India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashtadhyayi c8.s15.4

c8.s15.4

Names which are compound words normally consist of a *pūrvapada* and an *uttarapada* (V.3.82), and the compound is either *Bahuvrīhi* or *Tatpurusha*. Almost all names in this section (V.3.79-83; VI.2.106-115) are polysyllabic (*bahvach*), *i.e.* consisting of more than two syllables (*ūrdhvaṁ dvitīyādachaḥ*, V.3.83), the actual number of syllables being usually four or five. According to the *Gṛihya Sūtras* a name should have a *Kṛit* ending, and not a *Taddhita*. Pāṇini mentions two examples of this, *viz. datta* and *śruta* (VI.2.148). To these Patañjali adds *rakshita* (I.189) and *gupta* (I.37, *e.g.* Āmragupta, Śālagupta). The above two features of names are ascribed to the Yājñikas by Patañjali (I.4), who must have based themselves on the tradition of the *Gṛihya Sūtras*.¹ Besides *kṛit-ending*, Pāṇini mentions Mitra, Ajina (VI.2.165; V.3.82) and Sena (IV.1.152; VIII.3.99) as the second part of personal names.