1.6
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 1. Pratyaya (प्रत्यय) / 1.6
नैवासतो नैव सतः प्रत्ययोऽर्थस्य युज्यते असतः प्रत्ययः कस्य सतश् च प्रत्ययेन किम्
naivāsato naiva sataḥ pratyayo 'rthasya yujyate asataḥ pratyayaḥ kasya sataś ca pratyayena kim
The line
A condition fits a thing neither when that thing is nonexistent nor when it is existent. If it is not, of what is this the condition? If it is, what is a condition for?
नेपालीमा
प्रत्यय वस्तुलाई नभएको बेला पनि मिल्दैन, भएको बेला पनि मिल्दैन। छैन भने यो कसको प्रत्यय हो, छ भने प्रत्यय केका लागि?
Where it sits
Verse 1.5 made the name 'condition' wait on the arising. Verse 1.6 says both times, before and after, the name fails. Verse 1.7 applies the same fork to a dharma (धर्म): it arises neither as existent, nor as nonexistent, nor as both.
Split: na (न) + eva (एव) + asataḥ (असतः) + na (न) + eva (एव) + sataḥ (सतः) + pratyayaḥ (प्रत्ययः) + arthasya (अर्थस्य) + yujyate (युज्यते) + asataḥ (असतः) + pratyayaḥ (प्रत्ययः) + kasya (कस्य) + sataḥ (सतः) + ca (च) + pratyayena (प्रत्ययेन) + kim (किम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | even. naiva (नैव) is 'not even.' |
| asataḥ (असतः) | genitive singular, masculine | of what is asat (असत्), nonexistent. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | even. |
| sataḥ (सतः) | genitive singular, masculine | of what is sat (सत्), existent. |
| pratyayaḥ (प्रत्ययः) | nominative singular, masculine | a condition. |
| arthasya (अर्थस्य) | genitive singular, masculine | of a thing, of an artha (अर्थ). |
| yujyate (युज्यते) | present passive, third person singular | fits. |
| asataḥ (असतः) | genitive singular | of the nonexistent. Of what nonexistent thing? |
| pratyayaḥ (प्रत्ययः) | nominative singular, masculine | a condition. |
| kasya (कस्य) | genitive singular | of what. Whose condition would it be? |
| sataḥ (सतः) | genitive singular | of the existent. |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. |
| pratyayena (प्रत्ययेन) | instrumental singular, masculine | by a condition, what would one do with a condition. |
| kim (किम्) | nominative singular, neuter | what. What need? |
The phrases
If the thing is not yet, there is nothing for the condition to be the condition of. If the thing already is, a condition has nothing left to do. kasya (कस्य) and kim (किम्) are the two questions.
This is the same fork the book will use again and again: not of the absent, not of the present.
Sanskrit in this line
The genitive asataḥ (असतः) and sataḥ (सतः) are 'of the nonexistent' and 'of the existent.' pratyayena kim (प्रत्ययेन किम्) is 'what, by means of a condition?' The instrumental is 'what do you do with it?'
Say it back
Say the two questions, one for asat (असत्) and one for sat (सत्).