Purva-Mimamsa in its Sources c33.7

c33.7

The Modification of Mantra again is of various kinds. The *Mīmāmsā-bālaprakāsha* (p. 131, et. seq.) has noted the following ten kinds:—(1) Alteration of the Basic Noun;—‘*Agnaye*’ changed into ‘*Sūryāya*’ (see above);—(2) Alteration of Gender; the Mantra ‘*Vasvyasī rudrāsi, etc.*’ (Feminine) is addressed to the Heifer; and it is changed into ‘*Vasvasi rudrosi*’ (Masculine) when addressed to the Calf;—(3) Alteration of Number: the Mantra ‘*Chhāgasya vapayā, etc.*’ is changed into ‘*Chhāgānām vapaya, etc.*’ (Plural) at the *Prājāpatya-Sacrifice*, where there are several goats concerned; (4) Alteration of the Basic Noun and Gender; e.g., ‘*Agnaye juṣṭam*’ is changed into ‘*Adityai juṣṭam*’:—(5) Alteration of Basic Noun and Number: e.g., ‘*Agnaye juṣṭam*’ is changed into ‘*Vishvēbhyo dēvebhyo juṣṭam*’;—(6) Alteration of Number and Gender; ‘*Prāsmai agnim, etc.*’ changed into ‘*Prābhyah agnim*’; (not so according to *Shabara*, see Trs., p. 1572)—(7) Alteration of the Basic Noun, Gender and Number: for the consecration of the water used for the washing of the corn, we have the Mantra ‘*Apodēvīḥ shuddhāḥ sthaḥ*’, where the words ‘*Apodēvīḥ, etc.*’ are Feminine-Plural; this same Mantra when used for the consecration of Clarified Butter, is read as ‘*Ghṛtadēva-shuddhamasi*’; (8) Alteration of the form of repeating the whole of the original twice over; e.g., in the cutting of the Skin, the Mantra used begins with ‘*Ekadhā*’, when there is only one skin; when there are two skins concerned, the Mantra begins as ‘*Ekadhē-Ekadhē*’ (Sū. 9.3. 29—31); (9) Alteration of the word with the Nominal Affix; e.g., the Mantra—‘*Mitrāvaruṇau tvā uttarataḥ, etc.*’ (Vājasa-Sam. 2.3) is changed into ‘*Mitrāvaruṇau tvā purastāt, etc*’; (10) Alteration of Indeclinables; e.g., the Mantra—‘*Agnim gṛhṇāmi . . . . shvo yajñāya ramatām*’ is changed into ‘. . . . *adya yajñāya, etc.*’, where for ‘*shvaḥ*’ in the original, we have ‘*adya*’ in the Modification.