17.20
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 17. Karmaphala (कर्मफल) / 17.20
शून्यता च न चोच्छेदः संसारश् च न शाश्वतम् कर्मणोऽविप्रणाशश् च धर्मो बुद्धेन देशितः
śūnyatā ca na cocchedaḥ saṃsāraś ca na śāśvatam karmaṇo 'vipraṇāśaś ca dharmo buddhena deśitaḥ
The line
Emptiness and, not a compound: and, and cutting off, the round and, not permanent, karmaṇa (कर्मण), avipraṇāśaś (अविप्रणाशश्) and, dharma, by means of one who has woken, deśita (देशित).
Where it sits
In Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (मूलमध्यमककारिका), chapter 17. Karmaphala (कर्मफल). Act and fruit. The words of this line are the ones to keep. A shorter line after this one may leave them unsaid.
Split: śūnyatā (शून्यता) + ca (च) + na (न) + ca-ucchedaḥ (च-उच्छेदः) + saṃsāraḥ (संसारः) + ca (च) + na (न) + śāśvatam (शाश्वतम्) + karmaṇo (कर्मणो) + avipraṇāśaś (अविप्रणाशश्) + ca (च) + dharmaḥ (धर्मः) + buddhena (बुद्धेन) + deśitaḥ (देशितः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| śūnyatā (शून्यता) | nominative singular, feminine, or instrumental singular | emptiness |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| ca-ucchedaḥ (च-उच्छेदः) | nominative singular, masculine | a compound: and, and cutting off. Read it from the end |
| saṃsāraḥ (संसारः) | nominative singular, masculine | the round |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| śāśvatam (शाश्वतम्) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | permanent |
| karmaṇo (कर्मणो) | nominative singular, masculine | karmaṇa (कर्मण) |
| avipraṇāśaś (अविप्रणाशश्) | the form as the line writes it | this word, as the line writes it |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
| dharmaḥ (धर्मः) | nominative singular, masculine | dharma |
| buddhena (बुद्धेन) | instrumental singular | one who has woken |
| deśitaḥ (देशितः) | nominative singular, masculine | deśita (देशित) |
The phrases
śūnyatā (शून्यता) is emptiness. It stands as nominative singular, feminine, or instrumental singular. ca (च) is and. It stands as indeclinable. na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. ca-ucchedaḥ (च-उच्छेदः) is a compound: and, and cutting off. Read it from the end. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. saṃsāraḥ (संसारः) is the round. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. The line writes it saṃsāraś (संसारश्). ca (च) is and. It stands as indeclinable. na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable.
śāśvatam (शाश्वतम्) is permanent. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. karmaṇo (कर्मणो) is karmaṇa (कर्मण). It stands as nominative singular, masculine. avipraṇāśaś (अविप्रणाशश्) is this word, as the line writes it. It stands as the form as the line writes it. The apostrophe marks an a that was dropped. ca (च) is and. It stands as indeclinable. dharmaḥ (धर्मः) is dharma. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. The line writes it dharmo. buddhena (बुद्धेन) is one who has woken. It stands as instrumental singular. deśitaḥ (देशितः) is deśita (देशित). It stands as nominative singular, masculine.
Sanskrit in this line
ca-ucchedaḥ (च-उच्छेदः) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case. The line writes it saṃsāraś (संसारश्). The apostrophe marks an a that was dropped. The line writes it dharmo.
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss śūnyatā (शून्यता) and ca-ucchedaḥ (च-उच्छेदः).