Re: Kc 263 (seyyo, se.t.tho)substitutes

Dear Nina,

> J: It replaces the entire word 'pasattha'.
N: I still do not understand the purpose of replacing. Why does
pasattha have to be replaced by sa and ja? There must be some reason.
I need to know, otherwise I cannot understand all the following
passages.

J: I don't know how best to give you a good reason for this.
'pasattha' doesn't have to be replaced by 'sa' or 'ja' as the form
'pasatthatara' is also seen in commentaries and grammars but
apparently not in the Tipitaka. I look at it as an essential part of
an explanation of how the word 'seyyo', etc. is derived. Otherwise, I
think it would be rather difficult or impossible to know for sure
where these words came from merely by looking at them. An association
with 'pasattha' also helps to give a clear meaning.

Much of the grammar is focussed on the formation of words and you will
very often see this phenomenon of aadesa or substitution of letters
(and occasionally words) throughout and so it's important to
understand the concept. The word 'aadesa' (pointing at) would be worth
investigating at a later time to find out what 'pointing at' and
'substitution' have in common. The related verb 'aadisati' is
interesting as I once came across its use in the Petavatthu in
relation to the origins of the transference of merit idea. I remember
P. Masefield translated it as 'assigns' which I liked.

j: . I've been
> studying up on the word 'attho', the first word of Kc 1.
N: That is a coincidence, I pondered on this word, translating the
verse on lobha in the co. to Mahaaraahulovaadasutta. When it is
together with dhamma, I think of cause and effect. As you know this is
treated in the Netti, and in the Vibhanga under the patisambidhas, the
four discriminations. As you say, interpretation is very important.
Nina.

J: Yes, I very much like that fivefold explanation of attha and dhamma
in Pa.tis-a. and elsewhere. In the Treatise on Knowledge in Pa.tis,
you will see many words ending in -a.t.tha which ~Naa.namoli
translates as 'meaning', but I have long wondered about this as the
commentarial explanation of '~nata.t.the naa.na.m' (knowledge of the
meaning of what-is-known -- p.4), for instance, has: ~nata.t.the
~naa.nan ti jaananasabhaava.m ~naa.na.m -- Pa.tis-a I 35. I have been
thinking that 'sabhaava' (nature) could here be the interpretation of
'a.t.tha' (eg. knowledge pertaining to the nature of the
known/knowing) but because of the fact that 'sabhaava.m' doesn't end
in an -e as in -a.t.the, this may not be so. However, I recently came
across a meaning of 'attha' explicitly stated as 'sabhaava' in the
.tiikaa to the Abhidhaanappadiipikaa (Abh-.t) which I thought was
interesting. I take the 'attha' of paramattha to mean gocara or visaya
(the latter is given in the same .tiikaa s.v. attha).

Best wishes,
Jim