Today we will look at the form मथ्नन्ति 3Ap-लँट् from श्रीमद्भागवतम् Sb5.18.36

यस्य स्वरूपं कवयो विपश्चितो गुणेषु दारुष्विव जातवेदसम् ।
मथ्नन्ति मथ्ना मनसा दिदृक्षवो गूढं क्रियार्थैर्नम ईरितात्मने ।। ५-१८-३६ ।।

Gita Press translation “Even as those well-versed in rituals churn out the fire hidden in pieces of (sacrificial) wood with the help of the fire-producing wooden stick, so the wise, keen to perceive Your reality, obscured by (attachment to) actions and their fruits, try to discover it (as the all-pervading self) in the discipline of their body and senses etc., (which are products of matter) with the help of (their) discriminating mind (reason). Hail to You who reveal Yourself through this process (of chastening the body and senses).”

मथ्नन्ति is derived from the धातुः √मन्थ् (क्र्यादि-गणः, मन्थँ विलोडने, धातु-पाठः # ९. ४७)

The अकारः at the end gets इत्-सञ्ज्ञा by 1-3-2 उपदेशेऽजनुनासिक इत् and takes लोप: by 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः। This इत् letter has उदात्त-स्वरः। Thus √मन्थ् is devoid of any indications for bringing in आत्मनेपद-प्रत्यया:। (Neither 1-3-12 अनुदात्तङित आत्मनेपदम् nor 1-3-72 स्वरितञितः कर्त्रभिप्राये क्रियाफले applies.) Therefore, as per 1-3-78 शेषात् कर्तरि परस्मैपदम्, √मन्थ् takes परस्मैपद-प्रत्यया: in कर्तरि प्रयोग:।

The विवक्षा is लँट्, कर्तरि प्रयोगः, प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, therefore the प्रत्यय: will be “झि”।

(1) मन्थ् + लँट् । By 3-2-123 वर्तमाने लट्, the affix लँट् comes after a धातुः when denoting an action in the present tense.

(2) मन्थ् + ल् । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-2 उपदेशेऽजनुनासिक इत्, 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(3) मन्थ् + झि । 3-4-78 तिप्तस्झिसिप्थस्थमिब्वस्मस्तातांझथासाथांध्वमिड्वहिमहिङ् mandates the प्रत्ययः “झि” as the substitute for the लकारः। “झि” gets the सार्वधातुक-सञ्ज्ञा by 3-4-113 तिङ्शित्सार्वधातुकम्।

(4) मन्थ् + श्ना + झि । By 3-1-81 क्र्यादिभ्यः श्ना, the श्ना-प्रत्यय: is placed after the verbal roots belonging to the क्र्यादि-गणः, when followed by a सार्वधातुक-प्रत्ययः that is used signifying the agent. This सूत्रम् is a अपवाद: (exception) to 3-1-68 कर्तरि शप्‌। “श्ना” which is a शित्, gets सार्वधातुक-सञ्ज्ञा by 3-4-113 तिङ्शित्सार्वधातुकम्।

(5) मन्थ् + ना + झि । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-8 लशक्वतद्धिते, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(6) मथ् + ना + झि । By 6-4-24 अनिदितां हल उपधायाः क्ङिति, the penultimate नकारः of bases that end in a consonant and that do not have इकारः as a marker, takes लोपः when followed by an affix that has ककारः or ङकारः as a marker.
(Note: Since the सार्वधातुक-प्रत्यय: “श्ना” is अपित्, by 1-2-4 सार्वधातुकमपित् it behaves ङिद्वत् – as if it has ङकार: as a इत्। This allows 6-4-24 to apply.)

(7) मथ् + ना + अन्ति । By 7-1-3 झोऽन्तः, “अन्त्” comes in as a replacement for the झकारः of a प्रत्यय:।

(8) मथ्नन्ति । By 6-4-112 श्नाभ्यस्तयोरातः, when followed by a सार्वधातुक-प्रत्ययः which is a कित् or a ङित्, the आकारः of the श्ना-प्रत्ययः or of a reduplicated root (अभ्यस्तम्) is elided.
(Note: Since the सार्वधातुक-प्रत्यय: “अन्ति” is अपित्, by 1-2-4 सार्वधातुकमपित् it behaves ङिद्वत् – as if it has ङकार: as a इत्। This allows 6-4-112 to apply.)

Questions:

1. In the first five verses of Chapter Fourteen of the गीता, can you find a word wherein 3-1-81 क्र्यादिभ्यः श्ना as well as 6-4-24 अनिदितां हल उपधायाः क्ङिति has been used (as in this example)?

2. Which प्रातिपदिकम् has been used in the word मथ्ना (तृतीया-एकवचनम्)?
i. “मथिन्”
ii. “मथन्”
iii. “मथि”
iv. “मथन”

3. Which two rules used in this example belong to the “असिद्धवत्‌” अधिकार:?

4. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“Who destroyed the demon?” Use √मन्थ् (क्र्यादि-गणः, मन्थँ विलोडने, धातु-पाठः # ९. ४७) with the उपसर्ग: “प्र” for “to destroy” and use the masculine प्रातिपदिकम् “राक्षस” for “demon.”

5. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“My mind is agitated by these statements.” Use (in the passive) √मन्थ् (क्र्यादि-गणः, मन्थँ विलोडने, धातु-पाठः # ९. ४७) for “to agitate.”

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“Enough of this nonsense!” Use the अव्ययम् “अलम्” to express the meaning of “enough of.” Use the adjective “अनर्थक” for “nonsense.” Use तृतीया विभक्ति: with “this” and “nonsense.”

Easy questions:

1. Where has 7-3-103 बहुवचने झल्येत्‌ been used in the verse?

2. Derive the form “दिदृक्षव:” (पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्) from the प्रातिपदिकम् “दिदृक्षु”।