16.1
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 16. Bandhanamokṣa (बन्धनमोक्ष) / 16.1
संस्काराः संसरन्ति चेन् न नित्याः संसरन्ति ते संसरन्ति च नानित्याः सत्त्वेऽप्येष समः क्रमः
saṃskārāḥ saṃsaranti cen na nityāḥ saṃsaranti te saṃsaranti ca nānityāḥ sattve 'py eṣa samaḥ kramaḥ
The line
If you say that a compounded thing, in saṃsaranta (संसरन्त), no, eternal, in saṃsaranta (संसरन्त), they, those, in saṃsaranta (संसरन्त) and, not not eternal, in the bright strand, also, even. api before a vowel, this, an equalizing, a rejoinder that turns an example back, order.
Where it sits
In Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (मूलमध्यमककारिका), chapter 16. Bandhanamokṣa (बन्धनमोक्ष). Bondage and release. The words of this line are the ones to keep. A shorter line after this one may leave them unsaid.
Split: saṃskārāḥ (संस्काराः) + saṃsaranti (संसरन्ति) + cen (चेन्) + na (न) + nityāḥ (नित्याः) + saṃsaranti (संसरन्ति) + te (ते) + saṃsaranti (संसरन्ति) + ca (च) + na (न) + anityāḥ (अनित्याः) + sattve (सत्त्वे) + apy (अप्य्) + eṣa (एष) + samaḥ (समः) + kramaḥ (क्रमः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| saṃskārāḥ (संस्काराः) | nominative plural | a compounded thing |
| saṃsaranti (संसरन्ति) | locative singular, or nominative singular | saṃsaranta (संसरन्त) |
| cen (चेन्) | indeclinable | if you say. cet before n |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| nityāḥ (नित्याः) | nominative plural | eternal |
| saṃsaranti (संसरन्ति) | locative singular, or nominative singular | saṃsaranta (संसरन्त) |
| te (ते) | nominative plural, masculine | they, those |
| saṃsaranti (संसरन्ति) | locative singular, or nominative singular | saṃsaranta (संसरन्त) |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| anityāḥ (अनित्याः) | nominative plural | not eternal |
| sattve (सत्त्वे) | locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter | the bright strand |
| apy (अप्य्) | indeclinable | also, even. api before a vowel |
| eṣa (एष) | nominative singular, masculine | this |
| samaḥ (समः) | nominative singular, masculine | an equalizing, a rejoinder that turns an example back |
| kramaḥ (क्रमः) | nominative singular, masculine | order |
The phrases
saṃskārāḥ (संस्काराः) is a compounded thing. It stands as nominative plural. saṃsaranti (संसरन्ति) is saṃsaranta (संसरन्त). It stands as locative singular, or nominative singular. cen (चेन्) is if you say. cet before n. It stands as indeclinable. na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. nityāḥ (नित्याः) is eternal. It stands as nominative plural. saṃsaranti (संसरन्ति) is saṃsaranta (संसरन्त). It stands as locative singular, or nominative singular. te (ते) is they, those. It stands as nominative plural, masculine. saṃsaranti (संसरन्ति) is saṃsaranta (संसरन्त). It stands as locative singular, or nominative singular.
ca (च) is and. It stands as indeclinable. na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. anityāḥ (अनित्याः) is not eternal. It stands as nominative plural. sattve (सत्त्वे) is the bright strand. It stands as locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter. apy (अप्य्) is also, even. api before a vowel. It stands as indeclinable. The apostrophe marks an a that was dropped. eṣa (एष) is this. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. samaḥ (समः) is an equalizing, a rejoinder that turns an example back. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. kramaḥ (क्रमः) is order. It stands as nominative singular, masculine.
Sanskrit in this line
The apostrophe is an avagraha. It marks an a that sandhi dropped. The sitting puts that a back. The apostrophe marks an a that was dropped.
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss saṃskārāḥ (संस्काराः) and saṃsaranti (संसरन्ति).