Shoonyata Saptati by Nagarjuna (शून्यतासप्ततिः)

शून्यतासप्ततिः

शून्यता सप्तति (Shoonyata Saptati) 150 CE

स्वोपज्ञवृत्त्या समन्विता उत्पादस्थितिभङ्गास्तिनास्तिहीन समोत्तमम् ।

लौकिक व्यवहारात्तु बुद्धेनोक्तं न तत्त्वतः ॥ १ ॥

आत्मा कश्चिन्न चानात्मा ह्यात्मानात्मेतरश्च न ।
वाच्यः सर्वः स्वभावेन शून्यो निर्वाणसदृशः ॥ २ ॥

हेतुप्रत्ययसामग्रयां सर्वस्यां वा पृथक्पृथक् ।
सर्वभावस्वभावो न तस्माच्छून्यं हि विद्यते ॥ ३ ॥

भावो नोत्पद्यते भावान्नाभावोऽविद्यमानतः ।
सदसन्न विरोधान्न स्थितिभङ्गौ ह्यजातितः ॥ ४ ॥

न जायते यदा जातं नाजातमपि जायते ।
जाताजाताच्च नैवं हि जायमानोऽपि जायते ॥ ५ ॥

फले स्यात्फलवान् हेतुः नास्तित्वेऽहेतुना समः ।
सदसत्त्वे विरोधित्वं त्रैकाल्ये नोपपद्यते ॥ ६ ॥

नैकत्वेऽनेकवृत्तिर्न नोऽनेकत्वे हि नैकता ।
तत्प्रतीत्य समुत्पन्न भावास्ते ह्यनिमित्तकाः ॥ ७ ॥

द्वादशाङ्गो ह्यनुत्पादः समुत्पादः प्रतीत्यजः ।
एकचित्ते न तद्युक्तं बहुष्वपि न युज्यते ॥ ८ ॥

आत्मा नास्ति न चानात्मा नित्यानित्ये दुःखं सुखम् ।
शुचिर्नाशुचिरप्यस्ति विपर्यासा न सन्त्यतः ॥ ९ ॥

तदभावे न चाविद्या विपर्यासचतुष्कजा ।
तदभावान्न संस्काराः स्युः शेषा अपि तादृशाः ॥ १० ॥

संस्कारेऽसत्यविद्या न नैव स तदभावतः ।
परस्परं हेतुभूते स्वभावेन न सिध्यतः ॥ ११ ॥

स्वयं स्वभावतोऽसिद्धं परंस्तज्जनयेत्कथम् ।
अतोऽसिद्धपरैस्तैर्न जन्येरन् प्रत्ययैः परे ॥ १२ ॥

पिता पुत्रो न पुत्रोऽपि पितान्योन्यं न तौ विना ।
तथा न युगपत्तौ हि द्वादशाङ्गं तथैव च ॥ १३ ॥

प्रतीत्य विषयान् स्वप्ने न स्याद्दुःखं सुखं यथा ।
विषयो न तथैवापि तं प्रतीत्य प्रतीत्यजः ॥ १४ ॥

स्वभावाद्धि न भावाश्चेदुत्तमाधममध्यमाः ।
नानात्वेऽसति हेतुभ्योऽभिनिर्वृत्तिर्न सिध्यति ॥ १५ ॥

भावाः स्वभावतः सिद्धा नोऽप्रतीत्य प्रतीत्य सत् ।
निःस्वभावाः कुतो भावाः स्वभावोऽपि नस्थाप्यते ॥ १६ ॥

स्वभावपरभावौ वा भङ्गोऽभावेऽपि वा कुतः ।
स्वभावपरभावौ चाभावस्तेऽतो विपर्ययाः ॥ १७ ॥

शून्यत्वे सति नोत्पादो निरोधोऽपि न विद्यते ।
स्वभावशून्यतायां हि कुतः स्यादुदयव्ययौ ॥ १८ ॥

