The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism

Reference to elements of the same number is in the same order. (7)

Therefore, i>y,u>v, etc., but not, e.g., i>v. The rule we need may now be
expressed as:

iK is replaced by yaN.when aC follows. (8)

Expressions such as these are extremely common. Most phonological rules, and
many others, are of the form:

After A, in the place of B, substitute C, when D follows. (9)

Pa ̄n.ini expresses this formula and captures this generalization about language
by introducing an artificial expression that makes metalinguistic use of the cases
of the Sanskrit of his object language, a method inspired by Sanskrit usage and
introduced by the Pra ̄tis ́a ̄khyas as we have seen. Pa ̄n.ini’s starting point is the
subject of the rule, i.e., the element which is substituted and therefore expressed
by the Nominative Case. The metalinguistic uses of three other Cases are laid
down by three metarules which refer to the Genitive, Locative, and Ablative
Cases:

The Genitive case ending is used for that in the place of which (some-

thing is substituted);

when something is referred to by the Locative ending, (the substitute

appears) in the place of the preceding element;

when (something is referred to) by the Ablative ending, (the substitute

appears in the place) of the following. (10)

Applying these rules, Pa ̄n.ini formulates (9) as:

A+Ablative ending, B +Genitive ending, C +Nominative ending,

D+Locative ending. (11)

Applying this to the sandhi rule we have been discussing, where there is no
restriction on the left so that there is no need for the Ablative ending, we arrive
at:

iK+Genitive, yaN.+Nominative, aC +Locative,

which in Sanskrit becomes:

ikah.yan.aci

to which sandhi is applied, producing the actual rule as it occurs in Pa ̄n.ini’s
grammar:

the science of language 355