5.3
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 5. Dhātu (धातु) / 5.3
नालक्षणे लक्षणस्य प्रवृत्तिर् न सलक्षणे सलक्षणालक्षणाभ्यां नाप्यन्यत्र प्रवर्तते
nālakṣaṇe lakṣaṇasya pravṛttir na salakṣaṇe salakṣaṇālakṣaṇābhyāṃ nāpy anyatra pravartate
The line
Not in alakṣaṇa (अलक्षण), of a mark, activity, not in salakṣaṇa (सलक्षण), by means of a compound: sala (सल), kṣaṇā (क्षणा), and a mark, not also, even. api before a vowel, elsewhere, goes on.
Where it sits
In Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (मूलमध्यमककारिका), chapter 5. Dhātu (धातु). The elements. The words of this line are the ones to keep. A shorter line after this one may leave them unsaid.
Split: na (न) + alakṣaṇe (अलक्षणे) + lakṣaṇasya (लक्षणस्य) + pravṛttiḥ (प्रवृत्तिः) + na (न) + salakṣaṇe (सलक्षणे) + sala-kṣaṇā-lakṣaṇābhyāṃ (सल-क्षणा-लक्षणाभ्यां) + na (न) + apy (अप्य्) + anyatra (अन्यत्र) + pravartate (प्रवर्तते)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| alakṣaṇe (अलक्षणे) | locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter | alakṣaṇa (अलक्षण) |
| lakṣaṇasya (लक्षणस्य) | genitive singular | a mark |
| pravṛttiḥ (प्रवृत्तिः) | nominative singular, feminine | activity |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| salakṣaṇe (सलक्षणे) | locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter | salakṣaṇa (सलक्षण) |
| sala-kṣaṇā-lakṣaṇābhyāṃ (सल-क्षणा-लक्षणाभ्यां) | instrumental, dative, or ablative dual | a compound: sala (सल), kṣaṇā (क्षणा), and a mark. Read it from the end |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| apy (अप्य्) | indeclinable | also, even. api before a vowel |
| anyatra (अन्यत्र) | indeclinable | elsewhere |
| pravartate (प्रवर्तते) | present, third person singular | goes on |
The phrases
na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. alakṣaṇe (अलक्षणे) is alakṣaṇa (अलक्षण). It stands as locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter. lakṣaṇasya (लक्षणस्य) is a mark. It stands as genitive singular. pravṛttiḥ (प्रवृत्तिः) is activity. It stands as nominative singular, feminine. The line writes it pravṛttir (प्रवृत्तिर्). na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. salakṣaṇe (सलक्षणे) is salakṣaṇa (सलक्षण). It stands as locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter.
sala-kṣaṇā-lakṣaṇābhyāṃ (सल-क्षणा-लक्षणाभ्यां) is a compound: sala (सल), kṣaṇā (क्षणा), and a mark. Read it from the end. It stands as instrumental, dative, or ablative dual. na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. apy (अप्य्) is also, even. api before a vowel. It stands as indeclinable. The line joins them as nāpy (नाप्य्). anyatra (अन्यत्र) is elsewhere. It stands as indeclinable. pravartate (प्रवर्तते) is goes on. It stands as present, third person singular.
Sanskrit in this line
sala-kṣaṇā-lakṣaṇābhyāṃ (सल-क्षणा-लक्षणाभ्यां) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case. The line writes it pravṛttir (प्रवृत्तिर्). The line joins them as nāpy (नाप्य्).
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss alakṣaṇe (अलक्षणे) and lakṣaṇasya (लक्षणस्य).