अभावेऽसति भावो न भावाभावौ न चैकदा ।
ऋते भावं न चाभावो भावोऽभावः सदा भवेत् ॥ १९ ॥

न स्वतो नापि परतोऽभावो भावं विना न हि ।
अत एव न भावोऽस्त्यभावो न तदभावतः ॥ २० ॥

सति भावे शाश्वतत्वं व्युच्छेदस्तदभावतः ।
उभयं हि सतो भावाद्भावोऽतो नाभ्युपेयते ॥ २१ ॥

सन्तानात्तन्न सन्तानं भावो निर्वर्त्य नश्यति ।
सिध्यतीदं न सन्तानोच्छेददोषश्च पूर्ववत् ॥ २२ ॥

दृष्ट्वा निर्वृत्तिमार्गोक्तिः शून्यत्वान्नोदयव्ययौ ।
अदोऽन्योन्यविरोधाद्धि विरुद्धानं च दर्शनात् ॥ २३ ॥

यद्युत्पादनिरोधौ न निर्वाणं किन्निरोधतः ।
न निर्वाणमनुत्पादानिरोधौ यौ स्वभावतः? ॥ २४ ॥

निरोधो यदि निर्वाणं ह्युच्छेदः शाश्वतोऽन्यथा ।
तस्माद्भावो न चाभावोऽप्यनुत्पादानिरोधता ॥ २५ ॥

काचित्स्थितिर्हि निर्वाणमभावोऽपि च तद्भवेत् ।
अभावेऽपि हि तन्नैवाभावाभावेऽपि तच्च न ॥ २६ ॥

न स्वतो लक्षणं लक्ष्याल्लक्ष्यं सिध्यति लक्षणात् ।
नाप्यन्योन्यमसिद्धस्यासिद्धो नैव हि साधकः ॥ २७ ॥

एतेन कारणं कार्यं वेदना-वेदकादयः ।
दृश्यद्रष्ट्रादिकाः सर्वे केऽपि चोक्ता अशेषतः ॥ २८ ॥

अस्थितेश्च मिथः सिद्धेः स्वतोऽसिद्धेश्च सम्प्लवात् ।
भावाभावाच्च त्रैकाल्यमसन्मात्रं विकल्पना ॥ २९ ॥

उत्पादस्थितिभङ्गा न त्रयं संस्कृतलक्षणम् ।
तस्मान्न विद्यते किञ्चित्संस्कृतं नाप्यसंस्कृतम् ॥ ३० ॥

भग्नो न भज्यतेऽभग्नोऽप्यस्थितस्य न च स्थितिः ।
स्थितस्यापि स्थितिर्नासन् संश्चाप्युत्पद्यते न हि ॥ ३१ ॥

न सन्नासन्न सदसन्नैको नानेक इत्यपि ।
संस्कृतोऽसंस्कृतः सर्वे कोटिष्वास्वेव ते गताः ॥ ३२ ॥

अस्ति कर्मस्वकत्वं हि कर्मकर्मफलं तथा ।
कर्मणोऽविप्रणाशश्च दिदेश भगवान् गुरुः ॥ ३३ ॥

अनिरुद्धमनुत्पन्नं कर्मोक्तं निःस्वभावकम् ।
आत्मग्रहाद्धि तज्जातं जनकोऽपि विकल्पतः ॥ ३४ ॥

यदि स्वभावतः कर्म तज्जः कायोऽपि शाश्वतः ।
विपाकदुःखवन्न स्यात्, स्यादात्मैवापि कर्म च ॥ ३५ ॥

कर्म प्रत्ययजं किञ्चिनास्त्यप्रत्ययजं न च ।
मायावत्सर्वसंस्काराः गन्धभुक्पुर्मरीचिवत् ॥ ३६ ॥

क्लेशकारणकं कर्म संस्काराः क्लेशकर्मतः ।
कर्महेतुश्च कायोऽपि त्रयं शून्यं स्वभावतः ॥ ३७ ॥

कर्मण्यसति कर्ता न द्वयाभावे न तत्फलम् ।
तदभावे न भोक्ता स्यादसत्त्वाच्च विविक्तता ॥ ३८ ॥

योऽपश्यत्कर्मशून्यत्वं सम्यग्ज्ञानेन कम न ।
कर्मण्यसति कर्मभ्यः समुत्पन्ना न सन्ति वै ॥ ३९ ॥

