Re: Kc 3

Jim and Ma Vajira,

The vutti portions of Kaccaayana 2 and 3 contain the following statements:

(i) Tena kvattho? Attho akkharasaññāto.  (Kacc 2)
(Jim's version: What is the need of that (saying letters)? The meaning is known by letters (see §1).
(Ma Vajira's comment): I think U Nandisena used the word "benefit" as a translation of attho in a later draft. One could also use "result", therefore kvattho=ko attho - what is the result or benefit; tena - of that, ie, of establishing the name "akkhara"? Attho akkharasaññāto - the result is the use of the term "akkhara" in suttas such as Attho akkharasaññāto.

(ii) Tena kvattho? Sarā sare lopaṃ.  (Kacc 3)
  (Jim's version): What is the need of that (saying vowels)? Vowels because of a vowel (come
to) elision (see §12).
(Ma Vajira's comment): I think the sentence beginning 'tena kvattho' should be translated, "What is the result of saying this [establishing the term 'sara']? The result is the use of the term 'sara' in 'sarā sare lopaṃ' and so on. It isn't necessary to translate the sutta in this place.

It seems to me that a proper translation of (i) or (ii) should make clear the intent of the author (whether or not the vutti was written by the same person who wrote the sutta).  That is more important than whether the 'correct meaning' of attho is 'need', 'result' or 'benefit' or whether kv- represents ko or kva.  One of the common components of a vutti is to give examples of a sutta.  Most suttas prescribe some substitution of one element for another.  For such suttas, examples are words in which the sutta applies (or sometimes does not apply).  Suttas 2 and 3 do not prescribe any substitution, but rather define the terms akkhara 'sound' (yes, I will; Kaccaayana is not referring here to grooves in an inscription or squiggles on a piece of paper, but to the sounds of Pali) and sara 'vowel' (unlike 'letter', 'vowel' can refer to sounds or (Roman) letters; here it refers to sounds; it is not clear whether it would be correct in ordinary English to refer
  to vowels in written Devanagari or Burmese as 'letters').  The definitions are given ostensively, by a list.  The example given to illustrate such a sutta is not a word, but rather another sutta in which the defined term is used.  That is why it is 'not necessary' to translate the cited sutta: it is cited not because of what it says, but because it contains the term being defined.
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George Bedell
230/5 Suan Lanna Village, Huay Kaew Road,
t. Chang Phuak, a. Muang
Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
+66-53-414100








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