः पुष्पैः प्रपूजितः । यद्वा तदा गन्धर्वादिभिः पुष्पैः प्रपूजितो गोपैः पुराणः पुमानिव दृष्ट इति । यद्वा पुष्पैः प्रपूजित इव प्रसन्नः सन्दमयाम्बभूव ।। २९ ।। अरणं शरणम् ।। ३० ।।

Gita Press translation – Continuing to dance (with untiring zeal) Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the most ancient Person) subdued the cobra, successively bending under His foot whichever of the heads of the snake – that was ejecting poison through its eyes and violently hissing in rage – would rise itself. (With His feet bespattered with the drops of blood ejected from the eyes of the serpent) the Lord appeared as though devotedly worshipped with flowers (29). With its umbrella-like hoods crushed by the Lord’s weird dance and its limbs shattered (due to the expansion of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body,) and spouting copious blood through its mouths, the serpent (now) thought of Lord Nārāyaṇa, the most ancient Person, the adored of the mobile as well as of the immobile creation, and mentally sought Him as its protector (30).

पुष्पैः is तृतीया-बहुवचनम् of the नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकम् ‘पुष्प’।
Here ‘पुष्प’ has the करण-सञ्ज्ञा by the 1-4-42 साधकतमं करणम् – That कारकम् (participant in the action) which is most effective/helpful in accomplishing the action gets the designation करणम् (instrument.) Note: The instrument is the most effective/helpful in accomplishing the action because immediately after the use of the instrument the action is accomplished.

The participle प्रपूजितः has expressed the object पुराणः पुमान् (श्रीकृष्णः)। The instrument ‘पुष्प’ has not been expressed. Hence ‘पुष्प’ takes the third case affix (‘भिस्’) by 2-3-18 कर्तृकरणयोस्तृतीया – A third case affix (‘टा’, ‘भ्याम्’, ‘भिस्’) is used to denote कर्ता (the doer of the action) as well as करणम् (the instrument of the action) provided the doer/instrument has not been expressed otherwise.

(1) पुष्प + भिस् । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिँभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्, 2-3-18 कर्तृकरणयोस्तृतीया।

(2) पुष्प + ऐस् । By 7-1-9 अतो भिस ऐस् – Following a अङ्गम् ending in the letter ‘अ’, the affix ‘भिस्’ is replaced by ‘ऐस्’। As per the परिभाषा-सूत्रम् 1-1-55 अनेकाल्शित्सर्वस्य the entire affix ‘भिस्’ is replaced by ‘ऐस्’। 1-3-4 न विभक्तौ तुस्माः prevents the ending letter ‘स्’ of ‘ऐस्’ from getting the इत्-सञ्ज्ञा।

(3) पुष्पैस् । By 6-1-88 वृद्धिरेचि।

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

Questions:

1. Where has a third case affix been used करणे (to denote the instrument of the action) in the last five verses of Chapter 13 of the गीता?

2. In which other words (besides पुष्पैः) in the verses has a third case affix been used करणे (to denote the instrument of the action)?

3. Where has the सूत्रम् 6-4-52 निष्ठायां सेटि been used in the verses?

4. In which of the following senses has the first case affix been used in उच्चैः?
(i) प्रातिपदिकार्थमात्रे (ii) लिङ्गमात्राधिक्‍ये (iii) परिमाणमात्राधिक्‍ये (iv) वचनमात्रे

5. Which सूत्रम् prescribes the substitution ‘न्’ in प्रसन्नः (used in the commentary)?

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“Some have attained liberation by renunciation alone, some others by knowledge alone.”

Easy questions:

1. Where has the सूत्रम् 2-4-81 आमः been used in the verses?

2. From which प्रातिपदिकम् is the form पदा (तृतीया-एकवचनम्) derived?