Re: Mmd: introductory verses

Dear Lance,

> 2. The exact meaning of vinicchayanicchaya is uncertain. Apart from
> anything else I do not really know the grammatical literature and am
> not sure if these words have the same meaning as elsewhere.
Generally
> speaking, however, vinicchaya means investigation, conclusion,
> judgment and the like. Nicchaya adds an element of finality. But I
am following:
>
> Sadd II 363: aya.m vinicchayo patto, nicchaya.m bho su.naatha me
>
> (I am not sure if this is the passage in Sadd to which you are
referring, Jim.)

No, it was in the Conspectus Terminorum section (7.1.3.1, p.1142) of
Vol. IV where vinicchaya and nicchaya are given together as terms for
'decision', while the next pair of terms: sani.t.thaana and ni.t.thaa
are for the definitive solution. I think your translation of nicchaya
as 'solution' is in error (meant for the next pair of terms) if you
had taken it from the Conspectus section. I read the nicchaya.m in the
Sadd II 363 paada to be the same as the previous vinicchaya. The
difference is that nicchaya has had its 'vi' elided for the correct
no. of syllables in the line. Nevertheless, I found what you wrote to
be still informative and a pleasure to read. I don't know too much
about the meaning of vinicchaya either. I think the Padamaalaa would
be a good place to look for instances of the word and how it is used.
The third chapter, called Paki.n.nakavinicchayo, consists of nine
mini-treatises on various grammatical topics. Also, as in your quote,
the vinicchaya can be seen presented in verse form. I suspect that
these vinicchayas originially came from an older tradition just like
the one mentioned in the Mmd verse and incorporated into Aggava.msa's
work. I wouldn't be surprised if we come across some in the Mmd later
on. There is a Burmese term 'nissaya' which I've always assumed to be
the same as the Pali word 'nissaya'. I'd been wondering if it might
not be related to the Pali word 'nicchaya' instead since -cch- is
pronounced in Burmese as -ss-. I have a nissaya volume on part of the
Saddaniiti but there the word in the Burmese script is the same as it
would be in Pali.

Thanks for your translation of the second verse which I thought
well-done.

Best wishes,
Jim