Mantra 57
Rishi: Prājāpatya/anonymous (catechism style; later tradition may ascribe to ritual seers)
Devata: Yajña (as a totality) / Prajāpati (as its hidden unity)
Chandas: Triṣṭubh (by cadence and length; common for interrogative-catechism hymns)
Samhita Patha (Devanagari)
कत्य॑स्य वि॒ष्ठाः कत्य॒क्षरा॑णि॒ कति॒ होमा॑सः कति॒धा समि॑द्धः । य॒ज्ञस्य॑ त्वा वि॒दथा॑ पृच्छ॒मत्र॒ कति॒ होता॑र ऋतु॒शो य॑जन्ति
Transliteration
katy asya viṣṭhā́ḥ katy ákṣarāṇi katí homā́saḥ katidhā́ samíd-dhaḥ | yajñásya tvā vidáthā pṛcchā́m atra katí hotā́ra ṛtuśó yajanti
Translation
How many are his stations, how many his syllables? how many his oblations, and in how many ways is he kindled? Of the sacrifice’s ordinances I ask thee here: how many Hotṛs, in seasonal order, offer worship?
Padapatha (Word Analysis)
कति । अस्य । विष्ठाः । कति । अक्षराणि । कति । होमासः । कति-धा । समिद्धः । यज्ञस्य । त्वा । विदथा । पृच्छामि । अत्र । कति । होतारः । ऋतु-शः । यजन्ति
Word by Word
कत्यस्यof how many / of what number
कत्यस्य:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकति (प्रश्नसर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अस्य (षष्ठी एकवचन सर्वनाम-प्रत्यय) → कत्यस्य (वैदिक संधि)
विष्ठाः(are) how many ‘vिष्ठāḥ’ (stations/steps/portions)
विष्ठाः:
Kartā (प्रश्नवाक्ये विषयः)
TypeNoun
Rootविष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विष्ठा’)
कतिhow many
कति:
विशेषण-प्रश्न (quantifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकति (प्रश्नसर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
अक्षराणिsyllables/imperishable units
अक्षराणि:
Kartā (प्रश्नवाक्ये विषयः)
TypeNoun
Rootअक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
कतिhow many
कति:
विशेषण-प्रश्न
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकति (प्रश्नसर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
होमासःoblations / acts of offering
होमासः:
Kartā (प्रश्नवाक्ये विषयः)
TypeNoun
Rootहोम (प्रातिपदिक)
कतिhow many
कति:
विशेषण-प्रश्न
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकति (प्रश्नसर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
धाin what way / in how many ways
धा:
Adhikaraṇa (manner/way)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootधा (अव्यय; ‘प्रकारेण/विधया’)
समिद्धःkindled / well-lit
समिद्धः:
Kartā/विषय-विशेषण (of the subject implied, e.g., अग्निः/यज्ञः)
TypeAdjective
Rootसम्-इध् (धातु) → समिद्ध (कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय)
यज्ञस्यof the sacrifice
यज्ञस्य:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootयज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
त्वाyou
त्वा:
Karma (object of ‘पृच्छामि’)
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम) → त्वा
विदथाrites / ceremonial sessions
विदथा:
Karma/Adhikaraṇa (as ‘rites/assemblies’ about which one asks)
TypeNoun
Rootविदथ (प्रातिपदिक)
पृच्छामिI ask
पृच्छामि:
क्रिया
TypeVerb
Rootप्रच्छ् (धातु) → पृच्छामि
अत्रhere
अत्र:
Adhikaraṇa (location/context)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअत्र (अव्यय)
कतिhow many
कति:
विशेषण-प्रश्न
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकति (प्रश्नसर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
होतारःHotṛ-priests / invokers
होतारः:
Kartā (of ‘यजन्ति’)
TypeNoun
Rootहोतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
ऋतुशःin due seasonal order
ऋतुशः:
Adhikaraṇa (manner/order)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootऋतुशस् (अव्यय; ‘ऋतून् अनुसृत्य’)
यजन्तिthey worship / they perform sacrifice
यजन्ति:
क्रिया
TypeVerb
Rootयज् (धातु) → यजन्ति
Entities Mentioned
Y
YajñaP
PrajāpatiA
AgniH
Hotṛ (ṛtvij as function)Ritual Context
Viniyoga (Ritual Application)
Commentary Summary
Philosophical Concepts
Vedic Cosmology
Academic Analysis
Cross References
Yogic Application
Chanting Notes