1.0. Definition
There are at least three criteria to define what is a tp. cp. Patanjali (Bh. No. 2 on P. 2.1.6), who, according to Kaiyata (on Bh. No. 2 on P. 2.1.20), has preserved a pre-Papinian tradition, says that a tp. cp. is a cp, in which the meaning of the last member is predominant. That is to say, the last member determines the reference of the cp. For instance, rajapurusah: king-servant' does not refer to a king, but to a servant. The second criterion is syntactic: a tp. cp. is a cp, whose vigraha: analysis shows a case-relation between the meanings of the first and second member. For instance, rajapurusah is analysed as rajnah purusah, technically rewritten as (rajan+Nas)+(purusa+ SU). But this criterion would rule out a great number of cps which show meaning predominance of the final member, and which are traditionally called tp. It only holds for vibhaktitatpurusas. The third criterion is enumerative. To Panini,a tp. is a cp. prescribed in the section headed by the rule tatpurusah (P. 2.1.22) and ending with P. 2.2.22. This section contains also cps in which the meaning of the first member is predominant (namely, sasthyuttarapadatatpurusa), and cps whose vigraha does not show a case- relation between the meaning of the first and last member (namely, karma-dharaya-cps). But Panini finds it convenient to group these cps together under the heading tatpurusa, because now he can phrase one single rule for the gender of the cp. called tatpurusa. Moreover, he can treat these cps as one group as far as accentuation is concerned (P. 6.2.2-162).
1.1. Name
The name tatpurusa: his servant' is itself a vibhaktitatpurusa, prescribed by P. 2.2.8.
1.2. Gender
The gender of a tp. cp. is determined by that of its last member (P. 2.4.26).
1.3. Division
The tp. cp. is one of four broad categories of cps recognised by Sanskrit grammar. Following Panini's treatment, we can subdivide it as follows:
Panini prescribes a number of tp. cps where the meaning of the first member is predominant (P. 2.2.1-3, ekadesisamasa; P. 2.2.4-5, other sasthyuttarapadatatpurusa). Since here the word standing for the main meaning takes the first place in the cp., Panini may have decided to group them together.
According to P. 2.2.1-3, the genitive member of the cp., which stands for the ekadesin whole', takes the last place in the cp. For instance, purvakayah: front (part) of the body (P.2.2.1), ardhapippali: half (part) of a pepper (P. 2.2.2), dvitiyabhiksa: second (part) of the alms' (P.2.2.3). Normally, in a cp. formed with a genitive word, the genitive word is put first in the cp. (P. 2.2.8; P. 1.2 34; P. 2.2.30). Thus, as far as wordorder is concerned, the ekadesisamasa is an exception to the sasthitatpurusa prescribed by P. 2.2.8.
Bhattoji Diksita says that purvakayah can be derived as a kdh. cp., meaning purvas casau kayas ca front (part) and, at the same time, body', on account of the principle that words denoting wholes also denote parts of those wholes. In this way, the samanadhikaranya of the cp. members can be established. Thus, according to this interpretation, the member kaya does not actually refer to a whole ('body'), but to a part, namely, the same (front) part to which purva refers.
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