5.4.18
Mīmāṃsā Sūtra / Adhyāya 5 / 5.4.18
एकं वा शब्दसामर्थ्यात् प्राक् कृत्स्नविधानम्
ekaṃ vā śabdasāmarthyāt prāk kṛtsnavidhānam
The line
One or, because of a compound: a word, and capacity, before, a compound: kṛtsna (कृत्स्न), and a rule.
Where it sits
In Mīmāṃsā (मीमांसा) Sūtra (सूत्र), adhyāya (अध्याय) 5. Order. Sequence is fixed by the order of the words, and by other rules when the words do not decide. The words of this line are the ones to keep. A shorter line after this one may leave them unsaid.
Split: ekaṃ (एकं) + vā (वा) + śabda-sāmarthyāt (शब्द-सामर्थ्यात्) + prāk (प्राक्) + kṛtsna-vidhānam (कृत्स्न-विधानम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| ekaṃ (एकं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | one |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or |
| śabda-sāmarthyāt (शब्द-सामर्थ्यात्) | ablative singular | a compound: a word, and capacity. Read it from the end |
| prāk (प्राक्) | indeclinable | before |
| kṛtsna-vidhānam (कृत्स्न-विधानम्) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | a compound: kṛtsna (कृत्स्न), and a rule. Read it from the end |
The phrases
ekaṃ (एकं) is one. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. vā (वा) is or. It stands as indeclinable. śabda-sāmarthyāt (शब्द-सामर्थ्यात्) is a compound: a word, and capacity. Read it from the end. It stands as ablative singular.
prāk (प्राक्) is before. It stands as indeclinable. kṛtsna-vidhānam (कृत्स्न-विधानम्) is a compound: kṛtsna (कृत्स्न), and a rule. Read it from the end. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter.
Sanskrit in this line
śabda-sāmarthyāt (शब्द-सामर्थ्यात्) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case.
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss ekaṃ (एकं) and śabda-sāmarthyāt (शब्द-सामर्थ्यात्).