3.4.20
Brahma Sūtra / Adhyāya 3 / 3.4.20
विधिर् वा धारणवत्
vidhir vā dhāraṇavat
The line
An injunction or, a compound: a holding, and possessing.
Where it sits
In Brahma Sūtra (सूत्र), adhyāya (अध्याय) 3. Sādhana (साधन). The means: who is fit, what is meditated on, and the soul's path. The line is short. anuṣṭheyaṃ (अनुष्ठेयं) from 3.4.19 is still in force. A sūtra (सूत्र) leaves a word out when the line before still holds it. That carrying is anuvṛtti (अनुवृत्ति).
Split: vidhiḥ (विधिः) + vā (वा) + dhāraṇa-vat (धारण-वत्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| vidhiḥ (विधिः) | nominative singular | an injunction |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or |
| dhāraṇa-vat (धारण-वत्) | a compound, the ending is on the last member | a compound: a holding, and possessing. Read it from the end |
The phrases
vidhiḥ (विधिः) is an injunction. It stands as nominative singular. The line writes it vidhir. vā (वा) is or. It stands as indeclinable.
dhāraṇa-vat (धारण-वत्) is a compound: a holding, and possessing. Read it from the end. It stands as a compound, the ending is on the last member.
Sanskrit in this line
dhāraṇa-vat (धारण-वत्) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case. The line writes it vidhir.
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss vidhiḥ (विधिः) and dhāraṇa-vat (धारण-वत्).