Today we will look at the form शब्दात् m-Ab-s from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 7.9.49.

नैते गुणा न गुणिनो महदादयो ये सर्वे मनःप्रभृतयः सहदेवमर्त्याः । आद्यन्तवन्त उरुगाय विदन्ति हि त्वामेवं विमृश्य सुधियो विरमन्ति शब्दात् ।। ७-९-४९ ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका
अभक्तास्तु स्वस्मिन्ननुगतमपि त्वां न जानन्तीत्याह – नैत इति । एते गुणाद्यभिमानिनो देवा आद्यन्तवन्तो जडोपाधित्वादनाद्यन्तं निरुपाधिं त्वां न विदन्ति । हि यस्मात्सुधियो विद्वांस एवं विचार्य शब्दादध्ययनादिव्यापारादुपरमन्ति । त्वामेव समाधिनोपासत इत्यर्थः । तथाच श्रुतिः – ‘किमर्था वयमध्येष्यामहे किमर्था वयं यक्ष्यामहे’ इति। ‘नानुध्यायेद्बहून् शब्दान्वाचो विग्लापनं हि तत्’ इति । स्मृतिश्च – ‘यदा ते मोहकलिलं बुद्धिर्व्यतितरिष्यति ।। तदा गन्तासि निर्वेदं श्रोतव्यस्य श्रुतस्य च ।।’ इत्यादिः ।। ४९ ।।

Gita Press translation – Neither these Guṇas (modes of Prakṛti, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) nor the deities who preside over the (three) Guṇas (viz., Viṣṇu, Brahmā and Śiva) nor the categories commencing from Mahat-tattva (and ending with the Indriyas, that is to say, Mahat-tattva or the principle of cosmic intelligence, Ahaṅkāra or the ego, the five subtle and the five gross elements and the ten Indriyas,) nor the mind etc. (viz., the mind, intellect and reason,) nor (the various) living beings including the gods and human beings, all of whom have a beginning and an end (too), are able to know You in truth, O much-praised One! Thinking thus, men of good sense desist from the study of the Vedas and other scriptures (and devote themselves exclusively to meditation) (49).

शब्दात् is पञ्चमी-एकवचनम् of the पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकम् ‘शब्द’।

(1) शब्द + ङसिँ । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिँभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्। As per the वार्तिकम् (under 1-4-24 ध्रुवमपायेऽपादानम्) जुगुप्साविरामप्रमादार्थानामुपसङ्ख्यानम् – When a verbal root having the meaning of जुगुप्सा (censure/dislike/disgust) or विराम: (cessation/turning away) or प्रमाद: (negligence/inattentiveness) is used, the कारकम् (participant in the action) – that is the विषय: (topic) of the जुगुप्सा/विराम:/प्रमाद: – is designated as अपादानम्। Note: In the above verse ‘शब्द’ (‘the study of the Vedas and other scriptures’) is designated as अपादानम् because it is the विषय: (topic) of विरमन्ति। By 2-3-28 अपादाने पञ्चमी – A fifth case affix (‘ङसिँ’, ‘भ्याम्’, ‘भ्यस्’) is used to denote the अपादानम् (that from which detachment/ablation takes place) provided it has not been expressed otherwise.

(2) शब्द + आत् । By 7-1-12 टाङसिङसामिनात्स्याः – Following a अङ्गम् ending in the letter ‘अ’, the affixes ‘टा’, ‘ङसिँ’ and ‘ङस्’ are replaced respectively by ‘इन’, ‘आत्’ and ‘स्य’। Note: Since the substitute ‘आत्’ has more than one letter, as per the परिभाषा-सूत्रम् 1-1-55 अनेकाल्शित्सर्वस्य, the entire affix (and not just its last letter) is replaced by ‘आत्’।
1-3-4 न विभक्तौ तुस्माः prevents the ending letter ‘त्’ of ‘आत्’ from getting the इत्-सञ्ज्ञा।

(3) शब्दात् । By 6-1-101 अकः सवर्णे दीर्घः।

Questions:

1. Where has the वार्तिकम् (under 1-4-24 ध्रुवमपायेऽपादानम्) जुगुप्साविरामप्रमादार्थानामुपसङ्ख्यानम् been used in the last ten verses of Chapter One of the गीता?

2. Where has the सूत्रम् 7-1-37 समासेऽनञ्पूर्वे क्त्वो ल्यप्‌ been used in the verse?

3. Can you spot the augment पुक् in the commentary?

4. Which सूत्रम् justifies the use of a third case affix in the form समाधिना used in the commentary?

5. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
Arjuna said to Śrī Kṛṣṇa – “I want to abstain from this battle.” Use the verbal root √रम् (रमुँ क्रीडायाम् | रमँ इति माधवः १. ९८९) preceded by उपसर्ग: ‘उप’ for ‘to abstain.’

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“Don’t be negligent towards (your) duty.” Use the verbal root √मद् (मदीँ हर्षे ४. १०५) preceded by उपसर्ग: ‘प्र’ for ‘to be negligent.’ Use the masculine प्रातिपदिकम् ‘धर्म’ for ‘duty.’

Easy questions:

1. Which सूत्रम् justifies the use of a परस्मैपदम् affix in the form विरमन्ति used in the verse?

2. Where has the सूत्रम् 7-1-5 आत्मनेपदेष्वनतः been used in the commentary?