Today we will look at the form अपराह्णे mLs from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 6.8.21.

मां केशवो गदया प्रातरव्याद्गोविन्द आसङ्गवमात्तवेणुः । नारायणः प्राह्ण उदात्तशक्तिर्मध्यन्दिने विष्णुररीन्द्रपाणिः ।। ६-८-२० ।।
देवोऽपराह्णे मधुहोग्रधन्वा सायं त्रिधामावतु माधवो माम् । दोषे हृषीकेश उतार्धरात्रे निशीथ एकोऽवतु पद्मनाभः ।। ६-८-२१ ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका
दिनस्य षट्सु भागेषु क्रमेण प्रातरादिसंज्ञेषु रात्रेश्च प्रदोषादिसंज्ञेषु रक्षाप्रार्थनम् – मां केशव इति त्रिभिः । आसङ्गवं सङ्गवमभिव्याप्य ।। २० ।। त्रिधामा ब्रह्मादित्रिमूर्तिः श्रीमाधवः । दोषे प्रदोषे आर्धरात्रे अर्धरात्रिपर्यन्ते काले निशीथे चैक एव पद्मनाभोऽवतु ।। २१ ।।

Gita Press translation – May Lord Keśava (the Supreme Deity the Ruler of even Brahmā and Śiva) protect me with His mace in the morning (the first of the six divisions of the day, each consisting of two hours); Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Protector of cows), who holds a flute (in His hand), through the Saṅgava hours (the second part of the day); Lord Nārāyaṇa (who has His abode in water), who wields an uplifted javelin, in the forenoon and (the all-pervading) Lord Viṣṇu, carrying Sudarśana (the chief of all discuses) in His hand, at midday (20). May Lord Madhusūdana (the Slayer of the demon Madhu), who wields a terrible bow, protect me in the afternoon and Lord Mādhava (the Spouse of Goddess Lakṣmī), manifested in three glorious forms (Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva), at dusk. May Lord Hṛṣīkeśa guard me in the first part of the night (and) Lord Padmanābha (who has a lotus spring from His navel), alone, during the second part (till midnight) as well as at midnight (during the third part) (21).

लौकिक-विग्रह: –
(1) अपरमह्नः = अपराह्ण: – PM (afternoon.)

अलौकिक-विग्रह: –
(2) अपर सुँ + अहन् ङस् । By 2-2-1 पूर्वापराधरोत्तरमेकदेशिनैकाधिकरणे (A पदम् formed by adding a सुँप् affix to) either ‘पूर्व’ (front/prior part) or ‘अपर’ (back/latter part) or ‘अधर’ (lower part) or ‘उत्तर’ (upper part) optionally compounds with a (syntactically related) सुबन्तं (ending in a सुँप् affix) पदम् denoting a single substance/thing consisting of parts and the resulting compound gets the designation तत्पुरुष:।
Note: षष्ठीसमासापवाद: – The compounding prescribed by this सूत्रम् is a अपवाद: (exception) to the षष्ठी-समास: prescribed by the सूत्रम् 2-2-8 षष्ठी।

(3) By 1-2-43 प्रथमानिर्दिष्टं समास उपसर्जनम् – the term ‘अपर सुँ’ gets the designation उपसर्जनम् because in the सूत्रम् 2-2-1 (which prescribes the compounding) the term पूर्वापराधरोत्तरम् ends in the nominative case. Hence ‘अपर सुँ’ 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: ‘अपर सुँ + अहन् ङस्’ gets the designation प्रातिपदिकम्‌ by 1-2-46 कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च। This allows 2-4-71 to apply in the next step.

(4) अपर + अहन् । 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) अपर + अहन् + टच् । By 5-4-91 राजाह:सखिभ्यष्टच्‌ – Following a तत्पुरुष: compound ending in either ‘राजन्’ or ‘अहन्’ or ‘सखि’ the तद्धित: affix टच् is prescribed and this affix becomes the ending member of the compound.

