17.26
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 17. Karmaphala (कर्मफल) / 17.26
कर्म क्लेशात्मकं चेदं ते च क्लेशा न तत्त्वतः न चेत् ते तत्त्वतः क्लेशाः कर्म स्यात् तत्त्वतः कथम्
karma kleśātmakaṃ cedaṃ te ca kleśā na tattvataḥ na cet te tattvataḥ kleśāḥ karma syāt tattvataḥ katham
The line
If you say that an action, kleśātmaka (क्लेशात्मक) and, this, they, those and, an affliction, not a compound: that, but, and therefore, not, then they, those, a compound: that, but, and therefore, an affliction, an action, it would be, let it be granted, a compound: that, but, and therefore, how.
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: karma (कर्म) + kleśātmakaṃ (क्लेशात्मकं) + ca (च) + idaṃ (इदं) + te (ते) + ca (च) + kleśā (क्लेशा) + na (न) + tat-tu-ataḥ (तत्-तु-अतः) + na (न) + cet (चेत्) + te (ते) + tat-tu-ataḥ (तत्-तु-अतः) + kleśāḥ (क्लेशाः) + karma (कर्म) + syāt (स्यात्) + tat-tu-ataḥ (तत्-तु-अतः) + katham (कथम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| karma (कर्म) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | an action |
| kleśātmakaṃ (क्लेशात्मकं) | accusative singular, masculine, or nominative or accusative singular, neuter | kleśātmaka (क्लेशात्मक) |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
| idaṃ (इदं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | this |
| te (ते) | nominative plural, masculine | they, those |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
| kleśā (क्लेशा) | nominative singular, feminine, or instrumental singular | an affliction |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| tat-tu-ataḥ (तत्-तु-अतः) | a compound, the ending is on the last member | a compound: that, but, and therefore. Read it from the end |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| cet (चेत्) | indeclinable | if you say, if |
| te (ते) | nominative plural, masculine | they, those |
| tat-tu-ataḥ (तत्-तु-अतः) | a compound, the ending is on the last member | a compound: that, but, and therefore. Read it from the end |
| kleśāḥ (क्लेशाः) | nominative plural | an affliction |
| karma (कर्म) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | an action |
| syāt (स्यात्) | optative, third person singular | it would be, let it be granted |
| tat-tu-ataḥ (तत्-तु-अतः) | a compound, the ending is on the last member | a compound: that, but, and therefore. Read it from the end |
| katham (कथम्) | indeclinable | how |
The phrases
karma (कर्म) is an action. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. kleśātmakaṃ (क्लेशात्मकं) is kleśātmaka (क्लेशात्मक). It stands as accusative singular, masculine, or nominative or accusative singular, neuter. ca (च) is and. It stands as indeclinable. idaṃ (इदं) is this. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. The line joins them as cedaṃ (चेदं). te (ते) is they, those. It stands as nominative plural, masculine. ca (च) is and. It stands as indeclinable. kleśā (क्लेशा) is an affliction. It stands as nominative singular, feminine, or instrumental singular. na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. tat-tu-ataḥ (तत्-तु-अतः) is a compound: that, but, and therefore. Read it from the end. It stands as a compound, the ending is on the last member.
na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. cet (चेत्) is if you say, if. It stands as indeclinable. te (ते) is they, those. It stands as nominative plural, masculine. tat-tu-ataḥ (तत्-तु-अतः) is a compound: that, but, and therefore. Read it from the end. It stands as a compound, the ending is on the last member. kleśāḥ (क्लेशाः) is an affliction. It stands as nominative plural. karma (कर्म) is an action. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. syāt (स्यात्) is it would be, let it be granted. It stands as optative, third person singular. tat-tu-ataḥ (तत्-तु-अतः) is a compound: that, but, and therefore. Read it from the end. It stands as a compound, the ending is on the last member. katham (कथम्) is how. It stands as indeclinable.
Sanskrit in this line
kleśātmakaṃ (क्लेशात्मकं) is accusative singular, masculine, or nominative or accusative singular, neuter. That ending is the work an English preposition would do. The line joins them as cedaṃ (चेदं).
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss karma (कर्म) and kleśātmakaṃ (क्लेशात्मकं).