prātipadika

As we mentioned in the introduction, the Aṣṭādhyāyī has two main word types:

  • सुप्तिङन्तं पदम्। १.४.१४
    suptiṅantaṃ padam (1.4.14)
    sup-tiṅ-antam padam
    [A term] ending in sup or tiṅ [is called] pada (word).

tiṅ is a pratyāhāra that contains the standard verb endings, and sup is a pratyāhāra that contains the standard nominal endings.

What do these sup endings attach to? They attach to something called a prātipadika. This is the starting point of our derivation: choosing a prātipadika whose meaning we want to express. Once we have done so, we can choose the sup suffix that best conveys our intended meaning. Then, the combination of the prātipadika and sup suffix will produce a complete word.

How do we define a prātipadika? First, we bring in this important paribhāṣā:

  • येन विधिस्तदन्तस्य। १.१.७२
    yena vidhistadantasya (1.1.72)
    yena vidhiḥ tat-antasya
    [A term] by which a rule [is specified refers to an item that] ends in that [term].

This rule is abstract, so let's make it concrete. For example, suppose there is a rule that refers to sup. By our new paribhāṣā, that sup refers to both itself and to everything that ends in sup.

With this paribhāṣā in mind, we can define a prātipadika. This definition has two parts. First:

  • अर्थवदधातुरप्रत्ययः प्रातिपदिकम्। १.२.४५
    arthavadadhāturapratyayaḥ prātipadikam (1.2.45)
    arthavat a-dhātuḥ a-pratyayaḥ prātipadikam
    A meaningful [term] that is neither a dhātu (verb root) nor a pratyaya (suffix), [nor a term ending in a pratyaya, is called] prātipadika,

This is reasonably straightforward. Next:

  • कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च। १.२.४६
    kṛttaddhitasamāsāśca (1.2.46)
    kṛt-taddhita-samāsāḥ ca
    [Terms ending with] kṛt or taddhita [suffixes], as well as samāsas (compounds), [are called prātipadika].

kṛt suffixes attach to verb roots (as in man + tra → mantra), taddhita suffixes attach to other prātipadikas (amṛta + tva → amṛtatva), and samāsas are just compounds.

Review

As we mentioned in our introduction, the main prātipadika we will focus on will be the stem rāma, a masculine stem that refers to the hero of the Ramayana. In the next lesson, we will start looking for the right ending to use with this prātipadika.