Today we will look at the form मध्यरात्रे mLs from महाभारतम् 12.325.43.

पादशौचं तु कृत्वैव शुकः संध्यामुपास्य च । निषसादासने पुण्ये तमेवार्थं विचिन्तयन् ।। १२-३२५-४२ ।।
पूर्वरात्रे तु तत्रासौ भूत्वा ध्यानपरायणः । मध्यरात्रे यथान्यायं निद्रामाहारयत्प्रभुः ।। १२-३२५-४३ ।।
ततो मुहूर्तादुत्थाय कृत्वा शौचमनन्तरम् । स्त्रीभिः परिवृतो धीमान् ध्यानमेवान्वपद्यत ।। १२-३२५-४४ ।।
अनेन विधिना कार्ष्णिस्तदहःशेषमच्युतः । तां च रात्रिं नृपकुले वर्तयामास भारत ।। १२-३२५-४५ ।।

Translation – Having washed his feet and said his evening prayers, Śuka sat on the holy seat contemplating that very purpose (liberation.) And there having been absorbed in meditation during the first part of the night, that master (Śuka) appropriately partook of sleep during the middle portion of the night. Having shortly woken up and then washed himself, the wise Śuka (though) surrounded by women restored to meditation alone. It was in this way, O Bharat, that the infallible Śuka (son of Vyāsa) passed the remainder of that day and that night in the royal family.

लौकिक-विग्रह: –
(1) मध्यं रात्रे: = मध्यरात्रः – midnight (middle of the night.)

अलौकिक-विग्रह: –
(2) मध्य सुँ + रात्रि ङस् । By 2-2-1 पूर्वापराधरोत्तरमेकदेशिनैकाधिकरणे (A पदम् formed by adding a सुँप् affix to) either ‘पूर्व’ (front/prior part) or ‘अपर’ (back/latter part) or ‘अधर’ (lower part) or ‘उत्तर’ (upper part) optionally compounds with a (syntactically related) सुबन्तं (ending in a सुँप् affix) पदम् denoting a single substance/thing consisting of parts and the resulting compound gets the designation तत्पुरुष:।
Note: षष्ठीसमासापवाद: – The compounding prescribed by this सूत्रम् is a अपवाद: (exception) to the षष्ठी-समास: prescribed by the सूत्रम् 2-2-8 षष्ठी।

Note: सर्वोऽप्येकदेशोऽह्ना समस्यते – Any word – and not only ‘पूर्व’/’अपर’/’अधर’/’उत्तर’ – which denotes a part may compound with ‘अहन्’ to yield a एकदेशि-समास:। ‘६-३-११० संख्याविसाय-’ इति ज्ञापकात्‌ – We know this from the fact that the सूत्रम् 6-3-110 – which prescribes the optional substitution of ‘अहन्’ in place of ‘अह्न’ when followed by the affix ‘ङि’ and preceded by a numeral or ‘वि’ or ‘साय’ – presupposes the formation of the compound सायोऽह्न: = सायाह्न: – evening (the ending part of the day.) Similarly मध्यमह्न: = मध्याह्न:।

केचित्तु सर्वोऽप्येकदेश: कालेन समस्यते न त्वह्नैव, ज्ञापकस्य सामान्यापेक्षत्वात्‌ – According to some grammarians, any word – and not only ‘पूर्व’/’अपर’/’अधर’/’उत्तर’ – which denotes a part may compound with any word – not only ‘अहन्’ – which denotes a period of time to yield a एकदेशि-समास:। This is inferred by generalizing the indication given by the सूत्रम् 6-3-110. Hence we may form compounds like मध्यं रात्रे: = मध्यरात्र: – mid-night.

(3) By 1-2-43 प्रथमानिर्दिष्टं समास उपसर्जनम् – the term ‘मध्य सुँ’ gets the designation उपसर्जनम् because in the सूत्रम् 2-2-1 (which prescribes the compounding) the term पूर्वापराधरोत्तरम् (extended to include ‘मध्य’) ends in the nominative case. Hence ‘मध्य सुँ’ is placed in the prior position in the compound as per the सूत्रम् 2-2-30 उपसर्जनं पूर्वम्‌ – In a compound a term which has the designation ‘उपसर्जन’ should be placed in the prior position.

