Mūlamadhyamakakārikāḥ 1.7

VERSE 1.7

न सन्नासन्न सदसन्धर्मो निर्वर्तते यदा।

कथं निर्वर्तको हेतुरेवं सति हि युज्यते॥

PURPORT 1.7

Since a phenomenon or an aspect of experience that exists, or does not exist or both exists and does not exist is not produced, how can we then assume the possibility of proposing a “primary condition” - wouldn’t that be irrelevant?

TRANSLITERATION 1.7

न सन् न असन् न सत् असत् धर्मः निर्वर्तते यदा।

na san na asan na sat asat dharmaḥ nirvartate yadā। 

कथं निर्वर्तकः हेतुः ऐवं सः इति हि युज्यते॥

kathaṃ nirvartakaḥ hetuḥ aivaṃ saḥ iti hi yujyate॥

CONTEXT 1.7

• na न = not
• san सन् = being (indecl. nom. sing. masc.)
• na न = not
• asan असन् = non-being (indecl. nom. sing. masc.)
• na न = not
• sat सत् = existent (adj. nom. sing. masc.)
• asat असत् = not-an-existent (adj. nom. sing. masc.)
• dharmaḥ धर्मः = phenomenon/factor of experience/event (noun. nom. sing. masc.)
• nirvartate निर्वर्तते = be established or accomplished (verb. 3rd. sing. present/लट्. √वृत्)
• yadā यदा = when ।
• kathaṃ कथं = how
• nirvartakaḥ निर्वर्तकः = accomplishing/bringing about/finishing
• hetuḥ हेतुः = condition
• aivaṃ ऐवं = primary/first
• saḥ सः = that
• iti इति = thus
• hi हि = indeed
• yujyate युज्यते = to be fit or proper or suitable or right/applicable (verb. 3rd. sing. present/लट्. √युज्) ॥