17.30
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 17. Karmaphala (कर्मफल) / 17.30
कर्म चेन् नास्ति कर्ता च कुतः स्यात् कर्मजं फलमसत्यथ फले भोक्ता कुत एव भविष्यति
karma cen nāsti kartā ca kutaḥ syāt karmajaṃ phalam asaty atha phale bhoktā kuta eva bhaviṣyati
The line
If you say that an action, then is not, an agent and, from where, how, it would be, let it be granted, a compound: action, and jaṃa (जंअ), the fruit, not truth, now, and then, in in the fruit, an enjoyer, from where, how just, will be.
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) + cen (चेन्) + nāsti (नास्ति) + kartā (कर्ता) + ca (च) + kutaḥ (कुतः) + syāt (स्यात्) + karma-jaṃa (कर्म-जंअ) + phalam (फलम्) + a-satya (अ-सत्य) + atha (अथ) + phale (फले) + bhoktā (भोक्ता) + kutaḥ (कुतः) + eva (एव) + bhaviṣyati (भविष्यति)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| karma (कर्म) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | an action |
| cen (चेन्) | indeclinable | if you say. cet before n |
| nāsti (नास्ति) | present, third person singular | is not |
| kartā (कर्ता) | nominative singular, masculine | an agent |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
| kutaḥ (कुतः) | indeclinable | from where, how |
| syāt (स्यात्) | optative, third person singular | it would be, let it be granted |
| karma-jaṃa (कर्म-जंअ) | a compound, the ending is on the last member | a compound: action, and jaṃa (जंअ). Read it from the end |
| phalam (फलम्) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | the fruit |
| a-satya (अ-सत्य) | the stem, as the line writes it | not truth |
| atha (अथ) | indeclinable | now, and then |
| phale (फले) | locative singular | in the fruit |
| bhoktā (भोक्ता) | nominative singular, masculine | an enjoyer |
| kutaḥ (कुतः) | indeclinable | from where, how |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | only, just |
| bhaviṣyati (भविष्यति) | future, third person singular | will be |
The phrases
karma (कर्म) is an action. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. cen (चेन्) is if you say. cet before n. It stands as indeclinable. nāsti (नास्ति) is is not. It stands as present, third person singular. kartā (कर्ता) is an agent. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. ca (च) is and. It stands as indeclinable. kutaḥ (कुतः) is from where, how. It stands as indeclinable. syāt (स्यात्) is it would be, let it be granted. It stands as optative, third person singular. karma-jaṃa (कर्म-जंअ) is a compound: action, and jaṃa (जंअ). Read it from the end. It stands as a compound, the ending is on the last member.
phalam (फलम्) is the fruit. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. a-satya (अ-सत्य) is not truth. It stands as the stem, as the line writes it. atha (अथ) is now, and then. It stands as indeclinable. phale (फले) is in the fruit. It stands as locative singular. bhoktā (भोक्ता) is an enjoyer. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. kutaḥ (कुतः) is from where, how. It stands as indeclinable. The line writes it kuta. eva (एव) is only, just. It stands as indeclinable. bhaviṣyati (भविष्यति) is will be. It stands as future, third person singular.
Sanskrit in this line
karma-jaṃa (कर्म-जंअ) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case. The line writes it kuta.
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss karma (कर्म) and nāsti (नास्ति).