निर्मिमीते यथा ऋद्ध्या भगवांश्च तथागतः ।
तेन निर्मितकेनापि ह्यन्यो निर्मीयते पुनः ॥ ४० ॥

बुद्धनिर्मितकः शून्यः का तन्निर्मितके कथा ।
यत्किञ्चित्कल्पनामात्र सत्त्वं तच्चोभयोस्तथा ॥ ४१ ॥

कर्ता निर्मितकेनेव कर्म निर्मितसदृशम् ।
शून्यं स्वभावतो यत्सत्कल्पनामात्रमेव तत् ॥ ४२ ॥

कर्मकर्ता न निर्वाणं यदि कर्म स्वभावतः ।
इष्टानिष्टफलं न स्यात्तद्भावो यदि नास्ति वै ॥ ४३ ॥

सच्चाप्यस्ति ह्यसच्चापि सदसच्चापि विद्यते ।
सुगमा न हि बुद्धानामाभिप्रायिकदेशना ॥ ४४ ॥

रूपं चेद्भूततो जातं तद्रूपं स्यादतत्त्वतः ।
स्वभावान्न हि तन्नापि परतस्तदभावतः ॥ ४५ ॥

एकस्मिन्न चतुःसत्त्वं सन्नैकं हि चतुर्ष्वपि ।
असच्चतुर्महाभूतापेक्षं रूपं क्व सिध्यति ॥ ४६ ॥

लिङ्गादिति न तल्लिङ्गमत्यन्ताग्रहणान्ननु ।
हेतुप्रत्ययजं सत्त्वे न लिङ्गं नेति युज्यते ॥ ४७ ॥

रूपस्य ग्रहणं चेत्स्यात्स्वस्वभावग्रहो भवेत् ।
असन्निमित्तया बुद्ध्या ह्यसद्रूपग्रहः कथम् ॥ ४८ ॥

बुद्ध्या क्षणिकया रूपं नाप्यते क्षणिकं यदा ।
तदानागतरूपं चातीतं किमिव गृह्यते ॥ ४९ ॥

कदापि वर्णसंस्थाने यदा नैव पृथक्पृथक् ।
नैकग्रहो हि भिन्नानां ह्युभे रूपं प्रसिध्यतः ॥ ५० ॥

न रूपे नापि मध्ये हि चक्षुर्बुद्धिर्न चक्षुषोः ।
चक्षुः प्रतीत्य रूपं च विपर्यासो विकल्पना ॥ ५१ ॥

चक्षुः पश्यति नात्मानं रूपं पश्येन्नु तत्कथम् ।
चक्षुर्निरात्मकं रूपं शेषाण्यायतनान्यपि ॥ ५२ ॥

चक्षुः स्वभावतः शून्यं शून्यञ्च परभावतः ।
शून्यं तथैव रूपञ्च शेषाण्यायतनान्यपि ॥ ५३ ॥

संस्पर्शेन सहैकं स्यात्तदान्येषां हि शून्यता ।
शून्यं नापेक्षतेऽशून्यं ह्यशून्यं चापि शून्यताम् ॥ ५४ ॥

नास्ति स्वभावसंयोगः त्रिकमस्थितमप्यसत् ।
तत्स्वभावात्मसंस्पर्शो नास्त्यतो वेदनापि सत् ॥ ५५ ॥

अन्तरायतनं प्राप्य विज्ञानं बाह्यमेव वा ।
जायतेऽतो न विज्ञानं शून्यं मायामरीचिवत् ॥ ५६ ॥

विज्ञेयापेक्षयोत्पादाद्विज्ञानं नास्ति सद्ध्रुवम् ।
ज्ञातुश्चाविद्यमानत्वमसत्त्वाज्ज्ञानज्ञेययोः ॥ ५७ ॥

कश्चिन्नित्यो ह्यनित्यो वानित्यं सर्वं च नास्ति वा ।
भावे नित्यं ह्यनित्यं वा कथङ्कारं तथा भवेत् ॥ ५८ ॥

रागो द्वेषश्च मोहो हि चेष्टानिष्टविपर्ययैः ।
प्रत्ययजा ह्यतो रागो द्वेषो मोहश्च न स्वतः ॥ ५९ ॥

