1.3.26
Mīmāṃsā Sūtra / Adhyāya 1 / 1.3.26
अन्यायश् चानेकशब्दत्वम्
anyāyaś cānekaśabdatvam
The line
And it is improper that many words should each be beginningless for the one meaning.
नेपालीमा
र एउटै अर्थका लागि धेरै शब्द प्रत्येक अनादि हुनु उचित होइन।
Where it sits
ca adds this to the share of error in 1.3.25. anekaśabdatvam (अनेकशब्दत्वम्) is the first view of 1.3.24, now refused. The one correct word is not yet said to be known by care. That is the next line.
Split: anyāyaḥ (अन्यायः) + ca (च) + aneka-śabdatvam (अनेक-शब्दत्वम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| anyāyaḥ (अन्यायः) | nominative singular, masculine | what is improper |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
| aneka-śabdatvam (अनेक-शब्दत्वम्) | nominative singular, neuter | the state of being many words |
The phrases
It is not a sound rule that similar words, all landing on one meaning, are each transmitted from no beginning.
The understanding can be explained once the correct word is known. Similarity to that word is enough for the hearer. So one of the forms is beginningless, and the others are corruptions. hasta, kara, and pāṇi (पाणि) are different. The careful teachers teach all three, so each of those has a beginningless connection with its meaning.
Sanskrit in this line
The pāṭha (पाठ) writes anekaśabdattvam (अनेकशब्दत्त्वम्) with a double t. The abstract of śabda (शब्द) is śabdatva (शब्दत्व), one t. anyāyaḥ (अन्यायः) before ca is heard as anyāyaś (अन्यायश्), and ca before a as cā (चा).
Say it back
Say that gāvī (गावी) is a corruption of go, while hasta, kara, and pāṇi (पाणि) are three taught words.
Next
1.3.27. The true form of the word is known from the special care of those who keep it.