Sanskrit: savaatsake or savatsake?

[Gope]

My eminent Sanskrit scholar friends,
This is verse 5 in Dasaka 51 of Narayaneeyam:


प्रमादतः प्रविशति पन्नगोदरं
क्वथत्तनौ पशुपकुले सवात्सके ।
विदन्निदं त्वमपि विवेशिथ प्रभो
सुहृज्जनं विशरणमाशु रक्षितुम् ।।


In some editions instead of सवास्तके, there appears सवत्सके.


Could you please say which is correct (and why it is correct).
Thanks in advance.

 

[Dib]

To me "savatsake" sounds right. sa-vatsa-(ka-) = with vatsa-s/calves.

Monier-Williams lists sa-vatsa- in this meaning, but in this particular construction (i.e. sa+noun-), a final -ka- is also common. So, this makes sense, as well as fits the context.

Can't puzzle out what it would mean if it really were savaatsake.

 

[Gope]

To me "savatsake" sounds right. sa-vatsa-(ka-) = with vatsa-s/calves.

Monier-Williams lists sa-vatsa- in this meaning, but in this particular construction (i.e. sa+noun-), a final -ka- is also common. So, this makes sense, as well as fits the context.

Can't puzzle out what it would mean if it really were savaatsake.

Dib jii, since you cited Monier-Williams I looked him up, and this is what I found:

वात्सक [ vātsaka ] [ vātsaka ]1 n. ( fr. [ vatsa ] ) a herd of calves Lit. Pāṇ. 4-2 , 39.

It would therefore appear that here सवात्सके is the correct word, since all the English translations of this verse give the meaning of this word as 'with (their) herd of calves'.
The Astadhyayi sutra quoted by M-W explains this:
गोत्रोक्षोष्ट्रोरभ्रराजराजन्यराजपुत्रवत्समनुष्याजाद् वुञ् ।
(in some texts this sutra bears the reference 4.2.38)
Read with its anuvrttis it describes how vaatsaka is derived from vatsa to mean a herd of calves, by the pratyaya अक and by वृद्धि.

 

[Dib]

Ah cool! This makes perfect sense. Thanks a lot for finding it out.