(6) अपर + अहन् + अ । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-7 चुटू, 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(7) अपर + अह्न + अ । By 5-4-88 अह्नोऽह्न एतेभ्यः – When followed by the affix ‘टच्’ (prescribed by 5-4-91 राजाह:सखिभ्यष्टच्‌), the word ‘अहन्’ is replaced by ‘अह्न’ provided ‘अहन्’ is preceded by any one of the following –
i) ‘सर्व’
ii) a word denoting a part (of the day)
iii) ‘संख्यात’
iv) a संख्या (numeral)
v) a अव्ययम् (indeclinable)
Note: By 1-1-55 अनेकाल्शित्सर्वस्य, the entire term ‘अहन्’ is replaced by ‘अह्न’।
Note: एतच्छब्देन ‘अहःसर्वैकदेश-’ इति सूत्रस्थाः परामृश्यन्ते – The pronoun ‘एतद्’ (used in the सूत्रम् 5-4-88 अह्नोऽह्न एतेभ्यः) refers to the terms listed in the सूत्रम् 5-4-87 अह:सर्वैकदेशसंख्यातपुण्याच्च रात्रेः। But अहःशब्द इह न गृह्यते, असंभवात् – the word ‘अहन्’ is not included because it is not possible to compound ‘अहन्’ with ‘अहन्’ itself. ‘पुण्य’ is also not included because of the prohibition contained in the सूत्रम् 5-4-90 उत्तमैकाभ्यां च।

(8) अपराह्न + अ । By 6-1-101 अकः सवर्णे दीर्घः।

Note: The अङ्गम् ‘अपराह्न’ has the designation ‘भ’ here by 1-4-18 यचि भम्। This allows 6-4-148 to apply in the next step.

(9) अपराह्न् + अ । By 6-4-148 यस्येति च – When the letter ‘ई’ or a ‘तद्धित’ affix follows, the (ending) इ-वर्ण: (letter ‘इ’ or ‘ई’) or the (ending) अवर्ण: (letter ‘अ’ or ‘आ’) of a अङ्गम् with the भ-सञ्ज्ञा takes elision (लोपः)।

(10) अपराह्ण । By 8-4-7 अह्नोऽदन्तात्‌ – The letter ‘न्’ of the term ‘अह्न’ (ref. 5-4-88 अह्नोऽह्न एतेभ्यः) is substituted by the letter ‘ण्’ when preceded by a पूर्वपदम् (prior member of a compound) which ends in the letter ‘अ’ and contains the cause – the letter ‘र्’ – for the substitution.
Note: The प्रथमा विभक्ति: (nominative case ending) used in the word अह्न: (in this सूत्रम् 8-4-7) actually stands for the षष्ठी विभक्ति: (genitive case ending.)

Note: Since ‘अहन्’ is neuter in gender, as per the सूत्रम् 2-4-26 परवल्लिङ्गं द्वन्द्वतत्पुरुषयोः, the compound प्रातिपदिकम् ‘अपराह्ण’ would also be neuter in gender, but the सूत्रम् 2-4-29 रात्राह्नाहाः पुंसि intervenes.

(11) By 2-4-29 रात्राह्नाहाः पुंसि – The gender of a द्वन्द्व:/तत्पुरुष: compound ending in either ‘रात्र’ or ‘अह्न’ or ‘अह’ is always masculine.
Note: The सिद्धान्तकौमुदी makes the point that this सूत्रम् is a अपवाद: (exception) to not only the सूत्रम् 2-4-26 परवल्लिङ्गं द्वन्द्वतत्पुरुषयोः but also to the सूत्रम् 2-4-17 स नपुंसकम्‌।

अपराह्णे is सप्तमी-एकवचनम् of the पुंल्लिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकम् ‘अपराह्ण’।

(12) अपराह्ण + ङि । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्‌।

(13) अपराह्ण + इ । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-8 लशक्वतद्धिते and 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(14) अपराह्णे । By 6-1-87 आद्गुणः।

Questions:

1. Commenting on the सूत्रम् 2-2-1 पूर्वापराधरोत्तरमेकदेशिनैकाधिकरणे (used in step 2) the सिद्धान्तकौमुदी says – एकदेशिना किम्‌? पूर्वं नाभे: कायस्य। Please explain.

2. Commenting further on the same सूत्रम् 2-2-1 the सिद्धान्तकौमुदी says – एकाधिकरणे किम्‌? पूर्वश्छात्राणाम्‌। Please explain.

3. Can you spot a अव्ययीभाव: compound in the verses?

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

5. From which verbal root is the प्रातिपदिकम् ‘आत्त’ (used as part of the compound आत्तवेणु: in the verses) derived? Hint: Recall the सूत्रम् 7-4-47 अच उपसर्गात्तः which we have seen in a prior post.

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“Let us go to the temple in the afternoon.”

Easy questions:

1. What is the alternate form for षट्सु (used in the commentary)?

2. Where has the सूत्रम् 6-1-110 ङसिङसोश्च been used in the commentary?