Today we will look at the form क्षत्रियाणाम् mGp from श्रीमद्भागवतम् verse 9.15.16.

श्रीराजोवाच
किं तदंहो भगवतो राजन्यैरजितात्मभिः
कृतं येन कुलं नष्टं क्षत्रियाणामभीक्ष्णशः ॥ ९-१५-१६ ॥

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका –
No commentary on this verse.

Gita Press Translation – The king (Parīkṣit) submitted: What was the offense which was committed against the glorious sage (Paraśurāma) by Kṣatriyas of uncontrolled mind, for which the (entire) race of the Kṣatriyas was wiped out (by him) time and again? (16)

क्षत्त्रस्यापत्यम् (पुमान्) जातिः = क्षत्त्रियः – the son of one belonging to kṣatriya class (from his kṣatriya wife)
In the verses the विवक्षा is षष्ठी-बहुवचनम्। Hence the form is क्षत्रियाणाम्।

(1) क्षत्त्र ङस् + घ । By 4-1-138 क्षत्त्राद् घः – To denote the sense of अपत्यम् (descendent) the तद्धित: affix ‘घ’ may be applied optionally following a syntactically related पदम् which ends in a sixth case affix and has ‘क्षत्त्र’ as its base.
Note: The affix ‘घ’ applies only if the derived form conveys the sense of kṣatriya class.
As per the सूत्रम् 4-1-92 तस्यापत्यम् – Following a syntactically related पदम् in which the सन्धिः operations have been performed and which ends in a sixth case affix the तद्धिता: affixes already prescribed (by the prior rules 4-1-83 प्राग्दीव्यतोऽण् etc), as well as those that are going to be prescribed (by the following rules 4-1-95 अत इञ् etc), may be optionally applied to denote the sense of अपत्यम् (descendant.)

Note: ‘क्षत्त्र ङस् + घ’ gets the designation प्रातिपदिकम्‌ by 1-2-46 कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च। This allows 2-4-71 सुपो धातुप्रातिपदिकयोः to apply in the next step.

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

(3) क्षत्त्र + इय् अ । By 7-1-2 आयनेयीनीयियः फढखछघां प्रत्ययादीनाम्‌ – The letters ‘फ्’, ‘ढ्’, ‘ख्’, ‘छ्’ and ‘घ्’ – when they occur at the beginning of a प्रत्यय: (affix) – are replaced respectively by ‘आयन्’, ‘एय्’, ‘ईन्’, ‘ईय्’ and ‘इय्’।
Note: As per the सूत्रम् 1-3-10 यथासंख्यमनुदेशः समानाम्, the substitutions take place respectively.

Note: The अङ्गम् ‘क्षत्त्र’ gets the भ-सञ्ज्ञा by 1-4-18 यचि भम् which allows 6-4-148 यस्येति च to apply in the next step.

(4) क्षत्त्र् + इय । 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 the अङ्गम् with the भ-सञ्ज्ञा takes elision (लोपः)।

= क्षत्त्रिय । Note: The प्रातिपदिकम् ‘क्षत्त्रिय’ declines like राम-शब्दः।

Note: As per the महाभाष्यम् (under the सूत्रम् 7-1-72) – न व्यञ्जनपरस्यैकस्य वानेकस्य वा श्रवणं प्रति विशेषोऽस्ति – In the pronunciation of a conjunct consonant whether the prior member is single or repeated is indistinguishable to the ear. Hence we often see the form ‘क्षत्रिय’ instead of ‘क्षत्त्रिय’।

(5) क्षत्रिय + आम् । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिँभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्। Note: 1-3-4 न विभक्तौ तुस्माः prevents the ending letter ‘म्’ of ‘आम्’ from getting इत्-सञ्ज्ञा।

(6) क्षत्रिय + नुँट् आम् । By 7-1-54 ह्रस्वनद्यापो नुट्, the affix ‘आम्’ takes the augment नुँट् when it follows a प्रातिपदिकम् which either ends in a short vowel or has the नदी-संज्ञा or ends in the feminine affix ‘आप्’। As per the परिभाषा-सूत्रम् 1-1-46 आद्यन्तौ टकितौ, the augment नुँट् joins at the beginning of ‘आम्’।

(7) क्षत्रिय + नाम् । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-2 उपदेशेऽजनुनासिक इत्, 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम् and 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(8) क्षत्रियानाम् । By 6-4-3 नामि – The ending vowel of an अङ्गम् gets elongated if followed by the term ‘नाम्’।

(9) क्षत्रियाणाम् । By 8-4-2 अट्कुप्वाङ्नुम्व्यवायेऽपि, the letter ‘न्’ is replaced by the letter ‘ण्’ when either the letter ‘र्’ or ‘ष्’ precedes, even if intervened by a letter of the अट्-प्रत्याहार: or by a letter of the क-वर्ग: or प-वर्गः or the term ‘आङ्’ or ‘नुँम्’ (अनुस्वारः) either singly or in any combination.