This paper consists of a Japanese translation of Patañjali's Mahābhāṣya ad P 1. 3. 1 bhūvādayo dhātavaḥ and the Prodīpa, a commentary on it by Kaiyaṭa, together with a brief exposition of my own.
P 1. 3. 1 is the rule by which the items bhū etc., listed in an appendix called the dhātupāṭha are termed dhātu, "verbal roots." In his discussion of P 1. 3. 1, Patañjali is mainly concerned with the question how a dhātu is to be defined semantically. The central feature of Pāṇinīya semantics is the conception of the core of any sentence as an action, denoted by a dhātu, and qualified as being brought about by different participants (kāraka). In this respect, Patañjali's semantic thought on a dhātu is of impartance, because it had great influence on the development of Pāṇinīya semantics from Bhartṛhari to Nāgeśa.
The following is a synopsis of the portions of the Mahābhāṣya ad P 1. 3. 1 translated and studied in this paper.
1. Interpretation of bhūvādi I: <bhū+v+ādi>
1. 1. Purpose of the use of the leter v.
1. 1. 1. Non-grammaticality of the form bhūvādi pointed out.
1. 1. 2. Justification of bhūvādi: v is an augment with an auspicious value. [Ślokavārttika ab]
1. 2. Purpose of the word ādi: Indication of the dhātupāṭha.
1. 3. Difficulties derived from the assignment of the term dhātu on the basis of the dhātupāṭha.
1. 3. 1. Prohibition of homonymous items. [vt. 1]
1. 3. 1. 1. Occurrence of the affixes tavyaT, etc.after non-verbal roots.