Verse 3.14.33

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.14.33:

समुदायान्तरत्वाच्च तादृशोऽर्थ न लौकिकः ।
अन्वयव्यतिरेकाभ्यां शास्त्रार्थोऽपि न दृश्यते ॥ ३३ ॥

samudāyāntaratvācca tādṛśo'rtha na laukikaḥ |
anvayavyatirekābhyāṃ śāstrārtho'pi na dṛśyate || 33 ||

33. Therefore, the group (expressed by the compound as a whole) being quite different, such a meaning (of each constituent) is not known in the world nor is it seen in the śāstra by the method of agreement and difference.

Commentary

[The meaning attributed by Kātyāyana to each constituent in a dvandva compound is not known in the world nor can one obtain it for the purpose of the śāstra by means of analysis based on the method of agreement and difference. In the compound plakṣanyagrodhau, the two things come to the mind from the compound as a whole and not from each of the constituents, words do not always have their etymological meaning. Nobody would call the nyagrodha tree plakṣa merely because it has also the property called prakṣaraṇa = oozing milk or resin. Meanings are conventional. From each one of the two words in the compound, only one meaning is understood, namely, its own. The two ideas come from the compound as a whole. Where both the words are actually used as in a dvandva, it is simpler to assume that the two ideas come from their respective words and that the group is understood from the compound as a whole. In ekaśeṣa, where only one of the words is used, it is different. All the objects must be understood from that one word. The dual and plural numbers are used after the whole compound and not after the second constituent only. Just to explain the dual and the plural, it is not necssary to assume that each word denotes both things. In fact, only the compound as a whole can denote the two things. The compound is really indivisible, but divisions are postulated for the sake of explanation. These divisions look like other independent words in the language and, therefore, can only have meanings similar to those independent words. In the process of division, the words may depend upon one another and yet each word can convey its meaning only. On account of this mutual dependence, the group results. The group cannot be understood from any single word. It is true that the words in a dvandva do not stand toward each other in the relation of viśeṣaṇa and viśeṣya but that does not mean that they cannot be united. They are all connected with action and they get united because they are dependent upon action. Because of the mutual connection of the constituents, the group becomes qualified by duality or plurality and the dual or plural number comes after the compound.]