In denoting the indirect object, which is not an animal, of the verb manya 'to think', the Dative -- 4th case is optionally used, when contempt is to be shown.,
Ex. न त्वा तृणं तृणाय वा मन्ये 'I do not consider thee worth a straw.' न त्वा बुसं बुसाय वा मन्ये 'I do not consider thee worth a chaff.' Why do we use the word मन्ये? Observe न त्वा तृणं चिन्तयामि. The optional dative will not be employed with the synonyms of the verb मन्यति. So also the sutra uses the form मन्य with the vikarana श्यण्, indicating that it is Divadi that governs a dative, and not the Tanadi मन्; for the latter governs the accusative only, as न त्वां तृणं मन्ये.
When contempt is not meant, the verb does not govern the Dative, as:-
अश्मानं दृषदं मन्ये, मन्ये काष्ठमुलूखलम् । अन्धायास्तं सुतं मन्ये यस्य माता न पश्यति ॥
'I consider a rock to be a stone, I consider mortar but as wood, I consider him to be the son of a blind woman whose mother cannot see.'
So also when the object of comparison is an animate being, it will not take the dative:- as न त्वां शृगालं मन्ये 'I do not consider thee even as a jackal.' The case of न त्वां शुने मन्ये is an exception.
Vart:- Instead of using अप्राणिषु in the sutra, the words अनावादिषु should be used. The following words belong to Navadi class, they are always in the accusative after the word मन्ये, never in the Dative :-- नो 'ship,' काक 'crow,' अन्न 'food,' शुक 'parrot,' and शृगाल 'jackal.',