Strīpratyaya (Feminine affixes)

The affixes that are added in order to derive feminine bases from the masculine are called feminine derivatives or Strīpratyaya. In Sanskrit, these affixes are ā (ṭāp, ḍāp, cāp), ī (ṅīp, ṅīṣ, ṅīn,) ū (ūṅ) and ti etc. The rules regarding feminine derivatives are comes under the heading rule striyām (4/1/3)

As in the case of other rules, the section of feminine affixes also have a comprehensive nature in illustration in Vāsudevavijaya Vāsudeva only excludes a few rules regarding this section. These rules are illustrated in the first canto of Vāsudevavijaya

The first rule under the authority of striyām, is ajādyataṣṭāp (4/1/4). This rule ordains that the affixṭāp is employed to indicate feminine nature, after the crude forms aja etc. and the crude forms ending in short a |

The rule is illustrated by Vāsudeva in the verse,

samastavittāmadhijagmuṣaḥ svato yataḥ prajeśāḥ śrutimadhyagīṣata |
titikṣamāṇāpi samaṃ kṣamāpa taṃ nṛpībhavaddaityabharārditā vidhim || (Vāsudevavijaya 1.2).

Here, the word titikṣamāṇā is derived from the root tija niśāne with san then enjoined the śānac | Thus titikṣamāṇa is a crude form as it ends with a kṛt affix śānac | This form is ending short a, therefore as per the rule ajādyataṣṭāp, the affix ṭāp will be employed and results in titikṣamāṇā |

The subsequent rule ṛnnebhyo ṅīp (4/1/5) states that the affix ṅīp is employed, in forming the feminine, after the crude forms ending in either ṛ or n |

Example for this rule is given in the verse.

mīmāsamānaṃ nigamārthavartanīranudvijitrī samiteḥ śucātha sā |
kārśyaṃ dadhatyartibharātpraṇatya taṃ jagaddhite jāgratamārcicadgirā || (Vāsudevavijaya 1/3)

The word anudvijitrī is formed from the root ovijī bhayacalanayoḥ to which tṛc is added. The crude form will be anudvijitṛ | Thus it is ending in ṛ, and the feminine affix (ī) ṅīp comes from it as per the rule ṛnnebhyo ṅīp | anudvijitṛ + ī → iko yaṇaci→ anudvijitrī |

The rule ugitaśca (4/1/6) is illustrated in the same verse. The rule implies that after what has an indicatory uk, the affix ṅīp is employed, in denoting the feminine. In the verse, the word dadhatī is example for this rule. dadhatī is formed from the root ḍudhāñ dhāraṇapoṣaṇayoḥ | The uk in the rule is a Pratyāhāra which means u, ṛ and lṛ | The words which end with such letters are meant here. The words formed by ktvatu, śatṛetc. will be ugit. Thus the word dadhat is derived by adding the affix śatṛ and hence it becomes an ugit | So, as per the rule ugitaśca, the feminine affix ṅīp will come from this dadhat + ṅīp→ dadhatī |

The same rule has several examples in various cantos of Vāsudevavijaya In this manner Vāsudeva illustrates the rules regarding feminine affixes in the respective order of them in Aṣṭadhyāyī. Some more examples for Strīpratyayas are going to discuss here to show the style and peculiarities of Vāsudeva's composition.

The following verse holds some examples for the affix ṅīp, the verse is—

pūtakratāyīṃ ca manuṃ ca mānavīṃ vṛṣākapāyīṃ ca kariṣyatī tiraḥ |
ullālasāmāsa guṇairakṛtrimai rateḥ sapatnīva sutāsya devakī ||(Vāsudevavijaya 1.26)

Here the first rule enjoined is nityaṃ sapatnyādiṣu (4/1/35).

In forming the feminine with the affix ṅīp the word pati always takes the substitute n in the words like sapatnī and the rest.

Sapatnī -samānaḥ patiḥ yasyāḥ sā | Here the word samāna is replace by sa by this rule. The final i of pati. Here an augment nuk is employed as the final part of the nominal is substituted by n before the affix ṅīp | sapat+ n + ī→ sapatnī | The form sapatnī is descended by this rule as Pāṇini himself uses this word thus.

The next rule adjoined here is pūtakratorai ca (4/1/36) which states that in forming the feminine, the letter ai is the substitute of the final of the word pūtakratu, when the affix ṅīp is added ai and ṅīp are introduced from the pūtakratu as per this rule. Vāsudeva used this word in the above quoted verse, to discuss this rule. pūtakratu→ pūtakrat + ai + ṅīp(ī)→ pūtakratai + ī→ pūtakratāyī ||

Subsequently he uses the word vṛṣākāyī which is derived from the word vṛṣākapiḥ | In forming the feminine with the affix ṅīp the letter ai having udātta accent is the substitute of the finals of vṛṣākapi, agni, kusita and kusida | This is ordained by the rule vṛṣākapyagnikusitakusidānāmudāttaḥ (4/1/37) vṛṣākapi→ vṛṣākap + ai + ī (ṅīp)→ vṛṣākapai + ī→ vṛpākapāyī |

The rule manorau vā (4/1/38) optionally substituted au or udātta ai to the final of manu followed by ṅīp. Then have the form manāyī, manāvī etc. As the rule is optional, when the rule is not applied, the form manu: remains in its original form manuḥ | All the three word have the sense of wife of Manu. Vāsudeva uses the form manuḥ and states it is the form resulted when the rule manorau vā was unpractised.^[1]

The rule ito manuṣyajāteḥ (4/1/65) is illustrated here. The feminine affix ṅīṣ comes after a nominal stem ending in short i denoting classes or races of men. devakī is the example given in the verse by Vāsudeva to illustrate this rule. devakasya apatyaṃ strī→ devakī | Here after the word devaka, an affix iñ is introduced as per the rule ata iñ (4/1/95) (Patronymic affix). devaka+ i→ devaki. Then from the short i of this word, the the affix ṅīp will come as per the rule ito manuṣyajāteḥ |

devaka→ devaka + i→ devaki→ devaki + ī→ devakī

Likewise Vāsudeva included most of the rules regarding the feminine affixes and he uses different kinds of examples to illustrate Paṇini's rules. The rules illustrated in Vāsudevavijaya and the examples for them are shown in the appendix.

It can be stated that most of the rules to derive feminine endings forms are successfully narrated here. He has also shown the difference in meaning on the course of the change in affixes.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

manumiti "manorau vā' iti ṅīpsāhitayauraukāraikārayoramāve prakṣike rūpam |, Prof. Vijayapal Sastri.op.cit.V.26, p.11