Manava Dharmashastra 2.125

2.125

abhivādane kṛte pratyabhivādaḥ pitrā'bhivādayitā evaṃ vācyaḥ āyuṣmānbhava saumyeti | itiśabdaḥ prakāre | āyuṣmānedhi dīrghāyurbhūyāścirañjīvetyevamādiśabdaparigrahaḥ śiṣṭācāraprasiddho bhavati |
akāraścāsya pratyabhivādyasya yannāma tadante yo'kāraḥ sa plutaḥ kartavyaḥ | pluta iti trimātrasya saṃjñā | akāragrahaṇamikārādīnāmapi pradarśanārtham | ajapekṣamèva cāntatvaṃ draṣṭavyam | vyañjanāntasyāpi yo'ntyaḥ svarastasya bhavati | pūrvākṣara iti plutabhāvino'kārasya viśeṣaṇametat | akṣaramatra vyañjanam | tatra pūrveśliṣṭaḥ sa evamucyate | etaduktaṃ bhavati—pūrva eva nāganturakāraḥ plutaḥ kartavyaḥ, kiṃ tarhi ya eva nāmni vidyate sa eva plāvayitavyaḥ |
sarvaṃ caitadevaṃ vyākhyānaṃ bhagavataḥ pāṇinaḥ smṛtisāmarthyena | śabdārthaprayoge ca manvādibhyo'dhikataraḥ prāmāṇye bhagavānpāṇiniḥ | sa ca 'pratyabhivāde'śūdre' (pā. sū. 8|
vipragrahaṇamavivakṣitam | kṣatriyādīnāmapyeṣa eva vidhiḥ | smṛtyantarasamācāro hya vameva sthitaḥ | na caiṣāṃ vidhyantaramasti |
atrodāharaṇamāyuṣmān bhava devadatta3 | vyañjanāntasyāyuṣmānedhi somaśarman 3 |

On saluting, the Brāhmaṇa should he answered with the words ‘Be long lived, O Gentle One’; and at the end of his name the vowel “a,” which occurs at the end of the consonant, should be pronounced ultra long.—(125)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
On salutation having been done, the answering greeting should be made by the Father to the accoster, with the words—‘Be long-lived, Oh Gentle One.’ The particle ‘iti’ in the text is meant to show that the preceding words constitute the formula. The use of such expressions also as (a) ‘āyuṣmān edhi,’ ' Prosper O Long-lived One,’ (b) ‘dīrghāyurbhūyāh,’ ‘Be long-lived,’ (c) ‘cirañjīva,’ ‘Live long’—is permitted by the usage of cultured men.

‘The vowel “a”’—which occurs at the end of the name of the person whose salutation is answered—‘should be pronounced ultra-long.’ The term ‘pluta,’ ‘ultra-long,’ stands for the vowel that is drawn out to the length of three moras. The vowel ‘a’ is mentioned only by way of illustration; it stands for ‘i’ and other vowels also. The ‘end’ spoken of in the text is in relation to the vowels only; so that in the case of names ending in consonants also, the lengthening applies to the vowel that happens to be the last, ‘at the end.’ The term ‘pūrvākṣaraḥ’ qualities the ‘vowel a,’ which is to be lengthened; and ‘akṣara’ here stands for the consonant; and the compound means ‘that vowel of which the preceding syllable is a consonant’; i.e., the vowel occurring along with the consonant. What is meant is that it is the vowel ‘a’ already there tbat is to be lengthened, and not any such vowel as might be added; that is, the vowel that is already present in the name is to be lengthened out.