हो हन्तेर् ञ्-णिन्-नेषु

As घातयति with णिच्, घातकः with ण्वुल्, साधुघातिन् with इञ्, घातंघातम् with णमुल्, घातः with घञ्, घ्नन्ति, घ्नन्तुम्, and अघ्नन् before न् ॥ Why do we specify ह्? Otherwise the substitute would replace the final letter. Why of हन् ? Observe प्रहारः, प्रहारकः ॥ ण् and ञ् qualify the affixes, and न् means the न् of हन् which becomes joined with ह् when the intermediate अ is dropped. This न् comes in immediate contact with ह, because it is heard in pronouncing, and in writing. If the elided अ be considered as sthanivat, then ह can never be followed by न्, for there will exist the intervention of this latent अ, but by virtue of the special text of this sutra, such an elided अ should not be considered as an intervention. And if ञ्, ण् and न् be all considered as qualifying the ह् of हन्, still on the maxim ये न नाव्यवधानं तेन व्यवहितेऽपि वचनप्रामाण्यात् therefore ण् or ञ् are considered to come after ह् though a portion of the root intervenes. But not so here, हननमिच्छति हननीयति, add ण्वुल् to this Denominative root, and we have हननायकः ॥,