When the sense is that of surpassing, there come the affixes tamap (tama) and iṣṭhan (iṣṭha) after a prātipadika (Nominal Stem) the word retaining its denotation.,
These affixes form the superlative degree. The word अतिशायन is an irregular form of अतिशयनं, and it qualifies the sense of the primitive. The स्वार्थिक affixes sometimes qualify the sense of the primitive. Thus आढ्यतमः = सर्व इमे आढ्याः, अयमेषामतिशयेनाढ्यः 'the richest' i. e. 'these are all rich, but he surpasses them all in riches'. Similarly दर्शनीयतमः 'most handsome'. सुकुमारतमः &c. Similarly पटु-पटिष्ठः, गुरु-गरिष्ठः, लघु-लघिष्ठः 6.4.155. When among superlatives, further excellence is indicated, then these words may take additional affixes : as श्रेष्ठ, though a superlative, forms श्रेष्ठतमः ॥ As देवो वः सविता प्रार्पयतु श्रेष्ठतमाय कर्मणे । युधिष्ठिरः श्रेष्ठतमः कुरूणामिति ॥,