24.37
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 24. Āryasatya (आर्यसत्य) / 24.37
न कर्तव्यं भवेत् किंचिदनारब्धा भवेत् क्रिया कारकः स्यादकुर्वाणः शून्यतां प्रतिबाधतः
na kartavyaṃ bhavet kiṃcid anārabdhā bhavet kriyā kārakaḥ syād akurvāṇaḥ śūnyatāṃ pratibādhataḥ
The line
Not kartavya (कर्तव्य), would be, what, some. cit before a voiced sound, anārabdha (अनारब्ध), would be, an action, a factor of an action, it would be. syāt (स्यात्) before a voiced sound, akurvāṇa (अकुर्वाण), of emptiness, a compound: toward, against, and bādhata (बाधत).
Where it sits
In Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (मूलमध्यमककारिका), chapter 24. Āryasatya (आर्यसत्य). The noble truths. Verse 18 says what śūnyatā (शून्यता) is. The words of this line are the ones to keep. A shorter line after this one may leave them unsaid.
Split: na (न) + kartavyaṃ (कर्तव्यं) + bhavet (भवेत्) + kiṃ (किं) + cid (चिद्) + anārabdhā (अनारब्धा) + bhavet (भवेत्) + kriyā (क्रिया) + kārakaḥ (कारकः) + syād (स्याद्) + akurvāṇaḥ (अकुर्वाणः) + śūnyatāṃ (शून्यतां) + prati-bādhataḥ (प्रति-बाधतः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| kartavyaṃ (कर्तव्यं) | accusative singular, masculine, or nominative or accusative singular, neuter | kartavya (कर्तव्य) |
| bhavet (भवेत्) | optative, third person singular | would be |
| kiṃ (किं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | what |
| cid (चिद्) | indeclinable | some. cit before a voiced sound |
| anārabdhā (अनारब्धा) | nominative singular, feminine, or instrumental singular | anārabdha (अनारब्ध) |
| bhavet (भवेत्) | optative, third person singular | would be |
| kriyā (क्रिया) | nominative singular, feminine | an action |
| kārakaḥ (कारकः) | nominative singular, masculine | a factor of an action |
| syād (स्याद्) | optative, third person singular | it would be. syāt (स्यात्) before a voiced sound |
| akurvāṇaḥ (अकुर्वाणः) | nominative singular, masculine | akurvāṇa (अकुर्वाण) |
| śūnyatāṃ (शून्यतां) | genitive plural, or accusative singular, feminine | emptiness |
| prati-bādhataḥ (प्रति-बाधतः) | nominative singular, masculine | a compound: toward, against, and bādhata (बाधत). Read it from the end |
The phrases
na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. kartavyaṃ (कर्तव्यं) is kartavya (कर्तव्य). It stands as accusative singular, masculine, or nominative or accusative singular, neuter. bhavet (भवेत्) is would be. It stands as optative, third person singular. kiṃ (किं) is what. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. cid (चिद्) is some. cit before a voiced sound. It stands as indeclinable. The line joins them as kiṃcid (किंचिद्). anārabdhā (अनारब्धा) is anārabdha (अनारब्ध). It stands as nominative singular, feminine, or instrumental singular. bhavet (भवेत्) is would be. It stands as optative, third person singular.
kriyā (क्रिया) is an action. It stands as nominative singular, feminine. kārakaḥ (कारकः) is a factor of an action. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. syād (स्याद्) is it would be. syāt (स्यात्) before a voiced sound. It stands as optative, third person singular. akurvāṇaḥ (अकुर्वाणः) is akurvāṇa (अकुर्वाण). It stands as nominative singular, masculine. śūnyatāṃ (शून्यतां) is emptiness. It stands as genitive plural, or accusative singular, feminine. prati-bādhataḥ (प्रति-बाधतः) is a compound: toward, against, and bādhata (बाधत). Read it from the end. It stands as nominative singular, masculine.
Sanskrit in this line
prati-bādhataḥ (प्रति-बाधतः) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case. The line joins them as kiṃcid (किंचिद्).
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss kartavyaṃ (कर्तव्यं) and bhavet (भवेत्).