Verse 2.183

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 2.183:

प्रयोगार्हेषु सिद्धः सन् भेत्तव्योऽर्थो विशिष्यते ।
प्राक् च साधनसम्बन्धात् क्रिया नैवोपजायते ॥ १८३ ॥

prayogārheṣu siddhaḥ san bhettavyo'rtho viśiṣyate |
prāk ca sādhanasambandhāt kriyā naivopajāyate || 183 ||

183. It is only when the meaning of roots, fit to be used, is fully determined that it is qualified. Before being connected with the means of its accomplishment, an action does not attain its form at all.

Commentary

[The view expressed here is that it is only when the action denoted by a root is connected with the accessories denoted by other words in the sentence that it attains its full form and becomes fit to be qualified by prepositions.

The Vṛtti puts it as follows—When an idea has attained its full form and is to be qualified and there are several possible ways of doing so, the qualification is actually done by words actually used and then the relation of qualifier and qualified is attained. As an action is to be brought about, its relation with the accessories takes place first. Therefore, before that, action is formless (nirātmikā) and cannot enter into the relation of qualifier and qualified with the prepositions which only manifest what is already there. According to some scholars, a root first enters into relation with the words expressive of the accessories: pūrvaṃ dhātuḥ sādhanena yujyata ityekeṣāṃ matam.]

The other view is now further explained—