Re: Mmd-p.t passage regarding Kc 1 (1 of 3)

Hi Jim,

Following is my translation. I think the ca's are just a continuation of the
argument as outlined below (the ca's you asked about are underlined).
I think, for the passage to make sense, the words nipphaadana, nipphanna,
nipphaadetabba, etc must all be taken in the sense of "analysis" or
"perfection". They all come from the same root ni.spad in Skt. which has the
sense of "ripen" and nipphanna in Paali has the sense of "perfected".


Why is the work of the perfection (analysis?) of words and letters done? Is this
work not useless? useless because of the assumption (-attaa) that the Blessed
One’s words are well produced by virtue of his power regarding the knowledge of
the four universal, unique discriminations (PED: artha- dharma- nirukti-
pratibhaana-), which he has analyzed in respect of all phenomena as a result of
the power dependent on his previous good conduct, and [because of the
assumption] of its [buddhavacana’s] perfection, and moreover,  [is it not
useless] because of the absence [abhāvato] of anything that has to be perfected
  [nipphaadetabba] and [is it not useless] because of the practice of hearing,
learning and remembering and so on re: all dharmas as spoken for the benefit of
the Tathāgata’s disciples who [though they] lack the analysis of words and
letters [yet still = ca in a disjunctive sense] attain the supramundane Dharma?


Best, Bryan




________________________________
From: Jim Anderson <jimanderson_on@...>
To: palistudy@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, July 12, 2010 12:23:39 AM
Subject: [palistudy] Mmd-p.t passage regarding Kc 1 (1 of 3)

  
Dear all,

There is an interesting passage (18 lines) in the porāṇaṭīkā (11th cent.) to
Mukhamattadīpanī on Kc 1. The following is a roman transcription of the
first 8 lines or two sentences that I made from the text in the Burmese
script. It presents a question, The answer will follow in two posts.
Following the passage (in part) immediately below is my attempt at a
translation with the Pali in portions or inserted within square brackets in
the appropriate places. I would appreciate errors being pointed out or
suggestions for improvement.

etthāha kasmā panettha akkharapadanipphādanabyāpāro kato || nanu
buddhavacanassa bhagavato purimasucaritapaccayānubhāvapaṭiladdha-
sabbadhammesu pabhedagatānaññasādhāraṇacatupaṭisambhidā-
ñāṇānubhāvavaseneva sunipphannattā nipphannassaca puna
nipphādetabbābhāvatoca akkharapadanipphādanabyāpārarahitānañca
tathāgatasāvakānaṃ yathāvuttadhammesu savanuggahaṇadhāraṇādi-
paṭipattiyā lokuttaradhammādhigamupalabbhanatoca iha akkharapada-
nipphādanabyāpāro niratthakoti || [Mmd-pṭ 43,26-44,4]

etthāha kasmā panettha akkharapadanipphādanabyāpāro kato ||

Here he said [etthāha]: why [kasmā], moreover [pana], is the work of
producing words from letters [akkharapadanipphādanabyāpāro] done
[kato] here [ettha] ?

nanu... iha akkharapadanipphādanabyāpāro niratthako

Is not [nanu] here [iha] the work of producing words from letters
[akkharapadanipphādanabyāpāro] useless [niratthako]

buddhavacanassa bhagavato... sunipphannattā

because of the well-produced state [sunipphannattā] of the Buddha-word
[buddhavacanassa] of the Blessed One [bhagavato]

pabhedagatānaññasādhāraṇacatupaṭisambhidāñāṇānubhāvavaseneva

simply by virtue of [vasena eva] the power [ānubhāva] of (his) knowledge of
the four discriminations [catupaṭisambhidāñāṇa] not shared by the others
[anaññasādhāraṇa] who have gone to the breaking up (?) [pabhedagata]

purimasucaritapaccayānubhāvapaṭiladdhasabbadhammesu

regarding all things [sabbadhammesu] obtained [paṭiladdha] with the
power [ānubhāva] of the condition of (his) past good conduct
[purimasucaritapaccaya];

[...(his knowledge) regarding... (his knowledge) obtained with...]

nipphannassa ca puna nipphādetabbābhāvato ca

and because of the absence of what is to be produced [nipphādetabbābhāvato]
again [puna] of what is (already) produced [nipphannassa],

[what is the function of the particle 'ca' following 'nipphannassa' ?]

akkharapadanipphādanabyāpārarahitānañca tathāgatasāvakānaṃ
yathāvuttadhammesu savanuggahaṇadhāraṇādipaṭipattiyā
lokuttaradhammādigamupalabbhanatoca

and because of the obtaining of the attainment of the supramundane dhammas
[lokuttaradhammādigamupalabbhanato] with the practice of hearing, learning,
remembering, and so on [savanuggahaṇadhāraṇādipaṭipattiyā] with respect to
the dhammas as spoken [yathāvuttadhammesu] to the Tathāgata's disciples
[tathāgatasāvakānaṃ] without the work of producing words from letters
[akkharapadanipphādanabyāpārarahitānañca] ?

[again, what is the function of the particle 'ca' following the first
compound 'akkharapadanipphādanabyāpārarahitānaṃ' ? The 'ca'
suggests -rahitānaṃ may not be a qualifier of -sāvakānaṃ, but indicating two
different groups]

Jim Anderson






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