Today we will look at the form पूर्वर्षयः mNp from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 7.3.19.

अद्राक्षमहमेतत्ते हृत्सारं महदद्भुतम् । दंशभक्षितदेहस्य प्राणा ह्यस्थिषु शेरते ।। ७-३-१८ ।।
नैतत्पूर्वर्षयश्चक्रुर्न करिष्यन्ति चापरे । निरम्बुर्धारयेत्प्राणान्को वै दिव्यसमाः शतम् ।। ७-३-१९ ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका
हृत्सारं धैर्यम् । दंशैर्मक्षिकादिविशेषैर्भक्षितो देहो यस्य ।। १८ ।। निरम्बुर्निषिद्धमम्बु येन सः । त्यक्तोदक इत्यर्थः ।। १९ ।।

Gita Press translation – I have witnessed this extraordinary and marvelous stamina of yours, that your body having been eaten away by gnats, your life actually hangs on your bones (alone) (18). Neither did the former sages practice such asceticism nor will the coming ones do it. Indeed, who can support life without water for a hundred celestial years (or 36,000 human years)? (19)

(1) पूर्वश्चासावृषिः = पूर्वर्षिः – Former sage.

अलौकिक-विग्रह: –
(2) पूर्व सुँ + ऋषि सुँ । By 2-1-58 पूर्वापरप्रथमचरमजघन्यसमानमध्यमध्यमवीराश्च – A सुबन्तं (ending in a सुँप् affix) पदम् which is (composed by adding a सुँप् affix to) ‘पूर्व’/’अपर’/’प्रथम’/’चरम’/’जघन्य’/’समान’/’मध्य’/’मध्यम’/’वीर’ optionally compounds with another सुबन्तं (ending in a सुँप् affix) पदम् – provided both the सुबन्त-पदे refer to the same item – and the resulting compound is a तत्पुरुष:।
Note: पूर्वनिपातनियमार्थमिदम्‌। The compounds prescribed by this सूत्रम् 2-1-58 could also be constructed using the सूत्रम् 2-1-57 विशेषणं विशेष्येण बहुलम्‌। The सूत्रम् 2-1-58 is composed for the purpose of placing the terms पूर्वापरप्रथमचरमजघन्यसमानमध्यमध्यमवीरा: in the prior position in the compound.

Note: As per 2-1-50 दिक्संख्ये संज्ञायाम्‌ – In a तत्पुरुष: compound, a सुबन्तं (ending in a सुँप् affix) पदम् denoting either a direction of the compass or a numeral combines with another सुबन्तं (ending in a सुँप् affix) पदम् referring to the same item only if the resulting compound denotes a proper name.
This नियम-सूत्रम् (restriction rule) does not prohibit the formation of the compound ‘पूर्वर्षि’ because here the term ‘पूर्व’ means earlier in time and not the direction east. Hence the restriction imposed by the सूत्रम् 2-1-50 does not apply here.

(3) By 1-2-43 प्रथमानिर्दिष्टं समास उपसर्जनम् – the term ‘पूर्व सुँ’ gets the designation उपसर्जनम् because in the सूत्रम् 2-1-58 (which prescribes the compounding) the term पूर्वापरप्रथमचरमजघन्यसमानमध्यमध्यमवीराः ends in the nominative case. Hence the adjective ‘पूर्व 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: ‘पूर्व सुँ + ऋषि सुँ’ gets the designation प्रातिपदिकम्‌ by 1-2-46 कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च। This allows 2-4-71 to apply in the next step.

(4) पूर्व + ऋषि । 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) पूर्वर्षि । By 6-1-87 आद्‍गुणः – In place of a preceding अवर्ण: letter (‘अ’ or ‘आ’) and a following अच् letter, there is a single substitute of a गुण: letter (‘अ’, ‘ए’, ‘ओ’)। As per 1-1-51 उरण् रपरः, in the place of ऋवर्ण: if an अण् letter (‘अ’, ‘इ’, ‘उ’) comes as a substitute, it is always followed by a ‘रँ’ (‘र्’, ‘ल्’) letter.

Note: As per the सूत्रम् 2-4-26 परवल्लिङ्गं द्वन्द्वतत्पुरुषयोः, the compound प्रातिपदिकम् ‘पूर्वर्षि’ is masculine since the latter member ‘ऋषि’ of the compound is masculine.

The विवक्षा is प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्।

(6) पूर्वर्षि + जस् । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिँभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्।

(7) पूर्वर्षि + अस् । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-7 चुटू and 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः। 1-3-4 न विभक्तौ तुस्माः prevents the ending letter ‘स्’ of ‘जस्’ from getting इत्-सञ्ज्ञा।

(8) पूर्वर्षे + अस् । 7-3-109 जसि च – When the affix ‘जस्’ follows, there is a गुण: substitute for the (ending letter of) of an अङ्गम् ending in a short vowel.

(9) पूर्वर्षयस् । By 6-1-78 एचोऽयवायावः ।

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

Questions:

1. In the last five verses of Chapter Six of the गीता can you spot a कर्मधारय: compound which is not prohibited by the नियम-सूत्रम् (restriction rule) 2-1-50 दिक्संख्ये संज्ञायाम्‌ because the prior member of the compound is ‘पूर्व’ meaning earlier in time and not the direction east?

2. Which other compound (besides पूर्वर्षयः) used in the verses is a कर्मधारय: compound?

3. Which कृत् affix is used to form the प्रातिपदिकम् ‘देह’ (used as part of the compound दंशभक्षितदेहस्य in the verses)? Hint: The विग्रह-वाक्यम् is ‘दिह्यते’ इति देह:।

4. Where has the सूत्रम् 2-3-5 कालाध्वनोरत्यन्तसंयोगे been used in the verses?

5. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“Among the former residents of this village many were grammarians.” Use the कृत् affix ‘णिनिँ’ (ref.3-2-78 सुप्यजातौ णिनिस्ताच्छील्ये) to construct a उपपद-समास: for ‘resident’ = निवसति तच्छील:। Use this compound to construct a कर्मधारय: compound for ‘former resident.’

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“I’ll go to India in the following month.” Construct a कर्मधारय: compound for ‘following month’ = उत्तरश्चासौ मास:।

Easy questions:

1. Where has the सूत्रम् 7-2-70 ऋद्धनोः स्ये been used in the verses?

2. Which सूत्रम् prescribes the वृद्धि: substitution in the form अद्राक्षम्?