12.8
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 12. Duḥkha (दुःख) / 12.8
न तावत् स्वकृतं दुःखं न हि तेनैव तत् कृतम् परो नात्मकृतश् चेत् स्याद् दुःखं परकृतं कथम्
na tāvat svakṛtaṃ duḥkhaṃ na hi tenaiva tat kṛtam paro nātmakṛtaś cet syād duḥkhaṃ parakṛtaṃ katham
The line
If you say that not so long, so far, first, a compound: one's own, and made, done, pain, not by means of by that just, that, done, the other, the higher, a compound: nātma (नात्म), and made, done, then it would be. syāt (स्यात्) before a voiced sound, pain, a compound: another, the higher, and made, done, how.
Where it sits
In Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (मूलमध्यमककारिका), chapter 12. Duḥkha (दुःख). Pain. The words of this line are the ones to keep. A shorter line after this one may leave them unsaid.
Split: na (न) + tāvat (तावत्) + sva-kṛtaṃ (स्व-कृतं) + duḥkhaṃ (दुःखं) + na (न) + hi (हि) + tena (तेन) + eva (एव) + tat (तत्) + kṛtam (कृतम्) + paraḥ (परः) + nātma-kṛtaḥ (नात्म-कृतः) + cet (चेत्) + syād (स्याद्) + duḥkhaṃ (दुःखं) + para-kṛtaṃ (पर-कृतं) + katham (कथम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| tāvat (तावत्) | indeclinable | so long, so far, first |
| sva-kṛtaṃ (स्व-कृतं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | a compound: one's own, and made, done. Read it from the end |
| duḥkhaṃ (दुःखं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | pain |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| hi (हि) | indeclinable | for, indeed |
| tena (तेन) | instrumental singular | by that |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | only, just |
| tat (तत्) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | that |
| kṛtam (कृतम्) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | done |
| paraḥ (परः) | nominative singular, masculine | the other, the higher |
| nātma-kṛtaḥ (नात्म-कृतः) | nominative singular, masculine | a compound: nātma (नात्म), and made, done. Read it from the end |
| cet (चेत्) | indeclinable | if you say, if |
| syād (स्याद्) | optative, third person singular | it would be. syāt (स्यात्) before a voiced sound |
| duḥkhaṃ (दुःखं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | pain |
| para-kṛtaṃ (पर-कृतं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | a compound: another, the higher, and made, done. Read it from the end |
| katham (कथम्) | indeclinable | how |
The phrases
na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. tāvat (तावत्) is so long, so far, first. It stands as indeclinable. sva-kṛtaṃ (स्व-कृतं) is a compound: one's own, and made, done. Read it from the end. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. duḥkhaṃ (दुःखं) is pain. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. hi (हि) is for, indeed. It stands as indeclinable. tena (तेन) is by that. It stands as instrumental singular. eva (एव) is only, just. It stands as indeclinable. The line joins it on as tenaiva. tat (तत्) is that. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter.
kṛtam (कृतम्) is done. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. paraḥ (परः) is the other, the higher. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. The line writes it paro. nātma-kṛtaḥ (नात्म-कृतः) is a compound: nātma (नात्म), and made, done. Read it from the end. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. The line writes it nātmakṛtaś (नात्मकृतश्). cet (चेत्) is if you say, if. It stands as indeclinable. syād (स्याद्) is it would be. syāt (स्यात्) before a voiced sound. It stands as optative, third person singular. duḥkhaṃ (दुःखं) is pain. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. para-kṛtaṃ (पर-कृतं) is a compound: another, the higher, and made, done. Read it from the end. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. katham (कथम्) is how. It stands as indeclinable.
Sanskrit in this line
nātma-kṛtaḥ (नात्म-कृतः) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case. The line joins it on as tenaiva. The line writes it paro. The line writes it nātmakṛtaś (नात्मकृतश्).
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss tāvat (तावत्) and sva-kṛtaṃ (स्व-कृतं).