यस्मिन् रागो भवेत्तस्मिन् द्वेषमोहौ यतस्ततः ।
विकल्पतो हि जायन्ते नो विकल्पोऽपि तत्त्वतः ॥ ६० ॥

ये विकल्प्या न ते सन्ति कल्प्याभावे क्व कल्पनम् ।
प्रत्ययैर्जनितत्त्वाद्धि शून्ये कल्प्यककल्पने ॥ ६१ ॥

चतुर्विपर्ययै र्जाता नाविद्या तत्त्वदर्शनात् ।
तदभावे न संस्काराः स्युः शेषा अपि तादृशाः ॥ ६२ ॥

यद्यत्प्रतीत्य यज्जातं तदभावे न तत्ततः ।
भावाभावाश्च संस्कारासंस्काराः शान्तनिर्वृताः ॥ ६३ ॥

हेतुप्रत्ययजा भावाः कल्प्यन्ते ये च तत्वतः ।
प्रोक्ता शास्त्रा ह्यविद्या सा द्वादशाङ्गं ततो भवेत् ॥ ६४ ॥

भावशून्यत्वसज्ज्ञानान्नाविद्या तत्त्वदर्शनात् ।
सो ह्यविद्यानिरोधोऽतो द्वादशाङ्गं निरुध्यते ॥ ६५ ॥

मायामरीचिगन्धर्वपुरबुद्बुदफेनवत् ।
संस्काराः स्वप्नसंकाशा विद्यन्तेऽलातचक्रवत् ॥ ६६ ॥

भावः स्वभावतः कश्चिन्नात्राभावोऽपि विद्यते ।
हेतुप्रत्ययतो जातो भावोऽभावश्च शून्यकः ॥ ६७ ॥

सर्वभावस्वभावानां शून्यत्वादुपदिष्टवान् ।
सर्वे प्रतीत्यजा भावा इत्यतुल्यस्तथागतः ॥ ६८ ॥

तन्मात्रः परमार्थो हि भगवान् बुद्ध उक्तवान् ।
लोकवर्तनमाश्रित्य सर्वं नाना यथार्थतः ॥ ६९ ॥

लोकभासनभङ्गो न धर्मः कश्चिन्न तत्त्वतः ।
भीतोऽज्ञोऽकल्पनिर्हारे सौगते वचने त्वतः ॥ ७० ॥

इदम्प्रतीत्य चास्तीदं न रोधो लोकपद्धतेः ।
प्रतीत्यजः स निःसत्त्वः सन्त्येते निश्चयः कथम् ॥ ७१ ॥

तत्त्वान्वीक्षारतः श्राद्ध उक्ते कुत्रापि न स्थितः ।
प्राप्य युक्त्या नयं शान्तः भावाभावप्रहाणतः ॥ ७२ ॥

इदम्प्रत्ययताज्ञानात्दृष्टिजालविनिर्गतः ।
अस्पृष्टं याति निर्वाणं रागप्रतिघमोहहः ॥ ७३ ॥

