3.7.16
Mīmāṃsā Sūtra / Adhyāya 3 / 3.7.16
देशमात्रं वा प्रत्यक्षं ह्यर्थकर्म सोमस्य
deśamātraṃ vā pratyakṣaṃ hy arthakarma somasya
The line
A compound: a place, and mātra (मात्र) or, direct. A compound: a thing, a meaning, and action, of soma.
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 words of this line are the ones to keep. A shorter line after this one may leave them unsaid.
Split: deśa-mātraṃ (देश-मात्रं) + vā (वा) + pratyakṣaṃ (प्रत्यक्षं) + hy (ह्य्) + artha-karma (अर्थ-कर्म) + somasya (सोमस्य)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| deśa-mātraṃ (देश-मात्रं) | accusative singular, masculine | a compound: a place, and mātra (मात्र). Read it from the end |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or |
| pratyakṣaṃ (प्रत्यक्षं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | direct |
| hy (ह्य्) | indeclinable | for, indeed. hi before a vowel |
| artha-karma (अर्थ-कर्म) | a compound, the ending is on the last member | a compound: a thing, a meaning, and action. Read it from the end |
| somasya (सोमस्य) | genitive singular | soma |
The phrases
deśa-mātraṃ (देश-मात्रं) is a compound: a place, and mātra (मात्र). Read it from the end. It stands as accusative singular, masculine. vā (वा) is or. It stands as indeclinable. pratyakṣaṃ (प्रत्यक्षं) is direct. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter.
hy (ह्य्) is for, indeed. hi before a vowel. It stands as indeclinable. artha-karma (अर्थ-कर्म) is a compound: a thing, a meaning, and action. Read it from the end. It stands as a compound, the ending is on the last member. somasya (सोमस्य) is soma. It stands as genitive singular.
Sanskrit in this line
deśa-mātraṃ (देश-मात्रं) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case.
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss deśa-mātraṃ (देश-मात्रं) and pratyakṣaṃ (प्रत्यक्षं).