Today we will look at the form अध्यात्मम्  nNs from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 4.28.65.

एवं स मानसो हंसो हंसेन प्रतिबोधितः । स्वस्थस्तद्व्यभिचारेण नष्टामाप पुनः स्मृतिम् ।। ४-२८-६४ ।।
बर्हिष्मन्नेतदध्यात्मं पारोक्ष्येण प्रदर्शितम् । यत्परोक्षप्रियो देवो भगवान्विश्वभावनः ।। ४-२८-६५ ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका
एवममुना प्रकारेण स मनसो हंसः क्षेत्रज्ञो हंसेन परमात्मना बोधितः सन्स्वस्थ आत्मनि स्थितः संश्चिरं ध्यात्वा तद्व्यभिचारेणेश्वरवियोगेन विषयाभिलाषबुद्ध्या नष्टां स्मृतिमहं ब्रह्मास्मीति ज्ञानं पुनः प्राप्तवान् ।। ६४ ।। कथामात्रमिति बुद्धिं वारयति – बर्हिष्मन्निति । पारोक्ष्येण राजकथामिषेण । तत्र हेतुः – यद्यस्मात् हे बर्हिष्मन्प्राचीनबर्हिः, एतद्राजकथामिषेणात्मकथा प्रदर्शिता । यस्माद्देवः श्रीनारायणः परोक्षप्रियः । साक्षादात्मज्ञानकथनेन तव चेतसि कथा नायातीति भावः ।। ६५ ।।

Gita Press translation – Admonished thus by the fellow-swan, the swan of the Mānasa lake was (once more) established in his own self and regained his self-consciousness, which had been lost due to his having parted company with his friend (64). O Prācīnabarhi, I have imparted this spiritual truth to you in an indirect manner; for the glorious Lord, the Maker of the universe, loves to remain incognito (65).

लौकिक-विग्रह: –
(1) आत्मनि = अध्यात्मम् = ‘pertaining to the Self’ hence ‘spiritual.’

अलौकिक-विग्रह: –
(2) आत्मन् ङि + अधि । By 2-1-6 अव्ययं विभक्तिसमीपसमृद्धिव्यृद्ध्यर्थाभावात्ययासम्प्रतिशब्दप्रादुर्भावपश्चाद्यथानुपूर्व्ययौगपद्यसादृश्यसम्पत्तिसाकल्यान्तवचनेषु – A अव्ययम्‌ (indeclinable) used in any one of the following meanings invariably compounds with a (syntactically related) term ending in a सुँप् affix to yield a अव्ययीभाव: compound –
(i) विभक्ति: – a case affix
(ii) समीपम्‌ – close by
(iii) समृद्धि: (ऋद्धेराधिक्यम्‌) – prosperity
(iv) व्यृद्धि: (विगता ऋद्धि:) – adversity
(v) अर्थाभाव: – absence of something
(vi) अत्यय: (ध्वंस:) – disappearance (passing away)
(vii) असम्प्रति – presently inappropriate
(viii) शब्दप्रादुर्भाव: – manifestation of a sound
(ix) पश्चाद् – following
(x) यथा (योग्यतावीप्सापदार्थानतिवृत्तिसादृश्यानि यथार्था:) – appropriateness, repetition, non-transgression of something, similarity
(xi) आनुपूर्व्यम्‌ – in orderly succession
(xii) यौगपद्यम्‌ – simultaneity
(xiii) सादृश्यम्‌ – similarity/resemblance. Note: यथार्थत्वेनैव सिद्धे पुन: सादृश्यग्रहणं गुणभूतेऽपि सादृश्ये यथा स्यादित्येवमर्थम्‌ – सादृश्यम्‌ is mentioned here again (even though it is already given as one of the meanings of यथा in (x) above) in order to allow compounding even when सादृश्यम्‌ is used in a secondary (adjectival) sense
(xiv) सम्पत्ति: (अनुरूप आत्मभाव:) – befitting state
(xv) साकल्यम्‌ – totality/completeness
(xvi) अन्त: – termination/end

