Concept of नित्य & अनित्य

कृ ताकृ तप्रसनि नित्यम्, तनिपरीतमनित्यम् ।। ४२ ।।

What is नित्य?

Consider तुद् + (लट्>नतप्) In this derivation at this stage two sutras namely: 3-1-77 तुदानदभ्यः शः । and
the the sutra 7-3-86 पुगन्तलघूपधस्य च । find scope.

Let us focus our attention on the scenario where we apply 7-3-86 first and then we have तोद् + नतप्
This तोद् can still be considered like तुद् based on the strength of the पररभाषा - एकदेशनिकृ तमिन्यित्॥३७॥
that essentially says if something has undergone a change in one of its parts should not be
considered as one different from the original one. Hence तोद् is also considered like an element
belonging to तुदादय् Therefore तोद् can still receive श

Thus, this पररभाषा is imitated. Therefore, when two sutras find scope simultaenously and if the one
can find scope both before and after the other sutra then the one that always find scope
irrespective of application of other is called the नित्य sutra and the other sutra is called अनित्य

Important to note that नित्य sutra supersedes the sutra that come after (परम्) the नित्य sutra and thus
stops the normal sequence as mandated by 1-4-2 निप्रनतषेधे परं काययम् । परानित्यं बलित् ।। ४१ ।।

शब्दान्तरस्य प्राप्नुिन्विन्वधरनित्यो भिनत ।। ४३ ।।

उपसगयपूियनियमेऽड्व्यिाय उपसं ख्यािं कतयव्यम्। न्यनिशत। व्यक्रीणीत। नकं पुिः कारणं ि न्वसद्ध्यनत ? अटा व्यिनितत्वात्। ििु
चायमड्धातुभक्तो धातुग्रिणेि ग्रिीष्यते। ि न्वसध्यनत। अिस्य ह्यडु च्यते निकरणान्तं चािम् । सोऽसौ सं घातभक्तो ि शक्यो धातुग्रिणेि
ग्रिीतुम्। एिं तिीदनमि सं प्रधाययम् - अट् क्रयतां निकरण इनत। नकमत्र कतयव्यम् ? परत्वादडागमः । नित्या निकरणाः । कृ तेऽप्यनट
प्राप्नुिन्त्यकृ तेऽनप। अडनप नित्यः । कृ तेष्वनप निकरणेषु प्राप्नोत्यकृ तेष्वनप प्राप्नोनत। अनित्योऽट्। अन्यस्य कृ तेषु निकरणेषु प्राप्नोत्यन्यस्याकृ तेषु।
शब्दान्तरस्य च प्राप्नुिन्विन्वधरनित्यो भिनत। एिं तिीदनमि सं प्रधाययम् - अट् नक्रयतां लादेश इनत। नकमत्र कतयव्यम् ? परत्वादडागमः । नित्यो
लादेशः । कृ तेऽप्यनट प्राप्नोत्यकृ तेऽनप प्राप्नोनत। नित्यत्वाल्लादेशस्यात्मिेपद एिाडागमो भनिष्यनत। नित्यत्वाल्लादेशस्यात्मिेपदे ऽडागम इनत
चेदटो नित्यनिनमत्तत्वादात्मिेपदाभािः Found in मिाभाष्यम् 1-3-60 शदेः न्वशतः ।

The नित्य injunction that is discussed above i.e. कृ ताकृ तप्रसनि नित्यम्, तनिपरीतमनित्यम् ४२ can be violated.

Before we delve into an example it is right time to define the term व्यनक्त in the context of
Ashtadhyayi. व्यनक्त is defined as ‘an individual item’ It is closely related to another terms like (1)
आकृ नत, (2) द्रव्य, (3) जानत: (1) आकृ नत — refers to a measure or an indicator regarding shape similarity
of words belonging to a group, a class or genus. It is defined as अियिसं स्थाि ‘a particular
arrangement of parts’ i.e. to denote resemblance; (2) द्रव्य — is used for a single entity. It signifies
the shared structural form of the single entity with other entities; (3) जानत — refers to a generic
quality of a class or a genus like शुक्लत्वा Finally, व्यनक्त refers to the single individual item manifesting
the generic quality of the class or the genus (see न्यायसूत्र २.२.५९, ६६ – ६८ )

We bring our attentiont to a scenario when two sutras are under consideration for determining
नित्यत्व.

Consider: नि+निश्+(लङ् >त), the लङ् form of निश् root with नि prefix.

निश् generally takes परस्मैपद suffixes and the sutra 1-3-17 िेनियशः । injuncts निपूिायद् निश to take आत्मिेपद
suffixes. The sutra 3-1-77 तुदानदभ्यः शः । injuncts श class-sign to be inserted between निश् andलङ् .
Also, the sutra 6-4-71 लुङ्लङ् लृङ्क्ष्वडुदात्तः mandates अट् augment to be prefixed while making लङ् forms.

When should 6-4-71 be applied? Should it be applied before or after the operation of 3-1-77?

The answer it that it does not matter. 6-4-71 will provide अट् to निश् as well as to निश्+अ. Since 6-
4-71 is applicable before and after the application of 3-1-77, therefore based on the पररभाषा
कृ ताकृ तप्रसनि नित्यम् तनिपरीतमनित्यम् ।। ४२ ।। we could conclude that 6-4-71 is नित्य with respect to 3-1-77.