शून्यतासप्ततेर्वृत्तिः आचार्यनागार्जुनपादकृता समाप्ता ॥

 English translation

Tanmoy Bhattacharyya

1. Due to self-generated mental modification (स्वोपज्ञवृत्त्या समन्विता), the mind mixes with karma, the arising, abiding, and ceasing—being and non-being, and what is beyond them—are spoken of by the Buddha only for the sake of conventional worldly dealings, not as ultimate truth.
2. There is no self; nor is there truly a non-self; nor something other than self and non-self. All things are by nature empty and comparable to nirvāṇa.
3. In the totality of causes and conditions, or in each separately, the inherent nature of any entity is not found; therefore emptiness exists.
4. A thing does not arise from another thing; nor does non-existence arise from what does not exist. Because of the contradiction between being and non-being, neither abiding nor destruction truly occurs; things are unborn.
5. What is born (न जायते) is not truly produced; what is unborn is not produced either. Neither the born nor the unborn truly produce something that is being born.
6. If the cause possessed its effect, it would already contain the result; if the effect did not exist, the cause would be causeless. Thus being and non-being contradict each other and cannot be consistently maintained across past, present, and future.
7. In unity there cannot be multiplicity, and in multiplicity there cannot be unity. Phenomena arising through dependent origination are therefore without inherent cause or independent essence.
8. The twelvefold chain of dependent origination is itself unborn and arises through dependence. It cannot exist in a single moment of consciousness, nor can it exist across many.
9. There is neither self nor non-self; neither permanence nor impermanence; neither suffering nor happiness; neither purity nor impurity. Thus the distortions of perception do not ultimately exist.
10. Without these distortions there is no ignorance, which arises from the four misconceptions. Without ignorance, the formations (संस्काराः) and the rest of the chain also do not arise.
11. If formations (संस्काराः) do not exist, ignorance cannot exist either; and without ignorance, formations cannot exist. Being mutually dependent causes, neither is established by its own nature.
12. What is not established in itself cannot produce another. Therefore what is not established cannot generate others through conditions.
13. A father is not a father without a son, nor a son without a father; they do not exist independently of each other. Likewise the twelve links of dependent origination do not arise simultaneously.
14. Just as in a dream, when objects appear through dependence, there seems to be pleasure and pain, yet the objects themselves are unreal—so too are phenomena dependent on objects.
15. If things had inherent nature, they would be superior, inferior, or intermediate by themselves. But without multiplicity there can be no arising from causes.
16. If things existed by intrinsic nature, they would exist without dependence. But since they lack inherent nature, how could they exist independently?
17. If inherent nature or other-nature existed, how could destruction occur? Without inherent or other nature, the notions of existence and non-existence are inverted.
18. If emptiness exists, there is no arising and no cessation. When things are empty of inherent nature, how could there be coming or going?
19. If non-existence did not exist, existence could not exist; existence and non-existence cannot exist together. Without existence there is no non-existence; otherwise existence (ऋते भावं ) would always be non-existence.
20. Non-existence does not arise from itself or from another; and it cannot exist without existence. Therefore neither existence nor non-existence truly exists.
21. If existence truly existed, it would be eternal; if it did not exist, it would be annihilated. Since both conclusions follow from the assumption of existence, existence cannot ultimately be accepted.
22. A continuum cannot produce itself and then perish. Otherwise the faults of annihilation and discontinuity would follow.
23. Seeing the teaching of the path to cessation, arising and ceasing are not ultimately real because emptiness contradicts such dual notions.
24. If production and cessation do not exist, how could nirvāṇa be cessation? And if nirvāṇa were something produced, it too would be subject to cessation.
25. If cessation were nirvāṇa, it would imply annihilation; if otherwise, it would imply permanence. Therefore nirvāṇa is neither existence nor non-existence, nor production nor cessation.
26. If nirvāṇa were some state or condition, it would also be non-existence. But even non-existence cannot ultimately describe it.
27. A defining characteristic cannot exist without the thing defined, nor the thing without its characteristic. Neither can establish the other if both are unproven.
28. By this reasoning, cause and effect, feeling and the feeler (वेदना-वेदकादयः), the seen and the seer, and all such distinctions are explained.
29. Because things are not established in themselves or mutually, the divisions of past, present, and future are merely conceptual constructions.
30. Arising, abiding, and ceasing are not truly the marks of conditioned phenomena; therefore nothing conditioned or unconditioned ultimately exists.
31. What is broken is not truly broken, and what is unbroken cannot break. What is stable does not remain stable, and what does not exist cannot arise.
32. Neither existence, non-existence, both, nor neither apply to conditioned or unconditioned phenomena; all such categories fail.
