Today we will look at the form मृगयाम् fAs from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 9.9.20.

श्रीराजोवाच
किंनिमित्तो गुरोः शापः सौदासस्य महात्मनः । एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामः कथ्यतां न रहो यदि ।। ९-९-१९ ।।
श्रीशुक उवाच
सौदासो मृगयां किञ्चिच्चरन्रक्षो जघान ह । मुमोच भ्रातरं सोऽथ गतः प्रतिचिकीर्षया ।। ९-९-२० ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका
न रहो न रहस्यम् ।। १९ ।। मृगयां चरन्कंचिद्राक्षसं जघान, तस्य भ्रातरं मुमोच, स भ्राता पलाय्य गतः ।। २० ।।

Gita Press translation – The king (Parīkṣit) submitted : What was the occasion for the curse pronounced by the preceptor (the sage Vasiṣṭha) on the high-souled Saudāsa? We desire to know this, which may (kindly) be pointed out (to us) unless it is a secret (19). Śrī Śuka replied: While roaming in pursuit of game, so the tradition goes, Saudāsa (son of Sudāsa) killed a certain ogre and let go his brother, who immediately left with the intention of retaliating (20).

मृग्यन्ते पशवोऽस्यामिति मृगया।

The स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकम् ‘मृगया’ is derived from the verbal root √मृग (मृग अन्वेषणे १०. ४४२).

(1) मृग + णिच् । By 3-1-25 सत्यापपाशरूपवीणातूलश्लोकसेनालोमत्वचवर्मवर्णचूर्णचुरादिभ्यो णिच् – The affix णिच् is used after these words – “सत्य” ‘truth’ (which then takes the form of “सत्याप्” as exhibited in the सूत्रम्), “पाश” ‘fetter’, “रूप” ‘form’, “वीणा” ‘lute’, “तूल” ‘cotton’, “श्लोक” ‘celebration’, “सेना” ‘army’, “लोमन्” ‘hair of the body’, “त्वच” ‘skin’, “वर्मन्” ‘mail’, “वर्ण” ‘color’, “चूर्ण” ‘powder’ and the verbal roots belonging to the चुरादि-गणः।

(2) मृग + इ । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-7 चुटू, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

Note: 6-4-48 अतो लोपः should have applied here but it is bypassed in order to get the ready-made form ‘मृगया’ given by the above वार्तिकम्। And then 7-2-115 अचो ञ्णिति is not applied because if we did we wouldn’t get the desired form ‘मृगया’। ‘मृग + इ’ gets the धातु-सञ्ज्ञा by 3-1-32 सनाद्यन्ता धातवः।

(3) मृग + इ + यक् + श । By the वार्तिकम् (under 3-3-101 इच्छा) परिचर्यापरिसर्यामृगयाटाट्यानामुपसङ्ख्यानम् – ‘परिचर्या’, ‘परिसर्या’, ‘मृगया’ and ‘अटाट्या’ are given as a ready-made forms (implying the application of the affixes ‘श’ and ‘यक्’) to denote in the feminine gender either (i) the sense of the verbal root as having attained to a completed state or (ii) any कारक: except the agent of the action, provided the word so derived is a proper name.
Note: The affix ‘श’ as well as ‘यक्’ is implied in the ready-form ‘मृगया’ given by the above वार्तिकम्।

(4) मृग + यक् + श । By 6-4-51 णेरनिटि – The “णि”-प्रत्यय: is elided when followed by an आर्धधातुक-प्रत्यय: which does not have the augment इट्।

(5) मृग + य + अ । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-8 लशक्वतद्धिते, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(6) मृग + य । By 6-1-97 अतो गुणे।

= मृगय ।

‘मृगय’ gets प्रातिपदिक-सञ्ज्ञा by 1-2-46 कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च – A word form that ends in a कृत्-प्रत्ययः or a तद्धित-प्रत्ययः and so also compounds gets the name प्रातिपदिकम्।

Note: Since this प्रातिपदिकम् is used in the feminine gender we have to add the appropriate feminine affix (स्त्रीप्रत्यय:)।

(7) मृगय + टाप् । By 4-1-4 अजाद्यतष्टाप्‌ – The प्रातिपदिकानि ‘अज’ etc. and प्रातिपदिकानि ending in अकारः get the टाप् affix in the feminine gender.

(8) मृगय + आ । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-7 चुटू, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(9) मृगया । By 6-1-101 अकः सवर्णे दीर्घः।

The विवक्षा is द्वितीया-एकवचनम्।

(10) मृगया + अम् । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिँभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्। 1-3-4 न विभक्तौ तुस्माः prevents the ending मकारः of ‘अम्’ from getting the इत्-सञ्ज्ञा।

(11) मृगयाम् । By 6-1-107 अमि पूर्वः – In place of a preceding अक् letter and the following vowel (अच्) belonging to the affix ‘अम्’ there is a single substitute of that preceding अक् letter.

Questions:

1. In Chapter Eighteen of the गीता can you spot a प्रातिपदिकम् (used as part of a compound) derived using the वार्तिकम् (under 3-3-101 इच्छा) परिचर्यापरिसर्यामृगयाटाट्यानामुपसङ्ख्यानम्?

2. Commenting on the वार्तिकम् (under 3-3-101 इच्छा) परिचर्यापरिसर्यामृगयाटाट्यानामुपसङ्ख्यानम् (used in step 3) the सिद्धान्त-कौमुदी says – परिसर्या परिसरणम्। अत्र गुणोऽपि (निपात्यते)। Please explain.

3. Which सूत्रम् prescribes the affix तुमुँन् in the word वेदितुम् used in the verses?

4. In which word in the verses has the affix ‘लँट्’ taken the substitution ‘शतृँ’?

5. Where does the सूत्रम् 3-4-72 गत्यर्थाकर्मकश्लिषशीङ्स्थासवसजनरुहजीर्यतिभ्यश्च find application in the verses?

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“While roaming in pursuit of game, the king Duṣyanta saw the hermitage of the sage Kaṇva.”

Easy questions:

1. Which सूत्रम् prescribes the elision of the affix णिच् in the word कथ्यताम्?

2. Where has the सूत्रम् 7-3-110 ऋतो ङिसर्वनामस्थानयोः been used in the verses?