Today we will look at the form द्वादश mNp from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 3.11.12.

तयोः समुच्चयो मासः पितॄणां तदहर्निशम् । द्वौ तावृतुः षडयनं दक्षिणं चोत्तरं दिवि ।। ३-११-११ ।।
अयने चाहनी प्राहुर्वत्सरो द्वादश स्मृतः । संवत्सरशतं नॄणां परमायुर्निरूपितम् ।। ३-११-१२ ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका
षण्मासा अयनम् । दिवीत्यस्योत्तरेणान्वयः ।। ११ ।। दिवीति देवानामहोरात्रे प्राहुः । द्वादश मासाः ।। १२ ।।

Gita Press translation – Both these fortnights, taken together, make one month, which constitutes a day and night of the Pitṛs (manes). Two months, taken together, go to make a Ṛtu (season); while an Ayana consists of six months. An Ayana is southerly and northerly by turns (according as the sun takes a southerly or northerly course), and the two Ayanas constitute the day and night of the gods in heaven. These are known as one year or twelve months (on earth) and a hundred years have been declared as the full life-span of human beings (11-12).

(1) द्वौ च दश च = द्वादश – (Two + ten =) Twelve.

See question 1.

(2) द्वि औ + दशन् जस् । By 2-2-29 चार्थे द्वन्द्वः – Two or more terms having the designation पदम् and standing in a relation expressible by ‘च’ (‘and’) may optionally compound to yield a compound called द्वन्द्वः।

(3) द्वि औ + दशन् जस् । Note: Since ‘द्वि औ’ denotes a smaller number (compared to ‘दशन् जस्’) it is placed in the prior position as per the वार्तिकम् (under 2-2-34 अल्पाच्तरम्‌) सङ्ख्याया अल्पीयस्याः पूर्वनिपातो वक्तव्यः – In a compound the term which denotes a smaller number is placed in the prior position.

Note: ‘द्वि औ + दशन् जस्’ gets the designation प्रातिपदिकम्‌ by 1-2-46 कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च। This allows 2-4-71 to apply in the next step.

(4) द्वि + दशन् । 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) द्वादशन् । By 6-3-47 द्व्यष्टनः संख्यायामबहुव्रीह्यशीत्योः – When followed by the final member of a compound, (the final letter of) the term ‘द्वि’ as well as ‘अष्टन्’ takes the substitution ‘आ’ provided the compound is not a बहुव्रीहि: compound and the final member of the compound denotes a number other than ‘अशीति’।
Note: As per the परिभाषा-सूत्रम् 1-1-52 अलोऽन्त्यस्य, only the ending letter (of ‘द्वि’/’अष्टन्’) is replaced by ‘आ’।

As per the सूत्रम् 2-4-26 परवल्लिङ्गं द्वन्द्वतत्पुरुषयोः, the compound प्रातिपदिकम् ‘द्वादशन्’ is an adjective since the final member ‘दशन्’ of the compound is an adjective. It declines in all three genders, but has the same form in all the genders. This द्वन्द्वः compound (which expresses इतरेतरयोगः) is plural in number because it denotes the plural number twelve. Here it is used as an adjective to ‘मास’, which is masculine. Therefore it is used in the masculine gender here.

The विवक्षा is प्रथमा।

(6) द्वादशन् + जस् । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्‌।
Note: ‘द्वादशन्’ gets the षट्-सञ्ज्ञा by the सूत्रम् 1-1-24 ष्णान्ता षट् – A numeral stem ending in the letter ‘ष्’ or the letter ‘न्’ gets the designation षट्। This allows the सूत्रम् 7-1-22 to apply in the next step.

(7) द्वादशन् । By 7-1-22 षड्भ्यो लुक् – The affixes ‘जस्’ and ‘शस्’ take the लुक् elision when they follow terms that are designated षट्।
Note: Now ‘द्वादशन्’ gets the designation पदम् by 1-4-14 सुप्तिङन्तं पदम् with the help of 1-1-62 प्रत्ययलोपे प्रत्ययलक्षणम्। This allows the सूत्रम् 8-2-7 to apply in the next step.

(8) द्वादश । By 8-2-7 नलोपः प्रातिपदिकान्तस्य – The ending letter ‘न्’ of a पदम् is dropped when the पदम् also has the designation प्रातिपदिकम्।

Questions:

1. What is an alternate way (other than द्वन्द्वः) of deriving the compound द्वादश? Hint: Consider the वार्तिकम् (under 2-1-60 क्तेन नञ्विशिष्टेनानञ् in the सिद्धान्तकौमुदी) शाकपार्थिवादीनां सिद्धये उत्तरपदलोपस्‍योपसंख्‍यानम्।

2. Commenting on the सूत्रम् 6-3-47 द्व्यष्टनः संख्यायामबहुव्रीह्यशीत्योः the सिद्धान्तकौमुदी says – अबहुव्रीह्यशीत्योः किम्? द्वित्राः। द्व्यशीतिः। Please explain.

3. Commenting on the same सूत्रम् the काशिका says – द्व्यष्टन इति किम्? पञ्चदश। Please explain.

4. Can you spot another (besides द्वादश) द्वन्द्वः compound in the verses?

5. Which कृत् affix is used to form the masculine noun समुच्चय:?

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“There are eighteen sections in the Mahābhārata text composed by the sage Vyāsa.” Use the masculine noun ‘ग्रन्थ’ for ‘text’, the neuter noun ‘पर्वन्’ for ‘section’, and the verbal root √रच (रच प्रतियत्ने १०. ४०३) preceded by the उपसर्गः ’वि’ for ‘to compose’.

Easy questions:

1. In which other word (besides द्वादश) has the सूत्रम् 7-1-22 षड्भ्यो लुक् been used in the verses?

2. What is the alternate form for नॄणाम्?