Today we will look at the form मृष्टकन्याः fNp from श्रीमद्भागवतम् 4.21.4.

प्रजास्तं दीपबलिभिः सम्भृताशेषमङ्गलैः । अभीयुर्मृष्टकन्याश्च मृष्टकुण्डलमण्डिताः ।। ४-२१-४ ।।
शङ्खदुन्दुभिघोषेण ब्रह्मघोषेण चर्त्विजाम् । विवेश भवनं वीरः स्तूयमानो गतस्मयः ।। ४-२१-५ ।।

श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका
संभृतान्यशेषाणि मङ्गलानि दध्यादीनि तैः सहाभिजग्मुः । मृष्टा उज्ज्वलाः कन्याश्च ।। ४ ।। गतस्मयो निरहंकारः ।। ५ ।।

Gita Press translation – People of the city and (particularly) fair-looking maids adorned with polished ear-rings advanced to greet him with lights and presents as well as with all kinds of auspicious substances (such as curds etc.) collected (for the occasion) (4). Extolled (by bards and minstrels), yet free from pride, the hero entered the palace in the midst of a flourish of conchs and the crash of kettledrums and the chant of Vedic hymns by the priests (5).

(1) मृष्टा चासौ कन्या = मृष्टकन्या – fair-looking maiden.

अलौकिक-विग्रह: –
(2) मृष्टा सुँ + कन्या सुँ । By 2-1-57 विशेषणं विशेष्येण बहुलम्‌ – A सुबन्तं (ending in a सुँप् affix) पदम् denoting a qualifier (adjective) variously compounds with another सुबन्तं (ending in a सुँप् affix) पदम् which denotes that which is qualified – provided both the सुबन्त-पदे refer to the same item – and the resulting compound is a तत्पुरुष:।

(3) By 1-2-43 प्रथमानिर्दिष्टं समास उपसर्जनम् – the term ‘मृष्टा सुँ’ gets the designation उपसर्जनम् because in the सूत्रम् 2-1-57 (which prescribes the compounding) the term विशेषणम्‌ ends in the nominative case. Hence the adjective ‘मृष्टा 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: ‘मृष्टा सुँ + कन्या सुँ’ gets the designation प्रातिपदिकम्‌ by 1-2-46 कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च। This allows 2-4-71 to apply in the next step.

(4) मृष्टा + कन्या । 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) मृष्ट + कन्या । By 6-3-42 पुंवत्‌ कर्मधारयजातीयदेशीयेषु – A feminine adjective which does not end in the feminine affix ‘ऊङ्’ (ref. 4-1-66 ऊङुतः etc) and is formed from a masculine base denoting the same meaning becomes masculine-like when it is either the prior member of a कर्मधारय: compound or is followed by the affix ‘जातीय’ (ref. 5-3-69 प्रकारवचने जातीयर्) or ‘देशीय’ (ref. 5-3-67 ईषदसमाप्तौ कल्पब्देश्यदेशीयरः)।

= मृष्टकन्या ।

Note: As per the सूत्रम् 2-4-26 परवल्लिङ्गं द्वन्द्वतत्पुरुषयोः, the compound प्रातिपदिकम् ‘मृष्टकन्या’ is feminine since the latter member ‘कन्या’ of the compound is feminine.

The विवक्षा is प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्।

(6) मृष्टकन्या + जस् । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिँभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्।

(7) मृष्टकन्या + अस् । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-7 चुटू and 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः। 1-3-4 न विभक्तौ तुस्माः prevents the ending letter ‘स्’ of ‘जस्’ from getting इत्-सञ्ज्ञा।

(8) मृष्टकन्यास् । By 6-1-101 अकः सवर्णे दीर्घः।

(9) मृष्टकन्याः । रुँत्व-विसर्गौ by 8-2-66 ससजुषो रुः and 8-3-15 खरवसानयोर्विसर्जनीयः।

Questions:

1. Commenting on the सूत्रम् 6-3-42 पुंवत्‌ कर्मधारयजातीयदेशीयेषु (used in step 5) the सिद्धन्तकौमुदी says – पूरणीप्रियादिष्वप्राप्त: पुंवद्भावोऽनेन विधीयते। Please explain.

2. In which word in the verses has the कृत् affix ‘ड’ been used?

3. Which सूत्रम् justifies the use of a third case affix in the words दीपबलिभिः and सम्भृताशेषमङ्गलैः used in the verses?

4. What is the विग्रह-वाक्यम् for the compound मृष्टकुण्डलमण्डिताः used in the verses? Hint: First form the कर्मधारय: compound ‘मृष्टकुण्डल’ and use that to form the तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: compound ‘मृष्टकुण्डलमण्डिता’।

5. Where has the सूत्रम् 7-2-82 आने मुक् been used in the verses?

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“Śrī Hanumān saw Sītā surrounded by ferocious ogresses.” Construct a कर्मधारय: compound for ‘ferocious ogresses’ = उग्राश्च ता राक्षस्यश्च।

Easy questions:

1. Where has the सूत्रम् 7-4-69 दीर्घ इणः किति been used in the verses?

2. Which सूत्रम् prescribes the लोप: (elision) of the letter ‘अ’ in the form अभिजग्मुः used in the commentary?