33. Nevertheless, the Buddha taught that actions belong to the doer, that actions bear results, and that the results of actions do not perish.
34. Actions are said to be neither destroyed nor produced and lack inherent nature. They arise due to conceptual grasping of a self.
35. If actions had inherent nature, the body born from them would be eternal. But suffering and its results would not follow, and self and action would become identical.
36. No action arises without conditions; nothing arises independently. All conditioned things are like illusions, mirages, echoes, or magical cities.
37. Actions arise from afflictions; conditioned formations arise from actions and afflictions; and the body arises from actions. All three are empty of inherent nature.
38. If actions did not exist, there would be no agent; without both, there would be no result. Without results there would be no experiencer.
39. One who truly sees the emptiness of action does not create actions; when action does not exist, nothing arises from it.
40. Just as the Buddha, through miraculous power, creates magical forms, and those forms create others, so too phenomena arise dependently.
41. A magical form created by the Mind (Buddhi) is empty; so are the forms created by that form. Whatever exists through imagination is the same.
42. The agent is like a magical creation, and action resembles a magical act. Whatever appears to exist is merely conceptual.
43. If action had inherent nature, neither action nor the agent could attain nirvāṇa, nor would pleasant or unpleasant results exist.
44. Existence, non-existence, and both may appear to exist, but the intention of the Buddhas’ teachings is not easy to grasp.
45. If form truly arose from the elements, it would exist inherently. But since it does not arise from itself or another, its existence is not ultimate.
46. In one element there cannot be four elements, and yet each element depends on the others. Without such dependence, form cannot be established.
47. A sign is not truly a sign, since it cannot be grasped absolutely. If something arises from causes and conditions, it cannot serve as a definitive sign.
48. If form were grasped truly, it would mean grasping its inherent nature. But how could nonexistent form be grasped by a mind without basis?
49. If form is momentary and the mind is momentary, the mind cannot grasp it; and what is past or future cannot be grasped either.
50. Color and shape are never grasped separately, yet the perception of form assumes a unity among differences.
51. The eye, form, and visual consciousness do not exist independently; the notion of seeing form arises through conceptual distortion.
52. The eye cannot see itself; how then could it see form? Both eye and form lack self, as do the other sense bases.
53. The eye is empty by its own nature and empty of other nature; the same is true of form and the other sense bases.
54. Contact cannot exist with something empty as though it were solid; emptiness does not depend on non-emptiness.
55. There is no inherent conjunction of the three factors (sense organ, object, consciousness); therefore sensation itself cannot be inherently real.
56. Consciousness does not arise merely upon reaching internal or external objects; it is empty like a magical illusion or mirage.
57. Because consciousness arises dependent on objects, it has no permanent existence; neither the knower nor the known truly exists.
58. Nothing is inherently permanent or impermanent; nor is everything entirely so. These concepts cannot ultimately apply.
59. Attachment, aversion, and delusion arise from mistaken perceptions of desirable and undesirable things; they arise from conditions, not from themselves.
60. Where attachment exists, aversion and delusion arise as well; they arise from conceptualization, which itself is not ultimately real.
61. What is imagined does not truly exist; when the imagined object is absent, where can imagination arise?
62. Ignorance arises from the four distortions, but when reality is seen correctly, ignorance does not arise, nor do the formations that follow.
63. Whatever arises dependent on something ceases when that condition ceases; conditioned and unconditioned phenomena are peaceful and extinguished.
64. Phenomena arising from causes and conditions are conceived as real; such conception is ignorance, from which the twelvefold chain arises.
65. When true knowledge of emptiness arises, ignorance ceases; with the cessation of ignorance, the twelve links cease.
66. Conditioned phenomena are like illusions, mirages, dream images, magical cities, bubbles, foam, or a circle made by a whirling torch.
67. No phenomenon has inherent nature; nor does non-existence. Both existence and non-existence arise dependently and are empty.
68. Because all phenomena are empty of inherent nature, the Tathāgata taught that all arise dependently.
69. The Buddha declared (भगवान् बुद्ध उक्तवान् ) that ultimate reality is just this, while diversity appears only in conventional worldly functioning.
70. No doctrine truly destroys the appearance of the world; the ignorant fear the Buddha’s teaching because they do not understand it.
71. When this exists, that exists; such is the conventional order of the world. But what arises dependently lacks inherent being.
72. The one who examines reality with faith does not cling to any view; understanding through reasoning brings peace by abandoning notions of existence and non-existence.
73. By knowing dependent arising, one escapes the net of views and reaches untouched nirvāṇa, free from attachment, aversion, and delusion.

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वातुलनाथ-सूत्राणि ( Batul Nath Sutram)