22.11
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 22. Tathāgata (तथागत) / 22.11
शून्यमिति न वक्तव्यमशून्यमिति वा भवेतुभयं नोभयं चेति प्रज्ञप्त्यर्थं तु कथ्यते
śūnyam iti na vaktavyam aśūnyam iti vā bhavet ubhayaṃ nobhayaṃ ceti prajñaptyarthaṃ tu kathyate
The line
Empty thus, not vaktavya (वक्तव्य), not empty thus or, would be, both, not both and thus, prajñaptyartha (प्रज्ञप्त्यर्थ) but, in kathyata (कथ्यत).
Where it sits
In Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (मूलमध्यमककारिका), chapter 22. Tathāgata (तथागत). The one who has gone thus. The words of this line are the ones to keep. A shorter line after this one may leave them unsaid.
Split: śūnyam (शून्यम्) + iti (इति) + na (न) + vaktavyam (वक्तव्यम्) + aśūnyam (अशून्यम्) + iti (इति) + vā (वा) + bhavet (भवेत्) + ubhayaṃ (उभयं) + na (न) + ubhayaṃ (उभयं) + ca (च) + iti (इति) + prajñaptyarthaṃ (प्रज्ञप्त्यर्थं) + tu (तु) + kathyate (कथ्यते)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| śūnyam (शून्यम्) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | empty |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. It closes a quote or a thought |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| vaktavyam (वक्तव्यम्) | accusative singular, masculine, or nominative or accusative singular, neuter | vaktavya (वक्तव्य) |
| aśūnyam (अशून्यम्) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | not empty |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. It closes a quote or a thought |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or |
| bhavet (भवेत्) | optative, third person singular | would be |
| ubhayaṃ (उभयं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | both |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| ubhayaṃ (उभयं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | both |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. It closes a quote or a thought |
| prajñaptyarthaṃ (प्रज्ञप्त्यर्थं) | accusative singular, masculine, or nominative or accusative singular, neuter | prajñaptyartha (प्रज्ञप्त्यर्थ) |
| tu (तु) | indeclinable | but, and now |
| kathyate (कथ्यते) | locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter | kathyata (कथ्यत) |
The phrases
śūnyam (शून्यम्) is empty. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. iti (इति) is thus. It closes a quote or a thought. It stands as indeclinable. na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. vaktavyam (वक्तव्यम्) is vaktavya (वक्तव्य). It stands as accusative singular, masculine, or nominative or accusative singular, neuter. aśūnyam (अशून्यम्) is not empty. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. iti (इति) is thus. It closes a quote or a thought. It stands as indeclinable. vā (वा) is or. It stands as indeclinable. bhavet (भवेत्) is would be. It stands as optative, third person singular.
ubhayaṃ (उभयं) is both. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. ubhayaṃ (उभयं) is both. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. The line joins them as nobhayaṃ (नोभयं). ca (च) is and. It stands as indeclinable. iti (इति) is thus. It closes a quote or a thought. It stands as indeclinable. The line joins them as ceti. prajñaptyarthaṃ (प्रज्ञप्त्यर्थं) is prajñaptyartha (प्रज्ञप्त्यर्थ). It stands as accusative singular, masculine, or nominative or accusative singular, neuter. tu (तु) is but, and now. It stands as indeclinable. kathyate (कथ्यते) is kathyata (कथ्यत). It stands as locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter.
Sanskrit in this line
prajñaptyarthaṃ (प्रज्ञप्त्यर्थं) 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 nobhayaṃ (नोभयं). The line joins them as ceti.
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss śūnyam (शून्यम्) and vaktavyam (वक्तव्यम्).