23.3
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 23. Viparyāsa (विपर्यास) / 23.3
आत्मनोऽस्तित्वनास्तित्वे न कथं चिच् च सिध्यतः तं विनास्तित्वनास्तित्वे क्लेशानां सिध्यतः कथम्
ātmano 'stitvanāstitve na kathaṃ cic ca sidhyataḥ taṃ vināstitvanāstitve kleśānāṃ sidhyataḥ katham
The line
The self, in a compound: is, the state of being that, is not, and the state of being that, not how, cic (चिच्) and, sidhyata (सिध्यत), him, that, in a compound: without, is, the state of being that, is not, and the state of being that, of an affliction, sidhyata (सिध्यत), how.
Where it sits
In Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (मूलमध्यमककारिका), chapter 23. Viparyāsa (विपर्यास). The reversals, taking the impure for the pure and the rest. The words of this line are the ones to keep. A shorter line after this one may leave them unsaid.
Split: ātmano (आत्मनो) + asti-tva-nāsti-tve (अस्ति-त्व-नास्ति-त्वे) + na (न) + kathaṃ (कथं) + cic (चिच्) + ca (च) + sidhyataḥ (सिध्यतः) + taṃ (तं) + vinā-asti-tva-nāsti-tve (विना-अस्ति-त्व-नास्ति-त्वे) + kleśānāṃ (क्लेशानां) + sidhyataḥ (सिध्यतः) + katham (कथम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| ātmano (आत्मनो) | nominative singular, masculine | the self |
| asti-tva-nāsti-tve (अस्ति-त्व-नास्ति-त्वे) | locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter | a compound: is, the state of being that, is not, and the state of being that. Read it from the end |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| kathaṃ (कथं) | indeclinable | how |
| cic (चिच्) | the form as the line writes it | this word, as the line writes it |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
| sidhyataḥ (सिध्यतः) | nominative singular, masculine | sidhyata (सिध्यत) |
| taṃ (तं) | accusative singular, masculine | him, that |
| vinā-asti-tva-nāsti-tve (विना-अस्ति-त्व-नास्ति-त्वे) | locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter | a compound: without, is, the state of being that, is not, and the state of being that. Read it from the end |
| kleśānāṃ (क्लेशानां) | genitive plural | an affliction |
| sidhyataḥ (सिध्यतः) | nominative singular, masculine | sidhyata (सिध्यत) |
| katham (कथम्) | indeclinable | how |
The phrases
ātmano (आत्मनो) is the self. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. asti-tva-nāsti-tve (अस्ति-त्व-नास्ति-त्वे) is a compound: is, the state of being that, is not, and the state of being that. Read it from the end. It stands as locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter. The apostrophe marks an a that was dropped. na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. kathaṃ (कथं) is how. It stands as indeclinable. cic (चिच्) is this word, as the line writes it. It stands as the form as the line writes it. ca (च) is and. It stands as indeclinable.
sidhyataḥ (सिध्यतः) is sidhyata (सिध्यत). It stands as nominative singular, masculine. taṃ (तं) is him, that. It stands as accusative singular, masculine. vinā-asti-tva-nāsti-tve (विना-अस्ति-त्व-नास्ति-त्वे) is a compound: without, is, the state of being that, is not, and the state of being that. Read it from the end. It stands as locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter. kleśānāṃ (क्लेशानां) is an affliction. It stands as genitive plural. sidhyataḥ (सिध्यतः) is sidhyata (सिध्यत). It stands as nominative singular, masculine. katham (कथम्) is how. It stands as indeclinable.
Sanskrit in this line
vinā-asti-tva-nāsti-tve (विना-अस्ति-त्व-नास्ति-त्वे) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case. The apostrophe marks an a that was dropped.
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss ātmano (आत्मनो) and asti-tva-nāsti-tve (अस्ति-त्व-नास्ति-त्वे).