25.17
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 25. Nirvāṇa (निर्वाण) / 25.17
परं निरोधाद् भगवान् भवतीत्येव नाज्यते न भवत्युभयं चेति नोभयं चेति नाज्यते
paraṃ nirodhād bhagavān bhavatīty eva nājyate na bhavaty ubhayaṃ ceti nobhayaṃ ceti nājyate
The line
It is not declared that the Blessed One exists after cessation, nor that he does not, nor that both, nor that neither.
नेपालीमा
भगवन्त निरोधपछि छन् भनी भनिएको छैन, छैनन् भनी पनि भनिएको छैन, दुवै भनी पनि भनिएको छैन, दुवै होइनन् भनी पनि भनिएको छैन।
Where it sits
25.16 asked how 'neither' is known. 25.17 applies the fourfold refusal to the Buddha beyond cessation. 25.18 says the same four are not declared even while he is standing here.
Split: param (परम्) + nirodhāt (निरोधात्) + bhagavān (भगवान्) + bhavati (भवति) + iti (इति) + eva (एव) + na (न) + ajyate (अज्यते) + na (न) + bhavati (भवति) + ubhayam (उभयम्) + ca (च) + iti (इति) + na (न) + ubhayam (उभयम्) + ca (च) + iti (इति) + na (न) + ajyate (अज्यते)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| param (परम्) | indeclinable | after, beyond. |
| nirodhāt (निरोधात्) | ablative singular, masculine | after cessation. param (परम्) with the ablative. |
| bhagavān (भगवान्) | nominative singular, masculine | the Blessed One, the Buddha. |
| bhavati (भवति) | present, third person singular | he is. Joined bhavatīty (भवतीत्य्). |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | just that. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| ajyate (अज्यते) | present passive, third person singular | it is declared. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| bhavati (भवति) | present, third person singular | he is not. |
| ubhayam (उभयम्) | nominative singular, neuter | both. |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| ubhayam (उभयम्) | nominative singular, neuter | neither, not-both. nobhayam (नोभयम्) is na ubhayam (न उभयम्). |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| ajyate (अज्यते) | present passive, third person singular | it is declared. |
The phrases
Four positions about the Buddha after nirodha (निरोध): he is, he is not, he both is and is not, he neither is nor is not. None of the four is ajyate (अज्यते), declared. The same tetralemma as 'both' and 'neither' in the verses above, now about a person.
param nirodhāt (परम् निरोधात्) is 'on the far side of cessation,' the question people ask about where the Buddha went.
Sanskrit in this line
Four iti (इति) clauses, four things that are na ajyate (न अज्यते). Count them. The tetralemma is the method: is, is not, both, neither.
Say it back
Which four statements about the Buddha are not made?