Today we will look at the form अकाले mLs from श्रीमद्-वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् 7.73.5.

रुदन्बहुविधा वाचः स्नेहदुःखसमन्वितः । असकृत्पुत्रपुत्रेति वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ।। ७-७३-३ ।।
किं नु मे दुष्कृतं कर्म पुरा देहान्तरे कृतम् । यदहं पुत्रमेकं तु पश्यामि निधनं गतम् ।। ७-७३-४ ।।
अप्राप्तयौवनं बालं पञ्चवर्षसहस्रकम् । अकाले कालमापन्नं दुःखाय मम पुत्रक ।। ७-७३-५ ।।

Translation – Filled with affection and sorrow, and lamenting in various words and repeatedly exclaiming ‘O son! O son!’ (he) said the following – What evil deed have I committed in my former birth that I should see my only son dead (3-4). O son, seeing you, a boy of (mere) five thousand days (about fourteen years), who has met with untimely death before reaching youth, leads to my sorrow (5).

(1) न काल: = अकाल: – inopportune time.

अलौकिक-विग्रह: –
(2) नञ्‌ + काल सुँ । By 2-2-6 नञ्‌ – The negation particle नञ्‌ (meaning ‘not’) optionally compounds with a सुबन्तं (ending in a सुँप् affix) पदम् and the resulting compound is a तत्पुरुष:।
Note: The negation particle नञ्‌ belongs to the चादि-गणः (referenced in 1-4-57 चादयोऽसत्त्वे)। Hence it gets the designation निपात: by 1-4-56 प्राग्रीश्वरान्निपाताः and the designation अव्ययम् by 1-1-37 स्वरादिनिपातमव्ययम्।
Note: तत्सादृश्यमभावश्च तदन्यत्वं तदल्पता । अप्राशस्त्यं विरोधश्च नञर्था: षट् प्रकीर्तिता: ॥ The negation particle नञ्‌ may convey any of the following senses –
i) तत्सादृश्यम् – similarity to that which is being negated.
ii) अभाव: – absence of that which is being negated.
iii) तदन्यत्वम् – different from that which is being negated.
iv) तदल्पता – smallness of that which is being negated.
v) अप्राशस्त्यम् – non-praiseworthiness.
vi) विरोध: – opposite of that which is being negated.
In the present example the negation particle नञ्‌ conveys the sense of अप्राशस्त्यम् – non-praiseworthiness. अकालः – An inopportune time.

(3) By 1-2-43 प्रथमानिर्दिष्टं समास उपसर्जनम् – the term नञ् gets the designation उपसर्जनम् because in the सूत्रम् 2-2-6 (which prescribes the compounding) the term नञ् ends in the nominative case. Hence the term नञ् 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.

(4) न + काल सुँ । अनुबन्ध-लोप: by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम् and 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।
Note: ‘न + काल सुँ’ gets the designation प्रातिपदिकम्‌ by 1-2-46 कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च। This allows 2-4-71 to apply in the next step.

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

(6) अकाल । By 6-3-73 नलोपो नञः – The letter ‘न्’ of the negation particle नञ्‌ is elided when followed by a final member of a compound.

As per the सूत्रम् 2-4-26 परवल्लिङ्गं द्वन्द्वतत्पुरुषयोः, the compound प्रातिपदिकम् ‘अकाल’ is masculine since the latter member ‘काल’ of the compound is masculine. The compound declines like राम-शब्द:।

The विवक्षा is सप्तमी-एकवचनम्।

(7) अकाल + ङि । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्‌।

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

(9) अकाले । By 6-1-87 आद्‍गुणः।

Questions:

1. The last verse of which Chapter of the गीता begins with a नञ्‌-तत्पुरुष: compound?

2. Can you spot a नञ्‌-तत्पुरुष: compound in verse ७-७३-३ (from the रामायणम्) above?

3. In the verses can you spot a compound which may be justified using the सूत्रम् 2-1-72 मयूरव्यंसकादयश्च?

4. Where has the सूत्रम् 8-2-42 रदाभ्यां निष्ठातो नः पूर्वस्य च दः been used in the verses?

5. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“One who flees from a righteous war is not fit to be called a Kṣatriya.” Use the adjective प्रातिपदिकम् ‘धर्म्य’ for ‘righteous.’ Use the verbal root √अय् (अयँ [गतौ] १. ५४६) preceded by the उपसर्ग: ‘परा’ for ‘to flee.’ (Remember to apply the सूत्रम् 8-2-19 उपसर्गस्यायतौ।) Construct a नञ्-तत्पुरुष: compound for ‘not fit to be called a Kṣatriya’ = ‘not a (praiseworthy) Kṣatriya’ = न क्षत्रिय:।

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“One who does not serve (his) parents is not fit to be called a son.” Use the masculine प्रातिपदिकम् ‘पितृ’ (in the dual) for ‘parent.’ Construct a नञ्-तत्पुरुष: compound for ‘not fit to be called a son’ = ‘not a (praiseworthy) son’ = न पुत्र:।

Easy questions:

1. Where has the सूत्रम् 7-3-78 पाघ्राध्मास्थाम्नादाण्दृश्यर्त्तिसर्त्तिशदसदां पिबजिघ्रधमतिष्ठमनयच्छपश्यर्च्छधौशीयसीदाः been used in the verses?

2. In which word in the verses has सम्प्रसारणम् occurred?