Today we will look at the form महेशाय mDs from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 6.4.24.

न यस्य सख्यं पुरुषोऽवैति सख्युः सखा वसन्संवसतः पुरेऽस्मिन् । गुणो यथा गुणिनो व्यक्तदृष्टेस्तस्मै महेशाय नमस्करोमि ।। ६-४-२४ ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका

अदृष्टधामत्वं दर्शयन्नाह – नेति । पुरुषः सखा जीवोऽस्मिन्पुरे देहे वसन्नप्यत्रैव संवसतः सख्युर्यस्य सख्यं करणप्रवर्तकत्वादिकं नावैति न जानाति तस्मै । कुतः । व्यक्तदृष्टेः प्रपञ्चद्रष्टुः । नहि द्रष्टा दृश्यो भवतीति । प्रथमान्तपाठे व्यक्ते प्रपञ्च एव दृष्टिर्यस्य स गुणो विषयो गुणिनो विषयिण इन्द्रियादेः सख्यं प्रकाशकत्वं यथा न वेत्ति तद्वत् ।। २४ ।।

Gita Press translation – I make obeisance to that Supreme Lord whose beneficent nature and friendly (helpful) attitude (as the Prompter of the senses and the mind) the Jīva dwelling in this body, His constant companion, does not know – even though the Lord lives with the Jīva as the latter’s Friend (in the same body), He being the seer of this visible universe (and therefore not open to perception) – just as an object of perception cannot perceive the illuminating quality of the sense that perceives it (24).

महेशाय is पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-एकवचनम् of the प्रातिपदिकम् ‘महेश’।

(1) महेश + ङे । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिँभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्। As per 2-3-14 क्रियार्थोपपदस्य च कर्मणि स्थानिनः – A fourth case affix (‘ङे’, ‘भ्याम्’, ‘भ्यस्’) is used to denote the कर्म (object) of an implied (but not actually expressed) verbal participle ending in the affix ‘तुमुँन्’/’ण्वुल्’ (prescribed by 3-3-10 तुमुन्ण्वुलौ क्रियायां क्रियार्थायाम्‌) which is in conjunction with another action done for the sake of the implied (future) action.
In the present example the implied verbal participle is अनुकूलयितुम्। Hence महेशाय stands for महेशमनुकूलयितुम् – in order to propitiate the Supreme Lord.
Note: द्वितीयापवादोऽयम् – The fourth case affix prescribed by this सूत्रम् is a अपवाद: (exception) to the second case affix which would have been prescribed by 2-3-2 कर्मणि द्वितीया।

(2) महेश + य । By 7-1-13 ङेर्यः – Following a प्रातिपदिकम् ending in the letter ‘अ’, the affix ‘ङे’ (चतुर्थी-एकवचनम्) is replaced by ‘य’।

(3) महेशाय । By 7-3-102 सुपि च – The ending letter ‘अ’ of a प्रातिपदिकम् is elongated if it is followed by a सुँप् affix beginning with a letter of the यञ्-प्रत्याहार:।

Questions:

1. In the above example could we use the सूत्रम् 2-3-16 नमःस्वस्तिस्वाहास्वधालंवषड्योगाच्च to justify the fourth case affix in महेशाय?

2. From which verbal root is the प्रातिपदिकम् ‘व्यक्त’ (used as part of the compound व्यक्तदृष्टे: in the verses) formed?

3. Can you spot the affix णिच् in the commentary?

4. Which सूत्रम् prescribes the augment अम् in the form द्रष्टा (प्रातिपदिकम् ‘द्रष्टृ’, पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्) used in the commentary?

5. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“I offer salutations to propitiate all the deities.” Use the feminine प्रातिपदिकम् ‘देवता’ for ‘deity.’

6. Translate the same sentence (given in question 5 above) but this time paraphrase it suppressing the infinitive ‘to propitiate’ –
“I offer salutations to all the deities.”

Easy questions:

1. Which सूत्रम् prescribes the substitution ‘उ’ in the form सख्युः?

2. Where has the सूत्रम् 7-1-93 अनङ् सौ been used in the verses?