Mūlamadhyamakakārikā《中論頌》 Chapter 19 08.12.

2016

कालपरीक्षा एकोनविंशिििमं प्रकरणम् नागार्ुुन कृ ि

m √īkș f sg nom num car n n sg nom m sg voc √kṛ pp
kāla-parīkṣā ekonaviṁśatitamaṁ prakaraṇam nāgārjuna kṛta
time examination nineteenth exposition Nāgārjuna 龍樹 composed

《第十九品 時間的考察》 1

Examination of Time

प्रत्युत्पन्नोऽनागिश्च यद्यिीिमपेक्ष्य िि।

प्रत्युत्पन्नोऽनागिश्च कालेऽिीिे भििंष्यिः॥१॥
(Śloka Ra-vipulā)
− − − −,¦ − ‿ − ‿ ¦¦ − ‿ − ‿ ¦ ‿ − ‿ −
pratyutpanno'nāgataśca yadyatītamapekṣya hi |
− − − −,¦ − ‿ − ‿ ¦¦ − − − − ¦ ‿ − ‿ −
pratyutpanno'nāgataśca kāle'tīte bhaviṣyataḥ ||19.1||

√pad pp adj m sg nom √gam pp adj m sg nom pcl √i pp adj m acc ind (+acc) pcl
pratyutpannas2 anāgatas3 ca yadi atītam apekṣya hi |
present future if past contingent on indeed
m sg loc adj m sg loc fut 3rd du
pratyutpannas anāgatas ca kāle atīte bhaviṣyatas ||19.1||
in time in past the two will be

若因過去時，有未來現在，
未來及現在，應在過去時。

如果現在和未來，觀待4過去[而有]，
則現在和未來，將會是存在於過去的時間裏。5

If present and future were indeed contingent upon the past,

(then) present and future shall exist in time past. 6

1
<觀時品第十九>《什》;18-25 八品觀世間滅,分三門:現觀一品、向得(從因到果)三品、斷證(體證寂滅)四品。本品為向得三品中第一品 據《福》
2
lit. ‘towards (prati) -arisen (utpana)’
3
lit. ‘not yet (an) -come (āgata)’
4
依存 apekṣya
5
現在與未來，既是待過去而有的，那「未來及現在」的實有性，果不離因，就「應」當是「在過去時」中了。《福》；論主說：由於兩個事物須
同時存在才能有觀待，因此，如果說觀待于[實有的]過去而有[實有的]現在和未來，那麽現在和未來就應該存在于過去。這顯然不合理。《葉》
6
for two things (A and B) to be contingent upon each other, this would require the concurrent existence of a substantively real A and a
substantively real B, and one is the cause of the other. This will lead to the absurd conclusion that within the past (A) lies the cause of
present-and-future (B) (Trans. from above note)
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā《中論頌》 Chapter 19 08.12.2016

प्रत्युत्पन्नोऽनागिश्च न स्िस्ित्र पुनयुदि।

प्रत्युत्पन्नोऽनागिश्च स्यािां कथमपेक्ष्य िम्॥२॥
(Śloka Ra-vipulā)
− − − −,¦ − ‿ − ‿ ¦¦ − − − ‿ ¦ ‿ − ‿ −
pratyutpanno'nāgataśca na stastatra punaryadi |
− − − −,¦ − ‿ − ‿ ¦¦ − − ‿ ‿ ¦ ‿ − ‿ −
pratyutpanno'nāgataśca syātām kathamapekṣya tam ||19.2||

√pad pp adj m sg nom √gam pp adj m sg nom √as pres 3rd du pcl pcl
pratyutpannas anāgatas ca na stas tatra punar yadi |
present future are there yet
√as opt 3rd du ind (fr. ka ipn) ind (+acc) m sg acc
pratyutpannas anāgatas ca syātām katham apekṣya tam ||19.2||
the two cd. be how contingent upon it =atītaṃ

若過去時中，無未來現在，
未來現在時，云何因過去？

然而，如果在[過去]那裏，沒有現在和未來，
現在和未來，又怎能觀待過去？

Yet if present and future are not there (in the past),
how could present and future (then) be contingent upon the past?
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā《中論頌》 Chapter 19 08.12.2016

ऄनपेक्ष्य पुनः ििििनाुिीिं ििंद्यिे ियोः।

प्रत्युत्पन्नोऽनागिश्च िस्मात्कालो न ििंद्यिे॥३॥
(Śloka Ra-vipulā)
‿‿
− ‿ ¦ ‿ − − − ¦¦ − − − − ¦ ‿ − ‿ −
anapekṣya punaḥ‿siddhirnātītaṁ vidyate tayoḥ |
− − − −, ¦ − − ‿ ¦¦ − − − − ¦ ‿ − ‿ −
pratyutpanno'nāgataśca tasmātkālo na vidyate ||19.3||

ind (+acc) pcl f sg nom pp (noun) m sg acc √vid pass m du gen

anapekṣya punar siddhis na atītam vidyate7 tayos |
not contingent upon however establishment past ‘there is’ of those two
adj m sg nom adj m sg nom ind (fr ta abl) m sg nom
pratyutpannas anāgatas ca tasmāt kālas na vidyate ||19.3||
present past fr.that/therefore time

不因過去時，則無未來時，
亦無現在時，是故無二時。

可是，如果不觀待過去，就沒有[現在和未來]二者的成立。
所以，現在、未來的時間不可得。8

However, without contingent upon the past, there is no establishment of those two9.
Hence, there is no time present and future. 10

