1.7
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 1. Pratyaya (प्रत्यय) / 1.7
न सन् नासन् न सदसन् धर्मो निर्वर्तते यदा कथं निर्वर्तको हेतुरेवं सति हि युज्यते
na san nāsan na sad asan dharmo nirvartate yadā kathaṃ nirvartako hetur evaṃ sati hi yujyate
The line
When a dharma (धर्म) is produced neither as existent, nor as nonexistent, nor as both, how, that being so, does a cause that produces it fit?
नेपालीमा
धर्म न त भएको भएर बन्छ, न नभएको भएर, न दुवै भएर। त्यसो हुँदा त्यसलाई जन्माउने कारण कसरी मिलोस्?
Where it sits
Verse 1.6 was about any condition. Verse 1.7 is about the hetu (हेतु) in particular. Verse 1.8 turns to the object-support, the ārambaṇa (आरम्बण), and says a dharma (धर्म) is taught as being without one.
Split: na (न) + san (सन्) + na (न) + asan (असन्) + na (न) + sat (सत्) + asat (असत्) + dharmaḥ (धर्मः) + nirvartate (निर्वर्तते) + yadā (यदा) + katham (कथम्) + nirvartakaḥ (निर्वर्तकः) + hetuḥ (हेतुः) + evam (एवम्) + sati (सति) + hi (हि) + yujyate (युज्यते)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| san (सन्) | nominative singular, masculine | existent. The present participle of as (अस्), 'being.' |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| asan (असन्) | nominative singular, masculine | nonexistent. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| sat (सत्) | nominative singular, neuter | existent, in the pair. |
| asat (असत्) | nominative singular, neuter | and nonexistent. sad asan (सदसन्) in the file is sat asat (सतसत्), the both. |
| dharmaḥ (धर्मः) | nominative singular, masculine | a dharma (धर्म), a factor, a thing. |
| nirvartate (निर्वर्तते) | present, third person singular, middle | comes forth, is produced. |
| yadā (यदा) | indeclinable | when. |
| katham (कथम्) | indeclinable | how. |
| nirvartakaḥ (निर्वर्तकः) | nominative singular, masculine | producing, the one that brings forth. |
| hetuḥ (हेतुः) | nominative singular, masculine | the cause. The first of the four conditions. |
| evam (एवम्) | indeclinable | thus. |
| sati (सति) | locative singular, neuter | when it is so. Locative absolute with evam (एवम्). |
| hi (हि) | indeclinable | for. |
| yujyate (युज्यते) | present passive, third person singular | fits. |
The phrases
Three ways a dharma (धर्म) does not come forth: as already existing, as not existing, as both. yadā (यदा) sets that. katham (कथम्) asks how a hetu (हेतु) can then be called nirvartaka (निर्वर्तक), the producer.
hetu (हेतु) is only the first condition. If the producer fails, the list of four has lost its chief member.
Sanskrit in this line
san (सन्) and asan (असन्) are masculine, agreeing with dharmaḥ (धर्मः). sad asat (सदसत्) is the third option, both. Three na (न)s, three refusals.
Say it back
In what three ways does a dharma (धर्म) not get produced?