Question about first verse of Raghuvamsa

[Harry Spier]

Dear list members,

Verse 1 of Raghuvamsa is:

वागर्थाविव संपृक्तौ वागर्थप्रतिपत्तये ।
जगतः पितरौ वन्दे पार्वतीपरमेश्वरौ ॥ १ ॥

M. R. Kale comments'  वागर्थाविव is a compound word and not, as some might be led to think, two words". 

M.R. Kale's full comment on this is copied below.  I don't follow the reasoning why वागर्थाविव is a compound and not two words, since वागर्थौ  is in the same case as  संपृक्तौ . Also at the end of his compound  he says there are numerous instances in the Raghuvamsa that show that the compound with "iva" is optional and not nitya, is he not saying that its optional to consider वागर्थाविव as a compound or as two words?

His full comment is:

 

Thanks,

Harry Spier

[Harry Spier]

Dear list members,

Verse 1 of Raghuvamsa is:

वागर्थाविव संपृक्तौ वागर्थप्रतिपत्तये ।
जगतः पितरौ वन्दे पार्वतीपरमेश्वरौ ॥ १ ॥

M. R. Kale comments'  वागर्थाविव is a compound word and not, as some might be led to think, two words". 

M.R. Kale's full comment on this is copied below.  I don't follow the reasoning why वागर्थाविव is a compound and not two words, since वागर्थौ  is in the same case as  संपृक्तौ . Also at the end of his comment  he says there are numerous instances in the Raghuvamsa that show that the compound with iva is optional and not nitya, is he not saying that its optional to consider वागर्थाविव as a compound or as two words?

His full comment is:

 

Thanks,

Harry Spier

[G S S Murthy]

Is it to indicate the intensity of संपृक्तत्व of वागर्थौ at a meta-level that वागर्थाविव is declared a compound?

Regards

Murthy

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "samskrita" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to samskrita+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/samskrita/CAJ3b0o_SsMjMMqYKWkYGgTAiEiRuqqEFeQDWw1JApvtFx91jbQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Shyam Subramanian]

Namaste,

Explanation of this by Dr. Sowmya Krishnapur of Vyoma labs can be found at https://youtu.be/vmrDsZKO8rk?si=FWWoJRzO3XiAzlpY

Regards,

Shyam

Show quoted text

--

Shyam/श्यामः

Message blocked Your message to sams...@googlegroups.com has been blocked. See technical details below for more information. LEARN MORE This link will take you to a third-party site

The response was: Message rejected by Google Groups. Please visit http://mail.google.com/support/answer/188131?hl=en to review our Bulk Email Senders Guidelines.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Shyam Subramanian <shya...@gmail.com>
To: sams...@googlegroups.com
Cc: 
Bcc: 
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2025 07:35:13 +0530
Subject: Re: [Samskrita] CORRECTION: Question about first verse of Raghuvamsa
----- Message truncated -----

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "samskrita" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to samskrita+...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/samskrita/CAJ3b0o8uJOsZhmfewJ3h%2BYCXPrXaOMfPhJyuz6GQvpyzyzVmww%40mail.gmail.com.

[Lakshmanan Krishnamurti]

It is a यान्तावान्त संधि wherein an औ followed by the vowel इ is replaced by आव. There is no समास hence not a compound word

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/samskrita/CADi6ZRgi7dVP6MZshXCjKAOsoN-EBQ4ZS7YngJM5%2Bq1TeRR3LA%40mail.gmail.com.

[Shyam Subramanian]

Namaste,

The "वागर्थाविव" padam is interesting also because this is a special case where vibhaktilopaH does not happen during samAsa formation (due to the vArttika "इवेन सह समासो विभक्त्यलोपश्च"). There is a video by Dr. Sowmya Krishnapur of Vyoma labs explaining this as well as the nityasamAsa condition (I couldn't send the youtube link for some strange reason in the group but one can get it by searching for "Why is Vaagarthaaviva a Samaasa? | Dr. Sowmya Krishnapur" ).

Regards,

Shyam

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/samskrita/CAPYmdmMGO2W%3DHBjc9Zzx3EJGeey4NBbq3-O5StowR59kp1TT1w%40mail.gmail.com.

[अभ्यंकरकुलोत्पन्नः श्रीपादः | श्रीपतेः पदयुगं स्मरणीयम् ।]

I think वागर्थौ संपृक्तौ इव (संपृक्तौ) जगतः पितरौ पार्वतीपरमेश्वरौ वागर्थप्रतिपत्तये वन्दे is a good enough अन्वयः wherein संपृक्तौ can be interlaced between वागर्थौ and इव. By this वागर्थाविव is not needed to be considered as a compound word. So, if an optional syntax of separating the two words is possible, then compounding does not stay to be नित्य. 

In the case of अलुक्-compounded words such as युधिष्ठिरः, दिवंगतः, etc. there is no optional syntax possible. 

So, to my mind, whether compounding is नित्य or optional depends on whether there exists the possibility of optional syntax or not.

[Lakshmanan Krishnamurti]

Vak + arthaH are joined in a dvandava samasa to make a new compound word vagarthaH. This word  then acquires the case ending to become vaagathou, because it indcitaes dual number ( vak, and arthaH). it then forms yaantavvantAa sandhi to become vaagaarthaviva

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "samskrita" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to samskrita+...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/samskrita/eb734f2d-ef60-4438-bd7b-f6f4d9cd6c58n%40googlegroups.com.

[sanjana]

Hii sir

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/samskrita/CAPYmdmMQtVKRtE%2BSXqftJHjG5gAZhnu3ksyDpzraHSyeWP3JMQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[S. L. Abhyankar]

There are two different points here - one is अन्वयः second is composition and grammar of the word वागर्थौ (वाक्+अर्थौ) 

About अन्वयः, I think as given by me is okay. 

