Verse 3.14.98

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.14.98:

वाचिका द्योतिका वापि सङ्खयानां या विभक्तयः ।
तद्रूपेऽवयवे वृत्तौ सङ्खयाभेदो निवर्तते ॥ ९८ ॥

vācikā dyotikā vāpi saṅkhayānāṃ yā vibhaktayaḥ |
tadrūpe'vayave vṛttau saṅkhayābhedo nivartate || 98 ||

98. In a sentence, the suffixes are either expressive or indicative of different numbers. But in a compound where a part resembles them, differentiation in number disappears.

Commentary

Now something is going to be said about the number of the secondary word in a compound.

[Read verse 98 above]

[According to the view that the meaning of the stem is the triad (trika), namely, jāti, vyakti and liṅga. the suffix is expressive (vācaka) of number. According to the view that the stem denotes five things (pañcaka), namely, jāti, vyakti, liṅga, saṃkhyā and kāraka, the suffix is only indicative of number. In sentences like rājñaḥ puruṣaḥ, rājñaḥ puruṣaḥ and rājñāṃ puruṣaḥ, the case-ending of the first word expresses a particular number. In the compounds corresponding to these sentences, the first constituent would correspond to the first word in the sentences. It should therefore, have the same case-ending. But the elision of the case-endings of the constituents is taught by P. 2.4.71. As to the particular number denoted by the case-ending which is elided, what happens is that the meaning of the secondary constituent rājan gets mixed up with that of the primary constituent puruṣa and so the particular number disappears and with it the particular case-ending expressive of it. Thus the meaning of the compound is not the same as that of the corresponding sentence. They only resemble each other. In a sentence, a particular number is understood whereas in a compound, it. is not.]

Thus some hold the view that the secondary constituent does not express a particular number. Others hold a different view.