However, this is not acceptable.

Therefore a new पररभाषा is imitated to limit the scope of the previous पररभाषा ४२. The new पररभाषा
is introduced with a preamble यद्व्यनक्तसम्भन्धितया पूिं प्रिृनत्तस्तद्व्यनक्तसम्भन्धितयैि पुिः
प्रिृत्तौकृ ताकृ तप्रसनित्वनमत्याशखयेिाि Where due to a relation with a व्यनक्त characteristic of an element, a
sutra is a candidate for according नित्य status vis-à-vis another sutra, if the candidate sutra again
makes the same relation with another व्यनक्त characteristic of the semanto-syntantic variant of the
said element (शब्दान्तरस्य), then that candidate sutra cannot have नित्य status vis-à-vis the another
sutra.

Here in our example अट् is prefixed to निश् as well as to निश्+अ. Therefore based on the पररभाषा
शब्दान्तरस्य प्राप्नुिन्विन्वधरनित्यो भिनत ।। ४३ ।। Here शब्दान्तरस्य is meant to signify the change in meaning and
not the change in आिुपूिी.

Above we have illustrated a पररभाषा and its अपिाद in the form of another पररभाषा. This पररभाषा (अपिाद
to ४२) was imitated based on the उद्दे श्य — that is what we get after applying the sutra whose नित्यता
we set out to examine.

शब्दान्तरात् प्राप्नुितः शब्दान्तरे प्राप्नुितश्चानित्यत्वम् ।। ४४ ।।

In order to further emphasize this अपिाद , we have another पररभाषा that brings home the same
conclusion however by emphasizing on the cause (निनमत्त). The निनमत्त here is used in the sense of
5th case (शब्दान्तरात्)and 7th case (शब्दान्तरे) affixes.

Consider the same previous example नि+निश्+(लङ् >त), the लङ् form of निश् root with नि prefix.
निश् generally takes परस्मैपद suffixes and the sutra 1-3-17 िेनियशः । injuncts निपूिायद् निश to take आत्मिेपद
suffixes. The sutra 3-1-77 तुदानदभ्यः शः । injuncts श class-sign to be inserted between निश् andलङ् .
Also, the sutra 6-4-71 लुङ्लङ् लृङ्क्ष्वडुदात्तः mandates अट् augment to be prefixed while making लङ् forms.

When should 6-4-71 be applied? Should it be applied before or after the operation of 3-1-77?

The answer it that it does not matter. 6-4-71 will provide अट् to निश् as well as to निश्+अ. Since 6-
4-71 is applicable before and after the application of 3-1-77, therefore based on the पररभाषा
कृ ताकृ तप्रसनि नित्यम् तनिपरीतमनित्यम् ।। ४२ ।। we could conclude that 6-4-71 is नित्य with respect to 3-1-77.

But how can we use the same logic to imitate another पररभाषा ४४? Therefore to imitate thए पररभाषा
४४ we take recourse to another line of logic.

6-4-71 will provide अट् to निश् to form अनिश्. Can 3-1-77 work on अनिश्? It was meant to work only
on निश्? The answer is yes it can. How? By using another पररभाषा — यदागमास्तद्गुणीभूतास्तद्ग्रिणेि गृह्यन्ते (१०).
Therefore 3-4-77 will provide श to अनिश् as well. Since 3-1-71 is applicable before and after the
application of 6-4-71, therefore based on the पररभाषा कृ ताकृ तप्रसनि नित्यम् तनिपरीतमनित्यम् ।। ४२ ।। we
could conclude that 3-1-77 is नित्य with respect to 6-4-71.

However, this is not acceptable.

Therefore a new पररभाषा ४४ is imitated to limit the scope of the previous पररभाषा ४२. The new पररभाषा
४४ is introduced with a preamble एतत्तुल्यन्यायेिाि that is to say it is a corollary to पररभाषा - शब्दान्तरस्य
प्राप्नुिन्विन्वधरनित्यो भिनत ।। ४३ ।।

Where due to a relation (i.e.with a व्यनक्त characteristic of an element), a sutra (e.g. 3-1-77) is a
candidate for according नित्य status vis-à-vis another sutra (e.g.6-4-71), if the candidate sutra (3-1-
77) again makes the same relation in a left/right (5th /7th case affix) context with a semanto-
syntantic variant (शब्दान्तरात्) (i.e. left/right context with another व्यनक्त characteristic of the said
element) of the said element, then that candidate sutra cannot have नित्य status vis-à-vis the another
sutra.

Mutatis mutandis, the second part (शब्दान्तरे) of the पररभाषा ४४ can be imitated and has been
formulated also a separate पररभाषा ४५

लक्षणान्तरेण प्राप्नुिि् निन्वधरनित्यः ।। ४५ ।।

Further we have two more पररभाषाः (४७ & ४८) which are essentially opposite of each other.
Commentators have noted that either one can be invoked according to the need for justifying
the forms found in the language.

यस्य च लक्षणान्तरेण निनमत्तं नििन्यते ि तदनित्यम् ।। ४७ ।। यस्य च

लक्षणान्तरेण निनमत्तं नििन्यते तदप्यनित्यम् ।। ४८।।