Mṛgendratantra — Yogapāda

with the vṛtti of Bhaṭṭa Nārāyaṇakaṇṭha · Sentence-by-Sentence Reader
Finite Verb
Noun
Abstract (-tva/-tā)
Compound
Participle / Adj
Pronoun
Indeclinable
1
Maṅgalaśloka mūla
prabhavati3sg yataḥabl sarvajñatvamnom yataḥabl akhilakartṛtānom prasarati3sg tathā kāryeloc ca asaunom parānom pratibhānom yataḥabl | nirupadhi paramnom śāntamnom dhāmanom smarāmi1sg tadacc īśituḥgen svayam api vibhoḥgen vāgīśvaryāḥgen girāmgen.pl yadnom agocaraḥnom ||
Word-by-word
From whom (yataḥ) omniscience (sarvajñatvam) arises (prabhavati), from whom (yataḥ) universal agency (akhilakartṛtā) extends forth (prasarati), and (ca) likewise (tathā) from whom (yataḥ) that (asau) supreme (parā) intuition (pratibhā) [arises] in action (kārye) — I meditate upon (smarāmi) that (tad) unconditioned (nirupadhi) supreme (param) peaceful (śāntam) abode (dhāma) of the Lord (īśituḥ), of the all-pervading one (vibhoḥ) who (yad) himself (svayam) even (api) [is] beyond the reach (agocaraḥ) of the words (girām) of Vāgīśvarī (vāgīśvaryāḥ).
From whom omniscience arises, from whom universal agency extends forth, and likewise from whom that supreme intuition [arises] in every action — I meditate upon that unconditioned, supreme, peaceful abode of the Lord, of the all-pervading one who himself is beyond the reach of the words even of Vāgīśvarī.
  • prabhavati PRED₁ "arises"
    • sarvajñatvam SUBJ "omniscience"
    • yataḥ SOURCE "from whom"
  • prasarati PRED₂ "extends forth"
    • akhilakartṛtā SUBJ "universal agency"
    • yataḥ SOURCE
  • [prabhavati] PRED₃ (implied)
    • pratibhā SUBJ "intuition"
      • parā ATTR "supreme"
      • asau DET "that"
    • kārye LOC "in action"
    • tathā … ca CONJ "and likewise"
  • smarāmi MAIN PRED "I meditate upon"
    • dhāma OBJ "abode"
      • nirupadhi ATTR "unconditioned"
      • param śāntam ATTR "supreme, peaceful"
      • tad DET
    • īśituḥ GEN "of the Lord"
      • vibhoḥ APPOS "of the all-pervading one"
        • agocaraḥ REL.CL "beyond the reach"
          • girām GEN "of words"
            • vāgīśvaryāḥ GEN "of Vāgīśvarī"
          • svayam api EMPH "himself even"
Sandhi Resolution
yato 'khila- yataḥ akhila- · visarga sandhi (aḥ + a → o ')
cāsau ca asau · vowel sandhi (a + a → ā)
dīkṣaiva dīkṣā eva · vowel sandhi (ā + e → ai)
prabhavati √bhū 1P arises, originates
sarvajñatva sarva+jña+tva omniscience
akhilakartṛtā a-khila+kartṛ+tā universal agency
prasarati √sṛ 1P extends forth
pratibhā prati+√bhā intuition, creative insight
dhāman √dhā abode, radiance, light
smarāmi √smṛ 1P I meditate upon
nirupadhi nis+upadhi unconditioned
īśitṛ √īś+tṛ ruler, Lord
vibhu vi+√bhū all-pervading
agocara a+go+cara beyond the range of
gir √gṝ speech, word
Structure

The verse opens with a triple yataḥ-clause — three divine attributes (omniscience, universal agency, supreme intuition) traced to the same unnamed source. The correlative pronoun yataḥ appears three times without resolution; its antecedent (tad … dhāma) arrives only in pāda c. This suspended syntax creates the devotional tension characteristic of stotras. The main clause is smarāmi tad dhāma ("I meditate upon that abode") — everything else is subordinate.

2
Vṛtti — opening the Yogapāda comm.
atha idānīm yogapādaḥnom prārabhyate3sg.pass | tatra tāvat
Word-by-word
Now (atha), at this time (idānīm), the yoga chapter (yogapādaḥ) is begun (prārabhyate). There (tatra), first of all (tāvat) —
So then, now the Yogapāda commences. There, first of all:
Sandhi Resolution
athedānīṃ atha idānīm · vowel sandhi (a + i → e); anusvāra → m
Usage

atha is the traditional auspicious particle for opening a new topic. Doubled with idānīm, it signals a major new section. tatra tāvat is a commentarial formula ("in that regard, first of all") introducing a preliminary discussion before the main verse is cited.

