3.5.37
Mīmāṃsā Sūtra / Adhyāya 3 / 3.5.37
होता वा मन्त्रवर्णात्
hotā vā mantravarṇāt
The line
The hotṛ (होतृ) priest or, because of a compound: a mantra, and a sound, a class.
Where it sits
In Mīmāṃsā (मीमांसा) Sūtra (सूत्र), adhyāya (अध्याय) 3. Śeṣa (शेष), the subsidiary. How you tell what serves a rite and what the rite serves. The line is short. ekapātre (एकपात्रे) from 3.5.36 is still in force. A sūtra (सूत्र) leaves a word out when the line before still holds it. That carrying is anuvṛtti (अनुवृत्ति).
Split: hotā (होता) + vā (वा) + mantra-varṇāt (मन्त्र-वर्णात्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| hotā (होता) | nominative singular, masculine | the hotṛ (होतृ) priest |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or |
| mantra-varṇāt (मन्त्र-वर्णात्) | ablative singular | a compound: a mantra, and a sound, a class. Read it from the end |
The phrases
hotā (होता) is the hotṛ (होतृ) priest. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. vā (वा) is or. It stands as indeclinable.
mantra-varṇāt (मन्त्र-वर्णात्) is a compound: a mantra, and a sound, a class. Read it from the end. It stands as ablative singular.
Sanskrit in this line
mantra-varṇāt (मन्त्र-वर्णात्) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case.
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss hotā (होता) and mantra-varṇāt (मन्त्र-वर्णात्).