23.8
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 23. Viparyāsa (विपर्यास) / 23.8
रूपशब्दरसस्पर्शा गन्धा धर्माश् च केवलाः गन्धर्वनगराकारा मरीचिस्वप्नसंनिभाः
rūpaśabdarasasparśā gandhā dharmāś ca kevalāḥ gandharvanagarākārā marīcisvapnasaṃnibhāḥ
The line
A compound: a form, a word, taste, and touch, smell, properties, duties and, perfection, a compound: smell, rvana (र्वन), garā (गरा), and kāra (कार), a compound: marīci (मरीचि), dream, and saṃnibha (संनिभ).
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: rūpa-śabda-rasa-sparśā (रूप-शब्द-रस-स्पर्शा) + gandhā (गन्धा) + dharmāḥ (धर्माः) + ca (च) + kevalāḥ (केवलाः) + gandha-rvana-garā-kārā (गन्ध-र्वन-गरा-कारा) + marīci-svapna-saṃnibhāḥ (मरीचि-स्वप्न-संनिभाः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| rūpa-śabda-rasa-sparśā (रूप-शब्द-रस-स्पर्शा) | nominative singular, feminine, or instrumental singular | a compound: a form, a word, taste, and touch. Read it from the end |
| gandhā (गन्धा) | nominative singular, feminine, or instrumental singular | smell |
| dharmāḥ (धर्माः) | nominative plural | properties, duties |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
| kevalāḥ (केवलाः) | nominative plural | perfection |
| gandha-rvana-garā-kārā (गन्ध-र्वन-गरा-कारा) | nominative singular, feminine, or instrumental singular | a compound: smell, rvana (र्वन), garā (गरा), and kāra (कार). Read it from the end |
| marīci-svapna-saṃnibhāḥ (मरीचि-स्वप्न-संनिभाः) | nominative plural | a compound: marīci (मरीचि), dream, and saṃnibha (संनिभ). Read it from the end |
The phrases
rūpa-śabda-rasa-sparśā (रूप-शब्द-रस-स्पर्शा) is a compound: a form, a word, taste, and touch. Read it from the end. It stands as nominative singular, feminine, or instrumental singular. gandhā (गन्धा) is smell. It stands as nominative singular, feminine, or instrumental singular. dharmāḥ (धर्माः) is properties, duties. It stands as nominative plural. The line writes it dharmāś (धर्माश्). ca (च) is and. It stands as indeclinable.
kevalāḥ (केवलाः) is perfection. It stands as nominative plural. gandha-rvana-garā-kārā (गन्ध-र्वन-गरा-कारा) is a compound: smell, rvana (र्वन), garā (गरा), and kāra (कार). Read it from the end. It stands as nominative singular, feminine, or instrumental singular. marīci-svapna-saṃnibhāḥ (मरीचि-स्वप्न-संनिभाः) is a compound: marīci (मरीचि), dream, and saṃnibha (संनिभ). Read it from the end. It stands as nominative plural.
Sanskrit in this line
marīci-svapna-saṃnibhāḥ (मरीचि-स्वप्न-संनिभाः) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case. The line writes it dharmāś (धर्माश्).
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss rūpa-śabda-rasa-sparśā (रूप-शब्द-रस-स्पर्शा) and gandhā (गन्धा).