9.1.9
Mīmāṃsā Sūtra / Adhyāya 9 / 9.1.9
अपि वा शब्दपूर्वत्वाद् यज्ञकर्म प्रधानं स्याद् गुणत्वे देवताश्रुतिः
api vā śabdapūrvatvād yajñakarma pradhānaṃ syād guṇatve devatāśrutiḥ
The line
Even or, because of a compound: a word, the earlier, and the state of being that, a compound: a sacrifice, and action, the unmanifest of Sāṅkhya (साङ्ख्य), it would be. syāt (स्यात्) before a voiced sound, in a compound: a quality, and the state of being that, a compound: a deity, and heard.
Where it sits
In Mīmāṃsā (मीमांसा) Sūtra (सूत्र), adhyāya (अध्याय) 9. Ūha (ऊह): adapting mantras and details when they are transferred. The words of this line are the ones to keep. A shorter line after this one may leave them unsaid.
Split: api (अपि) + vā (वा) + śabda-pūrva-tvāt (शब्द-पूर्व-त्वात्) + yajña-karma (यज्ञ-कर्म) + pradhānaṃ (प्रधानं) + syād (स्याद्) + guṇa-tve (गुण-त्वे) + devatā-śrutiḥ (देवता-श्रुतिः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | also, even |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or |
| śabda-pūrva-tvāt (शब्द-पूर्व-त्वात्) | ablative singular | a compound: a word, the earlier, and the state of being that. Read it from the end |
| yajña-karma (यज्ञ-कर्म) | a compound, the ending is on the last member | a compound: a sacrifice, and action. Read it from the end |
| pradhānaṃ (प्रधानं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | the unmanifest of Sāṅkhya (साङ्ख्य) |
| syād (स्याद्) | optative, third person singular | it would be. syāt (स्यात्) before a voiced sound |
| guṇa-tve (गुण-त्वे) | locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter | a compound: a quality, and the state of being that. Read it from the end |
| devatā-śrutiḥ (देवता-श्रुतिः) | nominative singular | a compound: a deity, and heard. Read it from the end |
The phrases
api (अपि) is also, even. It stands as indeclinable. vā (वा) is or. It stands as indeclinable. śabda-pūrva-tvāt (शब्द-पूर्व-त्वात्) is a compound: a word, the earlier, and the state of being that. Read it from the end. It stands as ablative singular. The line writes it śabdapūrvatvād (शब्दपूर्वत्वाद्). yajña-karma (यज्ञ-कर्म) is a compound: a sacrifice, and action. Read it from the end. It stands as a compound, the ending is on the last member.
pradhānaṃ (प्रधानं) is the unmanifest of Sāṅkhya (साङ्ख्य). It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. syād (स्याद्) is it would be. syāt (स्यात्) before a voiced sound. It stands as optative, third person singular. guṇa-tve (गुण-त्वे) is a compound: a quality, and the state of being that. Read it from the end. It stands as locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter. devatā-śrutiḥ (देवता-श्रुतिः) is a compound: a deity, and heard. Read it from the end. It stands as nominative singular.
Sanskrit in this line
śabda-pūrva-tvāt (शब्द-पूर्व-त्वात्) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case. The line writes it śabdapūrvatvād (शब्दपूर्वत्वाद्).
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss śabda-pūrva-tvāt (शब्द-पूर्व-त्वात्) and yajña-karma (यज्ञ-कर्म).