Re: Question on yena/tena structure

Dear Bryan

this structure has been explained by von Hinüber in his Kasusyntax § 126.
You can add a maggena in your thought (this at least is what v.H. suggests in Kasussyntax, p. 137, fn. 4)
"on which (way) the Buddha (is/goes), on that (way) approach him"
Instead of yena/tena you find tena/yad (Acc.) with the verb avasarati

Best,
Petra
*******************************

Dr. Petra Kieffer-Pülz
Forschungsvorhaben Wissenschaftliches Pali
Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Mainz
www.pali.adwmainz.de

Wilhelm-Külz-Str. 2
99423 Weimar
Germany

Email:
petra.kieffer-puelz@...
kiepue@... (priv.)




Am 02.12.2012 um 22:28 schrieb Bryan Levman:

> Dear Friends,
>
> Is anyone familiar with the yena/tena structure whereby  the subject approached with the verb upasaṃkamati is in the nominative, instead of the accusative?
>
> A typical instance is at the beginning of the Mahāparinibbāna sūtta where Ajātasattu tells his minister Vāsakāra to
>
> ehi tvaṃ brāhmaṇa yena bhagavā ten(a)upasaṃkama
>
> "Go Brahmin, approach the Buddha".
>
> ehi is imperative and so is upasaṃkama. One would expect an accusative here (bhagavantaṃ).
>
> Warder mentions this structure on page 14, without explaining its origin or use as does Collins on page 25. Apparently the person approached is in the nominative and the person doing the approaching is also in the nominative (tvaṃ)   with the verb being in the active (not passive, as one would expect) form.
>
> Another, even simpler example, at the beginning of the Mahānidāna sutta:
>
> atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami,...
>
> "Ven. Ānanda approached the Blessed One..."
>
> Exactly what function the yena/tena relative/correlative structure performs, I am not sure, unless is was a hold-over from the passive (yena bhagavā upasaṅkami, tena Ānanda...) with upasaṅkami a passive aorist (if such a form exists in Pāli).
>
> Any suggetions as to how this structure originated or what the yena/tena means or is used for would be appreciated. Why don't we just say āyasmā ānando bhagavantam upasaṅkami...?
>
> Mettā
>
> Bryan
>
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>
>



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