(3) अधि + आत्मन् ङि । By 1-2-43 प्रथमानिर्दिष्टं समास उपसर्जनम् – A term denoted by a word ending in a nominative case in a सूत्रम् which prescribes a compound gets the designation ‘उपसर्जन’। Here the term ‘अव्ययम्’ in the सूत्रम् 2-1-6 ends in the nominative case. Therefore the अव्ययम् ‘अधि’ gets the designation ‘उपसर्जन’ by 1-2-43. Hence ‘अधि’ is placed in the prior position in the compound as per the सूत्रम् 2-2-30 उपसर्जनं पूर्वम्‌ – In a compound a term which has the designation ‘उपसर्जन’ should be placed in the prior position.
Note: ‘अधि + आत्मन् ङि’ gets the designation प्रातिपदिकम्‌ by 1-2-46 कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च। This allows 2-4-71 to apply in the next step.

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

(5) अध्यात्मन् । By 6-1-77 इको यणचि।

(6) अध्यात्मन् + टच् । By 5-4-108 अनश्च – Following a अव्ययीभाव: compound ending in ‘अन्’ the तद्धित: affix टच् is prescribed and this affix becomes the ending member of the compound.
Note: The term अन: is qualifying अव्ययीभावात्। Hence as per 1-1-72 येन विधिस्तदन्तस्य, we get the meaning अन्नन्तादव्ययीभावात्‌।

(7) अध्यात्मन् + अ । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-7 चुटू, 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।
Note: The अङ्गम् ‘अध्यात्मन्’ has the designation ‘भ’ here by 1-4-18 यचि भम्। This allows 6-4-144 to apply in the next step.

(8) अध्यात्म् + अ = अध्यात्म । By 6-4-144 नस्तद्धिते – The ‘टि’ portion (ref. 1-1-64 अचोऽन्त्यादि टि) of a अङ्गम् (base) is elided provided the अङ्गम् –
i) has the designation ‘भ’ (ref. 1-4-18 यचि भम्)
ii) ends in the letter ‘न्’ and
iii) is followed by a तद्धित: affix
Note: The ‘अन्’ part of the अङ्गम् ‘अध्यात्मन्’ has the designation ‘टि’ by the सूत्रम् 1-1-64 अचोऽन्त्यादि टि – That part of a group of sounds which begins with the last vowel of the group (and goes to the end of the group) gets the designation ‘टि’।

(9) अध्यात्म + सुँ (default) । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्‌।

(10) अध्यात्म + अम् । By 2-4-83 नाव्ययीभावादतोऽम्त्वपञ्चम्याः – This सूत्रम् has two parts – (a) नाव्ययीभावादत: – following a अव्ययीभावः compound ending (ref. 1-1-72) in the letter ‘अ’ a सुँप् affix does not take the लुक् elision (which would have been done by 2-4-82 अव्ययादाप्सुपः) and (b) अम्त्वपञ्चम्याः – following a अव्ययीभावः compound ending (ref. 1-1-72) in the letter ‘अ’ a सुँप् affix – other than a fifth case affix – is substituted by अम्।
1-3-4 न विभक्तौ तुस्माः prevents the ending letter ‘म्’ of the affix ‘अम्’ from getting इत्-सञ्ज्ञा।

(11) अध्यात्मम् । 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. In the first verse of which Chapter of the गीता has the compound अध्यात्मम् been used?

2. From which सूत्रम् does the अनुवृत्ति: of ‘टच्’ come in to the सूत्रम् 5-4-108 अनश्च (used in step 6)?

3. In which two words in the verses has the affix ‘णिच्’ been elided?

4. Which वार्तिकम् may we use to justify the third case affix occurring in the form पारोक्ष्येण used in the verses?

5. Where has the सूत्रम् 3-2-3 आतोऽनुपसर्गे कः been used in the commentary?

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“Spiritual (pertaining to the Self) knowledge is the supreme knowledge.”

Easy questions:

1. Where has the सूत्रम् 6-1-8 लिटि धातोरनभ्यासस्य been used in the verses?

2. Where has the सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम् (pronoun) ‘अदस्’ been used in the commentary?