25.15
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 25. Nirvāṇa (निर्वाण) / 25.15
नैवाभावो नैव भावो निर्वाणमिति या अञ्जना अभावे चैव भावे च सा सिद्धे सति सिध्यति
naivābhāvo naiva bhāvo nirvāṇam iti yā añjanā abhāve caiva bhāve ca sā siddhe sati sidhyati
The line
The presentation that nirvāṇa (निर्वाण) is neither nonexistent nor existent succeeds only given that the nonexistent and the existent are established.
नेपालीमा
निर्वाण नभएको होइन र भएको होइन भन्ने प्रस्तुति त्यतिबेला मात्र सफल हुन्छ, जब नभएको र भएको स्थापित छन्।
Where it sits
25.14 closed 'both.' 25.15 limits 'neither.' 25.16 asks: if it is neither, by what is that known?
Split: na (न) + eva (एव) + abhāvaḥ (अभावः) + na (न) + eva (एव) + bhāvaḥ (भावः) + nirvāṇam (निर्वाणम्) + iti (इति) + yā (या) + añjanā (अञ्जना) + abhāve (अभावे) + ca (च) + eva (एव) + bhāve (भावे) + ca (च) + sā (सा) + siddhe (सिद्धे) + sati (सति) + sidhyati (सिध्यति)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | even. |
| abhāvaḥ (अभावः) | nominative singular, masculine | a nonexistent. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | even. |
| bhāvaḥ (भावः) | nominative singular, masculine | an existent. |
| nirvāṇam (निर्वाणम्) | nominative singular, neuter | nirvāṇa (निर्वाण). |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus, quoting the formula. |
| yā (या) | nominative singular, feminine | which. Written yā (या) before the vowel, the a (अ) of añjanā (अञ्जना) dropped in yā 'ñjanā (याऽञ्जना) in some recitation. The file has yā 'ñjanā (याऽञ्जना) as yā añjanā (या अञ्जना). |
| añjanā (अञ्जना) | nominative singular, feminine | the presentation, the painting-on of a view. |
| abhāve (अभावे) | locative singular, masculine | when the nonexistent is established. Locative absolute. |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | indeed. |
| bhāve (भावे) | locative singular, masculine | when the existent is established. |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. |
| sā (सा) | nominative singular, feminine | that presentation. |
| siddhe (सिद्धे) | locative singular, masculine | when it is established. With the two locatives. |
| sati (सति) | locative singular | when that is so. |
| sidhyati (सिध्यति) | present, third person singular | it succeeds. |
The phrases
'Neither' looks like a safe formula. The verse says it only succeeds if bhāva (भाव) and abhāva (अभाव) are already real enough to be negated. If they were never established, the añjanā (अञ्जना) has nothing to paint 'neither' onto.
This does not take back 25.10. It limits the sentence 'neither' so it is not mistaken for a third thing called Neither.
Sanskrit in this line
añjanā (अञ्जना) is a laying-on, like pigment. The formula is a presentation, and sidhyati (सिध्यति) says when that presentation works: only siddhe sati (सिद्धे सति), when the two are already stood up.
Say it back
When does the sentence 'neither' get a footing?