Today we will look at the form अष्टादश  nAp from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 10.36.11.

गृहीत्वा शृङ्गयोस्तं वा अष्टादश पदानि सः । प्रत्यपोवाह भगवान्गजः प्रतिगजं यथा ।। १०-३६-११ ।।
सोऽपविद्धो भगवता पुनरुत्थाय सत्वर: । आपतत्स्विन्नसर्वाङ्गो निःश्वसन्क्रोधमूर्च्छितः ।। १०-३६-१२ ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका
प्रत्यपोवह प्रतिलोमं व्यनुदत् ।। ११ ।। अपविद्धोऽपक्षिप्तः । आपतदाद्रवत् स्विन्नानि स्वेदयुक्तानि सर्वाङ्गानि यस्य सः । क्रोधमूर्च्छितः क्रोधेन व्याप्तः ।। १२ ।।

Gita Press translation – Seizing him by the horns, the Lord actually pushed him back, like an elephant driving a rival elephant, to a distance of eighteen steps (11). Knocked down by the Lord, the bull quickly rose again and, filled with fury, rushed forward sweating all over and breathing hard (12).

(1) अष्टौ/अष्ट च दश च = अष्टादश – (Eight + ten =) Eighteen.

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

(4) अष्टन् + 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) अष्टादशन् । 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 ‘अष्टादशन्’ 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 eighteen. Here it is used as an adjective to पदानि, which is neuter. Therefore it is used in the neuter gender here.

The विवक्षा is द्वितीया ।

(6) अष्टादशन् + शस् । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्‌।
Note: ‘अष्टादशन्’ 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) अष्टादशन् । 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 ‘अष्टादशन्’ 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) अष्टादश । 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. Can you spot a प्रादि-तत्पुरुष: compound in the verses?

2. From which verbal root is the form अपविद्ध: derived?

3. What it the विग्रह: of the compound स्विन्नसर्वाङ्ग: used in the verses?

4. In which word in the verses has the सूत्रम् 6-3-82 वोपसर्जनस्य been used?

5. Which सूत्रम् prescribes the दीर्घादेश: (elongation) in the form गृहीत्वा?

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“I will be staying here for eighteen days.”

Easy questions:

1. Which सूत्रम् prescribes the सम्प्रसारणम् in the form प्रत्यपोवाह?

2. Can you spot the affix ‘श’ in the commentary?