1.5
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 1. Pratyaya (प्रत्यय) / 1.5
उत्पद्यते प्रतीत्येमानितीमे प्रत्ययाः किल यावन् नोत्पद्यत इमे तावन् नाप्रत्ययाः कथम्
utpadyate pratītyemān itīme pratyayāḥ kila yāvan notpadyata ime tāvan nāpratyayāḥ katham
The line
These are called conditions, so they say, because something arises in dependence on them. As long as these have not arisen, how are those not non-conditions?
नेपालीमा
तिनीहरू भन्छन्, यी प्रत्यय हुन्, किनकि यिनीहरूमा अडेर केही उत्पन्न हुन्छ। त्यो केही नउठीञ्जेल ती प्रत्यय अप्रत्यय कसरी होइनन्?
Where it sits
Verse 1.4 asked whether conditions have the action. Verse 1.5 looks at the definition and finds it empty until the effect exists, at which point the name 'condition' is being given after the fact. Verse 1.6 says a condition fits neither an existent nor a nonexistent thing.
Split: utpadyate (उत्पद्यते) + pratītya (प्रतीत्य) + imān (इमान्) + iti (इति) + ime (इमे) + pratyayāḥ (प्रत्ययाः) + kila (किल) + yāvat (यावत्) + na (न) + utpadyata (उत्पद्यत) + ime (इमे) + tāvat (तावत्) + na (न) + apratyayāḥ (अप्रत्ययाः) + katham (कथम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| utpadyate (उत्पद्यते) | present, third person singular, middle | it arises. The thing, not named, is the effect. |
| pratītya (प्रतीत्य) | absolutive | having depended, in dependence on. |
| imān (इमान्) | accusative plural, masculine | these. |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. 'Because it arises depending on these.' |
| ime (इमे) | nominative plural, masculine | these. |
| pratyayāḥ (प्रत्ययाः) | nominative plural, masculine | are conditions. |
| kila (किल) | indeclinable | so it is said, as they claim. |
| yāvat (यावत्) | indeclinable | as long as, for so long as. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| utpadyata (उत्पद्यत) | the text's form | does not arise. The edition writes notpadyata (नोत्पद्यत). Take it as na utpadyate (न उत्पद्यते), with ime (इमे) as the things that have not arisen. The ending is short of a full utpadyante (उत्पद्यन्ते). |
| ime (इमे) | nominative plural, masculine | these. The effects, or these conditions' results. |
| tāvat (तावत्) | indeclinable | so long. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| apratyayāḥ (अप्रत्ययाः) | nominative plural, masculine | non-conditions. |
| katham (कथम्) | indeclinable | how. How are they not simply non-conditions? |
The phrases
kila (किल) marks the definition as the opponent's: a pratyaya (प्रत्यय) is what, depending on it, something arises. The reply is the yāvat tāvat (यावत् तावत्). Before the arising, nothing distinguishes a condition from a non-condition, because the definition waits on the arising.
The edition's notpadyata (नोत्पद्यत) is kept. The sense the argument needs is 'they do not arise.'
Sanskrit in this line
yāvat (यावत्) and tāvat (तावत्) are a pair: for however long, for that long. kila (किल) means the definition is reported, not granted.
Say it back
When, on this definition, does something earn the name pratyaya (प्रत्यय)?