Note: ‘मध्य सुँ + रात्रि ङस्’ gets the designation प्रातिपदिकम्‌ by 1-2-46 कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च। This allows 2-4-71 to apply in the next step.

(4) मध्य + रात्रि । By 2-4-71 सुपो धातुप्रातिपदिकयोः – A सुँप् affix takes a लुक् elision when it is a part of a धातुः or a प्रातिपदिकम्।

(5) मध्यरात्रि + अच् । By 5-4-87 अह:सर्वैकदेशसंख्यातपुण्याच्च रात्रेः – The तद्धित: affix अच् is prescribed following a तत्पुरुष: compound ending in the word ‘रात्रि’ – provided ‘रात्रि’ is preceded by one of the following – and this affix becomes the ending member of the compound –
i) ‘अहन्’
ii) ‘सर्व’
iii) a word denoting a part (of the night)
iv) ‘संख्यात’
v) ‘पुण्य’
vi) a संख्या (numeral)
vii) a अव्ययम् (indeclinable)
Note: अहर्ग्रहणं द्वन्द्वार्थम् – The mention of ‘अहन्’ in this सूत्रम् is for the purpose of a द्वन्द्व: (and not a तत्पुरुष:) compound.

(6) मध्यरात्रि + अ । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।
Note: The अङ्गम् ‘मध्यरात्रि’ has the designation ‘भ’ here by 1-4-18 यचि भम्। This allows 6-4-148 to apply in the next step.

(7) मध्यरात्र् + अ । By 6-4-148 यस्येति च – When the letter ‘ई’ or a ‘तद्धित’ affix follows, the (ending) इ-वर्ण: (letter ‘इ’ or ‘ई’) or the (ending) अवर्ण: (letter ‘अ’ or ‘आ’) of a अङ्गम् with the भ-सञ्ज्ञा takes elision (लोपः)।

= मध्यरात्र ।

Note: Since ‘रात्रि’ is feminine in gender, as per the सूत्रम् 2-4-26 परवल्लिङ्गं द्वन्द्वतत्पुरुषयोः, the compound प्रातिपदिकम् ‘मध्यरात्र’ would also be feminine in gender, but the सूत्रम् 2-4-29 रात्राह्नाहाः पुंसि intervenes.

(8) By 2-4-29 रात्राह्नाहाः पुंसि – The gender of a द्वन्द्व:/तत्पुरुष: compound ending in either ‘रात्र’ or ‘अह्न’ or ‘अह’ is always masculine.
Note: The सिद्धान्तकौमुदी makes the point that this सूत्रम् is a अपवाद: (exception) to not only the सूत्रम् 2-4-26 परवल्लिङ्गं द्वन्द्वतत्पुरुषयोः but also to the सूत्रम् 2-4-17 स नपुंसकम्‌।

मध्यरात्रे is सप्तमी-एकवचनम् of the पुंल्लिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकम् ‘मध्यरात्र’।

(9) मध्यरात्र + ङि । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्‌।

(10) मध्यरात्र + इ । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-8 लशक्वतद्धिते and 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(11) मध्यरात्रे । By 6-1-87 आद्‍गुणः।

Questions:

1. Where else (besides in मध्यरात्रे) has the सूत्रम् 2-2-1 पूर्वापराधरोत्तरमेकदेशिनैकाधिकरणे (used in step 2) been used in the verses?

2. Can you spot a अव्ययीभाव: compound in the verses?

3. Which कृत् affix is used to form the masculine प्रातिपदिकम् ‘विधि’ (used in the form विधिना (तृतीया-एकवचनम्) in the verses)?

4. Where has the सूत्रम् 3-2-126 लक्षणहेत्वोः क्रियायाः been used in the verses?

5. Which सूत्रम् prescribes the substitution ‘ल्यप्’ (in place of the affix ‘क्त्वा’) in the form उपास्य?

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“I heard a strange sound in the middle of the night.” Use the masculine noun ‘ध्वनि’ for ‘sound’ and the adjective ‘विचित्र’ for ‘strange.’

Easy questions:

1. Can you spot the augment अट् in the verses?

2. Where has the सूत्रम् 7-2-112 अनाप्यकः been used in the verses?