12.3.24
Mīmāṃsā Sūtra / Adhyāya 12 / 12.3.24
मन्त्राणां संनिपातित्वादेकार्थानां विकल्पः स्यात्
mantrāṇāṃ saṃnipātitvād ekārthānāṃ vikalpaḥ syāt
The line
Of a mantra, because of saṃnipātitva (संनिपातित्व), of a compound: one, and a thing, a meaning, an alternative, a division, it would be, let it be granted.
Where it sits
In Mīmāṃsā (मीमांसा) Sūtra (सूत्र), adhyāya (अध्याय) 12. Prasaṅga (प्रसङ्ग), incidental application, and vikalpa (विकल्प), option. The words of this line are the ones to keep. A shorter line after this one may leave them unsaid.
Split: mantrāṇāṃ (मन्त्राणां) + saṃnipātitvād (संनिपातित्वाद्) + eka-arthānāṃ (एक-अर्थानां) + vikalpaḥ (विकल्पः) + syāt (स्यात्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| mantrāṇāṃ (मन्त्राणां) | genitive plural | a mantra |
| saṃnipātitvād (संनिपातित्वाद्) | ablative singular | saṃnipātitva (संनिपातित्व) |
| eka-arthānāṃ (एक-अर्थानां) | genitive plural | a compound: one, and a thing, a meaning. Read it from the end |
| vikalpaḥ (विकल्पः) | nominative singular, masculine | an alternative, a division |
| syāt (स्यात्) | optative, third person singular | it would be, let it be granted |
The phrases
mantrāṇāṃ (मन्त्राणां) is a mantra. It stands as genitive plural. saṃnipātitvād (संनिपातित्वाद्) is saṃnipātitva (संनिपातित्व). It stands as ablative singular. eka-arthānāṃ (एक-अर्थानां) is a compound: one, and a thing, a meaning. Read it from the end. It stands as genitive plural.
vikalpaḥ (विकल्पः) is an alternative, a division. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. syāt (स्यात्) is it would be, let it be granted. It stands as optative, third person singular.
Sanskrit in this line
saṃnipātitvād (संनिपातित्वाद्) is ablative singular. That ending is the work an English preposition would do.
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss mantrāṇāṃ (मन्त्राणां) and saṃnipātitvād (संनिपातित्वाद्).