[Advaita-l] Rudra Prashna question

[Vidyasankar Sundaresan via Advaita-l]

In the tryambakaM yajAmahe mantra, in addition to mRtyor (pancamI vibhakti), you also have amRtAt, which is also in pancamI.  A superficial reading would therefore indicate that mRtyu is amRta. Would there be a problem with that as well, in terms of meaning?
 
Rule no. 1 with understanding veda mantra-s: Do not expect that standard grammar rules apply in a straightforward manner.  
 
Another mantra example: UrdhvaretaM virUpAkshaM viSvarUpAya vai namaH, which also does not conform to grammar expectations. 
 
TaittirIya upanishat examples: shIkshAM vyAkhyAsyAmaH (The word SikshA is normally with short i-kAra, but upanishat has dIrgha I instead) and ASishTho dR^iDhishTho balishThaH. Classical grammar rules dictate that the word should be draDhishTha, with the use of a full repha.
 
There are many more examples where the veda has word forms that don't conform to grammar, either in vibhakti or in internal/external sandhi or in other aspects of word/sentence construction and usage. We just have to take them as they are. And marvel at the fact that they have been preserved in the transmission tradition, without getting "corrected" by standard expectations generated by the demands of grammar.
 
Best regards,
Vidyasankar 

> > On 05-May-2014, at 3:45 pm, Venkatesh Murthy via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> > 
> > Namaste
> > 
> > That is not correct. Because if I am praying to Death itself the words will
> > be Mrutyo Me Paahi, not Mrutyur Me Paahi. Mrutyo is the Sambodhanaa for
> > Mrutyu.
> > 
> > If you look at another very near mantra Tryambakam Yajaamahe you will see
> > it is saying Mrutyor Muksheeya. Liberate me from Death.
> > 
> > According to that Mantra also the grammatical form should be Om Namo
> > Bhagavate Rudraaya Vishnave Mrutyor Me Paahi.
> >