वागर्थौ (वाक्+अर्थौ) is clearly a द्वन्द्व-compound word. There again an इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व compounding, because वागर्थौ has द्विवचनम् because there are two entities वाक् and अर्थः. 

The word इव clarifies the उपमा-अलङ्कारः with वागर्थौ being the उपमानम् and जगतः पितरौ पार्वतीपरमेश्वरौ being उपमेयम्.

Of course उपमा कालिदासस्य is well-known adoration of कालिदास:. 

Cordially, S. L. Abhyankar
सस्नेहमिदम् अभ्यंकरकुलोत्पन्नस्य श्रीपादस्य |

"श्रीपतेः पदयुगं स्मरणीयम् ।"

You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "samskrita" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/samskrita/rMtW5VqvzCo/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to samskrita+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/samskrita/CAKK%3DT7sw_JHG2_-zcoUb-XDzcmWe-b80OB%2BaVRJYTEHP9FTtXw%40mail.gmail.com.

[kenp]

वागर्थाविव (Vāgarthāviva) from the opening verse of Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa is considered a single compound word rather than two separate words because it functions as a single grammatical unit (समानधिकरण बहुव्रीहि or a nominal compound) describing the union of Parvati and Parameshwara. 

Here is why it is analyzed as a compound:

• Grammatical Analysis: The term breaks down as वागर्थौ इव (Vāgarthau iva) 
   वागर्थाविव (Vāgarthāviva).
  • Vāk (Speech/Word) + Artha (Meaning/Intention) = Vāgarthau (Word and Meaning together).
  • Iva means "like" or "as."
• Compound Nature: By joining Vāgarthau and Iva into a single expression (padam), it functions as a compounded adjective/phrase that acts as a singular descriptive unit for the subject (Pārvatī and Parameśvara), indicating they are joined together inextricably like words and their meanings.
• Sanskrit Usage: In Sanskrit literature, closely related concepts are frequently joined using sandhi and compounding rules into one word to emphasize their inseparable nature, rather than treating them as separate lexical items, as confirmed by commentators like M.R. Kale. 
  sreenivasarao's blogs +4

Therefore, it is treated as one word to signify the indissoluble bond between speech (Vāk) and its meaning (Artha), a theme that implies they are inseparable, rather than just two separate things compared together. 

[संस्कृत संवादः]

To a beginner, वागर्थाविव (vāgarthāviva) simply looks like two entirely separate words—वागर्थौ (vāgarthau) and इव (iva)—that happen to sit next to each other and undergo the standard Sandhi rule एचोऽयवायावः (eco'yavāyāvaḥ) [Pāṇini, Aṣṭādhyāyī, 6.1.78], where the 'au' sound meets 'i' and becomes 'āvi'.

However, from the perspective of a Vaiyākaraṇa (grammarian), this is incorrect. The great commentator Mallinātha firmly states in his Sañjīvanī commentary: "वागर्थाविव इत्येकं पदम्" (vāgarthāviva ityekam padam - "Vāgarthāviva is a single word"). Here is the technical reason why:

1. The Grammatical Rule (The Vārttika):
In Pāṇinian grammar, this formation belongs to a rare category called केवलसमास (Kevala Samāsa - a compound without a specific class name) or Sup-supā compound [Pāṇini, Aṣṭādhyāyī, 2.1.4]. Specifically, it is governed by a Vārttika (supplementary rule) composed by the ancient grammarian Kātyāyana:
इवेन समासो विभक्त्यलोपश्च (ivena samāso vibhaktyalopashca) [Kātyāyana, Vārttika, on P. 2.1.4].[2][3]

2. Breaking down the Rule:

• इवेन समासः (ivena samāsaḥ): A noun ending in a case-affix (subanta) forms a compound with the indeclinable 'इव' (iva - meaning "like").[2][4]

• विभक्ति-अलोपश्च (vibhakti-alopashca): And the original case-ending (vibhakti) of the first word is not dropped (alopaḥ).[2][4]

3. The Derivation Process:

• First, the words वाक् (vāk - word) and अर्थः (arthaḥ - meaning) are compounded into an इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (Itaretara Dvandva) compound to become: वागर्थौ (vāgarthau - word and meaning).[2]

• Next, "वागर्थौ" is compounded with "इव".[2]

• Normally, when a Samāsa is formed, the internal case endings vanish (e.g., राज्ञः पुरुषः -> राजपुरुषः). But because of the vibhaktyalopashca exception in the Vārttika, the 'au' (औ) suffix in वागर्थौ is strictly preserved. This phenomenon is known as an अलुक् समास (Aluk Samāsa).[2][3]

• Finally, the preserved 'au' (औ) undergoes internal Sandhi with 'i' (इ) to form वागर्थाविव.[2] Because the compounding process mathematically occurred before the Sandhi, it is structurally and technically a single compound word, not two floating words in a sentence.[2]

4. Analogy (उपमा):
Imagine you are making a fruit smoothie. Normally, when you blend fruits (like in a standard Samāsa), they lose their original individual shapes (the internal case endings vanish). However, an Aluk Samāsa is like adding whole pomegranate seeds to the finished smoothie; they are undeniably part of a single cohesive drink (the compound word), but they aggressively retain their original distinct shape (the case ending is not deleted). The word 'iva' acts as the binding cup holding this unique mixture together.

Poetic Brilliance: By enforcing this specific grammatical rule, Kālidāsa masterfully demonstrates exactly what he is praising. Just as Parvati and Shiva are inextricably bound together as one entity (Ardhanarishvara), the words 'Vāgarthau' and 'iva' are grammatically glued together into one indivisible unit!