3
Verse cited by the commentator mūla
asmātabl pravitatātabl bandhātabl parasaṃkhyānirodhakātabl | dīkṣānom eva mocayati3sg.caus ūrdhvam śaivamacc dhāmaacc nayati3sg api ||
Word-by-word
Initiation (dīkṣā) alone (eva) liberates (mocayati) [the soul] from this (asmāt) extended (pravitatāt) bondage (bandhāt) which blocks the highest state (parasaṃkhyānirodhakāt), and also (api) leads (nayati) [the soul] upwards (ūrdhvam) to the Śaiva (śaivam) abode (dhāma).
Initiation alone liberates from this extended bondage which blocks the highest state, and also leads [the soul] upwards to the abode of Śiva.
  • dīkṣā SUBJ "initiation"
    • eva RESTRICT "alone"
  • mocayati PRED₁ (caus.) "liberates"
    • bandhāt ABL (source) "from bondage"
      • asmāt DET "this"
      • pravitatāt ATTR "extended"
      • para-saṃkhyā-nirodhakāt ATTR "blocking the highest state"
  • nayati PRED₂ "leads"
    • api ADD "also"
    • ūrdhvam DIR "upwards"
    • dhāma GOAL (acc.) "to the abode"
      • śaivam ATTR "of Śiva"
Sandhi Resolution
dīkṣaiva dīkṣā eva · vowel sandhi (ā + e → ai)
mocayaty ūrdhvaṃ mocayati ūrdhvam · semivowel sandhi (i + ū → y ū)
nayaty api nayati api · semivowel sandhi (i + a → y a)
pravitata pra+vi+√tan spread out, extended
bandha √bandh bondage, fetter
nirodhaka ni+√rudh+aka obstructor, blocker
dīkṣā √dīkṣ initiation, consecration
mocayati √muc caus. liberates, sets free
nayati √nī 1P leads, conveys
ūrdhvam upwards, above
dhāman √dhā abode, radiance
Doctrinal Note

Two functions of dīkṣā in Saiddhāntika theology: (1) it liberates (mocayati) from bondage (pāśa), and (2) it leads (nayati) the soul to Śiva's abode. The particle eva is doctrinally significant — it asserts that initiation is the sole means to liberation. Sanderson translates parasaṃkhyā as "the highest state."

VṚTTI
Commentary on the verse above
iti śruteḥgen dīkṣāyāḥgen eva niratiśaya-kaivalya-avāpti-hetutvātabl
Word-by-word
[Because,] according to scripture (śruteḥ), thus (iti) [having cited the verse], initiation (dīkṣāyāḥ) alone (eva) [is] the cause of the attainment of unsurpassed liberation (niratiśaya-kaivalya-avāpti-hetutvāt) —
Because, according to scripture, initiation alone is the cause of the attainment of unsurpassed isolation (kaivalya) —
  • niratiśaya-kaivalya-avāpti-hetutvāt REASON (causal abl.) "because of being the cause of attaining unsurpassed liberation"
    • dīkṣāyāḥ GEN (agent) "of initiation"
      • eva RESTRICT "alone"
    • śruteḥ SOURCE (authority) "according to scripture"
    • iti QUOTE-END "thus [having cited]"
Compound Breakdown
niratiśayakaivalyāvāptihetutvāt
nir-atiśaya — kaivalya — avāpti — hetu — -tvāt
nir-atiśaya — "unsurpassed" (bahuvrīhi: "not having a surpasser")
kaivalya — "isolation, absolute liberation" (kevala + -ya)
avāpti — "attainment" (ā + √āp + -ti)
hetu — "cause, reason"
-tva → -tvāt — abstract suffix, abl. "because of being the cause"
śruti √śru scripture, revealed text
niratiśaya nis+ati+√śī unsurpassed
kaivalya kevala+ya isolation, liberation
avāpti ā+√āp+ti attainment
hetu cause, reason
-tva / -tvāt abstract sfx. "-ness"; abl. = "because of"
Grammatical Note

A classic nested tatpuruṣa chain — built right-to-left: the hetu-tva ("cause-ness") of avāpti ("attainment") of kaivalya ("liberation") that is nir-atiśaya ("unsurpassed"). The causal ablative -tvāt answers "why?" This is a suspended clause that continues in the next sentence.

Pāśupatasūtra

with the Pañcārthabhāṣya of Kauṇḍinya
In preparation

Dharmaśāstra

Selections from the dharma literature
In preparation

Text IV

To be determined
In preparation