On prana.s.ta versus pra.na.s.ta

[DEVARAKONDA VENKATA NARAYANA SARMA]

At 05:15 PM 2/27/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Sorry, my statement about the Paninian rules needs a correction.  P.8.4.36
>(naze.h .zaantasya) prohibits the change of -n- to -.na- when the root
>ends in -.s-, as in the form -prana.s.ta-.  Thus, Panini allows
>pra.nazyati, but not pra.na.s.ta.  I remembered this exception right after
>hitting the 'send' command on my previous message.  Sorry for the
>confusion.
>                        Madhav Deshpande

Dear Madhav Deshpande,
                                I am not a linguist but I am curious. In pranaSTa
"n" is flanked by two mUrdhanyAs. If it is the ease of pronunciation it
should become "N". Does this mean that ease is not always the criterion?
Is it a desire to break the monotony of three mUrdhnyAs in a row or is
there any meaning angle involved?

regards,

sarma.