25.18
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 25. Nirvāṇa (निर्वाण) / 25.18
तिष्ठमानोऽपि भगवान् भवतीत्येव नाज्यते न भवत्युभयं चेति नोभयं चेति नाज्यते
tiṣṭhamāno 'pi bhagavān bhavatīty eva nājyate na bhavaty ubhayaṃ ceti nobhayaṃ ceti nājyate
The line
Even the Blessed One as he stands here is not declared to be, nor not to be, nor both, nor neither.
नेपालीमा
यहाँ रहेका भगवन्त पनि छन् भनी भनिएका छैनन्, छैनन् भनी पनि भनिएका छैनन्, दुवै भनी पनि भनिएका छैनन्, दुवै होइनन् भनी पनि भनिएका छैनन्।
Where it sits
25.17 was after cessation. 25.18 is now. 25.19 will say there is no distinguishing mark that separates saṃsāra (संसार) from nirvāṇa (निर्वाण).
Split: tiṣṭhamānaḥ (तिष्ठमानः) + api (अपि) + 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 |
|---|---|---|
| tiṣṭhamānaḥ (तिष्ठमानः) | nominative singular, masculine | while standing, while present. Present participle of sthā (स्था). Written tiṣṭhamāno (तिष्ठमानो) before api (अपि). |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. The file writes 'pi (ऽपि), the a (अ) dropped after o (ओ). |
| bhagavān (भगवान्) | nominative singular, masculine | the Blessed One. |
| 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. Written nājyate (नाज्यते). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| bhavati (भवति) | present, third person singular | he is. With the na (न) in front, 'he is not.' Written bhavaty (भवत्य्) before ubhayam (उभयम्). |
| ubhayam (उभयम्) | nominative singular, neuter | both. |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. Written ceti (चेति). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| ubhayam (उभयम्) | nominative singular, neuter | both. na ubhayam (न उभयम्) is neither. Written nobhayam (नोभयम्). |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. Written ceti (चेति). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| ajyate (अज्यते) | present passive, third person singular | it is declared. Written nājyate (नाज्यते). |
The phrases
The same four, and api (अपि) is the new word: even now, while he stands, the four are not declared. It is not a puzzle that begins at death. The living Buddha is already not captured by is, is not, both, neither.
The second line repeats 25.17 so the ear hears that nothing changed except the time.
Sanskrit in this line
tiṣṭhamānaḥ (तिष्ठमानः) is a present participle, 'standing,' and api (अपि) is 'even so.' The four options do not get a special license during life.
Say it back
Does the tetralemma start only after death?