7
MW: √vid 6P ‘to find, obtain’; RigVeda. & etc. (esp. in later language) vidyate *pass+ ‘there is, there exists', often with na, 'there is not‘
8
事實上，如果不觀待過去，現在和未來根本不可能單獨成立。由於無法觀待過去，現在和未來就是不存在的。《葉》
9
i.e. present and future
10
becasue there is no past for present and future to be contingent upon
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā《中論頌》 Chapter 19 08.12.2016

एिेनैिंािंिशष्टौ द्वौ क्रमेण पररिंिुकौ।

उत्तमाधममध्यािीनेकत्िंािींश्च लक्षयेि्॥४॥
(Śloka Pathyā)
− − − − ¦ ‿ − − − ¦¦ ‿ − ‿ ‿ ¦ ‿ − ‿ −
etenaivāvaśiṣṭau
‿ ‿ ‿
dvau krameṇa ‿
parivartakau
‿
|
− − ¦ − − − ¦¦ − − − − ¦ − −
uttamādhamamadhyādīnekatvādīṁśca lakṣayet ||19.4||

etad m sg inst pcl √śiṣ m nom du m du nom krama m sg inst √vŗt -ka sfx m nom du
etena eva avaśiṣṭau dvau krameṇa parivartakau11 |
by this just so remaining two by step/method alternating (cases)
adj spv adj spv adj ādi m pl acc n m pl acc -ṁś- √lakṣ cau opt 3rd sg
[uttama-adhama-madhya-ādīn]12 [ekatva-ādīn]13 ca lakṣayet ||19.4||
best worst in between the rest singularity the rest ‘shd make known’ =one shd perceive

以如是義故，則知餘二時14，
上中下一異，是等法皆無。

其餘二者的交替[考慮]15,依此(上述)步驟[考察]；
最好、最壞、居中等，單[雙、複]等也該如此理解。

The two remaining alternating cases16 (should be examined) by this (same) step (or method);
Best, worst, intermediate and so on, singularity and so on, should be so perceived.

11
parivarta *m+ ‘revolution, exchange, moving to and fro’; parivarta-ka *sfx+ ‘alternating cases’; avaśiṣṭau dvau parivartakau ‘the two
remaining alternating cases’
12
*bahu cpd+ as substantive, uttama *superlative+ adhama *superlative+
13
*bahu cpd+ as substantive
14
「二時」為「其餘二者交替」的意譯《福》(見下註)
15
parivarta「交替」《三枝》; (推理主語的)替換、「輪轉」，其餘二者交替[或輪轉]考慮為：觀待現在有過去和未來，觀待未來有現在和過去。《葉》
16
i.e.: 1. past and future contingent upon the present, 2. present and past contingent upon the future
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā《中論頌》 Chapter 19 08.12.2016

नािस्थिो गृह्यिे कालः िस्थिः कालो न ििंद्यिे।

यो गृह्येिागृिीिश्च कालः प्रज्ञप्यिे कथम्॥५॥
(Śloka Pathyā)
− ‿ − − ¦ ‿ − − − ¦¦ ‿ − − − ¦ ‿ − ‿ −
nāsthito gṛhyate
‿
kālaḥ
‿
sthitaḥ kālo
‿ ‿
na vidyate |
− − − − ¦ − − ¦¦ − − − − ¦ − −
yo gṛhyetāgṛhītaśca kālaḥ prajñapyate katham ||19.5||

√sthā adj m sg nom √grah pass 3rd sg m sg nom adj m sg nom m sg nom √vid pass
na asthitas gṛhyate17 kālas sthitas kālas na vidyate |
non-abiding grasped time abiding time is found
rd
m sg nom √grah pass opt 3 sg pp adj m sg nom √jña cau pass 3rd sg
yas gṛhyeta agṛhītas18 ca kālas prajñapyate katham ||19.5||
wh. cd be grasped not grasped made known

時住不可得，時去亦叵得，
時若不可得，云何說時相？

不安住的時間不被執取[或理解]19，安住的、應可被執取[或理解]的時間
不可得。不可執取[或理解]的時間，如何被假名施設20？

Non-abiding time cannot be grasped (or perceived), abiding time which could be grasped (or perceived),
is not found. How could time that is not grasped (or perceived) be made known?

17
√grah ‘to grasp or to perceive’
18
gṛhīta *pp, adj+ grasped, taken, obtained, gained, received, (also ‘perceived’)
19
gṛhyate 二義：被執取、被理解
20
名言假説
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā《中論頌》 Chapter 19 08.12.2016

भािंं प्रिीत्य कालश्चेत्कालो भािंािृिे कु िः।

न च कश्चन भािंोऽिस्ि कु िः कालो भििंष्यिि॥६॥
(Śloka Pathyā)
− − ‿ − ¦ ‿ − − − ¦¦ − − − − ¦ ‿ − ‿ −
bhāvaṁ‿ pratītya
‿ ‿ ‿
kālaścetkālo
‿ ‿
bhāvādṛte
‿ ‿
kutaḥ |
− ¦ − − ¦¦ − − − ¦ − −
na ca kaścana bhāvo'sti kutaḥ kālo bhaviṣyati ||19.6||

m sg acc ger (+acc) ca+id ind m sg abl ind (+abl) ind

bhāvam pratītya kālas ced kālo bhāvāt ṛte kutas |
(on) thing dependent on if from thing without whence
ipn ind √bhū fut 3rd sg
na ca kaścana bhāvas asti kutas kālas bhaviṣyati ||19.6||
anyone how will be

因物故有時，離物何有時？
物尚無所有，何況當有時？

如果時間緣於事物，[那麽，]離開事物時間從何有？
沒有任何事物，時間又如何會有？

If time is dependent on a thing, (then) without the thing how could there be time?
Without anything, how could there be time?