Verse 3.11.30

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.11.30:

अन्वयव्यतिरेकौ च यदि स्याद् वचनान्तरम् ।
स्यातामसति तस्मिंश्च प्रकृत्यर्थो न कल्प्यते ॥ ३० ॥

anvayavyatirekau ca yadi syād vacanāntaram |
syātāmasati tasmiṃśca prakṛtyartho na kalpyate || 30 ||

30. If a case-ending expressive of some other number could come after, then the positive and negative arguments could be applied. That being not possible, the meaning of the stem is not clearly de lined.

Commentary

[In expressions like vṛkṣaḥ, vṛkṣau, vṛkṣāḥ, both the stem and the case-ending can be found without each other and so the positive and negative reasoning can be applied to determine the meaning of each according to the principle laid down in Vāk. Ill sā. 43. Here that is not possible because only the singular suffix comes after eka, only the dual after dvi and only the plural after bahu. Therefore, the meaning of the stem cannot be clearly determined. So it cannot qualify or particularise the object having number (saṃkhyeya).So the number that is understood comes from the stem and the case-ending taken together and that qualifies the object having number. In a compound word like rājapuruṣa, the meaning of the secondary term is understood, from the same stem, as mixed up with that of the main term and as, in that way, the meaning of the case-ending coming after the secondary term is also understood, the case-ending is elided. Thus, in the earlier explanation, it was said that the meaning of the case-ending confirms that of the stem. In the present explanation, on the other hand, it is stated that the number which is understood is that of the stem and the case-ending taken together and qualifies or particularises the object numbered.]

Another explanation is now given.