Buddhacarita 1.70

Question 1

duḥkh|ārṇavād vyādhi|vikīrṇa|phenāj jarā|taraṅgān maraṇ|ogra|vegāt ।uttārayiṣyaty
ayam {uhyamānam
ārtaṃ jagaj} jñāna|mahā|plavena ॥

Translate stanza 1.70 |

Answer 1

From this sea of suffering, whose scattered foam is sickness, whose waves are old-age, and whose mighty current is death - he [The Buddha] will rescue the suffering world which is (carried away by that current), with the great boat of knowledge. ||

Question 2

How many nominal compounds are in stanza 1.70?

Answer 2

5

Question 3

Which of the nominal comounds are exocentric [bahuvrihī] ?

Answer 3

There are 3:

1. vyādhivikīrnaphenāj
2. jarātaraṅgān
3. maraṅogravegāt

Question 4

Rewrite stanza 1.70 in pausa (i.e. without sandhi).

Answer 4

duhkhārṅavat vyādhivikīrṅaphenāt jarātaraṅgāt maraṇogravegāt |
uttārayiṣyati ayam uhyamānam ārtam jagat jñānamahāplavena ||

Question 5

Analyze compound :
duḥkhārṅavāt

Answer 5

‘The ocean that is suffering’
‘The sea of suffering’

Abl Sg Masc

Karmadhāraya compund (of comparison).
The following three exocentric compounds will qualify the ‘ocean’.

Question 6

Analyse compound:
vyādhivikīrṅaphenāt

Answer 6

‘whose [the ocean] scattered foam is disease’

Bahuvrīhi compound - describing the ocean.

The ablative case can express separation / direction of movement, but also; cause, origin, comparison or source of material/ movement. (very often in the form of ‘from’, ‘than’).

OVERALL: the compound is a bahuvrīhi - yet, the relationship between vikirna + phenat could also be understood as descriptive compound (karmadhāraya).
Therefor, the entire compound is ‘embedded’.

Question 7

Analyse compound:
jarātaraṅgāt

Answer 7

'’Whose waves are old-age’

Bahuvrīhi compound - in the Abl Sg Masc

jarā = old age, the act of becoming old
taraṅga (masc.) = wave

Question 8

Analyse compound:
maraṅogravegāt

maraṅa + ugra = ogra

Answer 8

‘Whose [the ocean] violent/might current is death’

Bahuvrīhi compound - Abl Sg Masc

ugra ; powerful, intense, mighty
vega (masc) ; current, flood

Question 9

Analyse the compound:
jñānamahāplavena

Answer 9

‘by/with [his] great boat that is knowledge’

karmadhāraya compound - Instr. masc Sg

There are two different kramadhāraya relatinships embedded within this compound.
- mahā + plavena = descriptive compound
- jñāna + mahāplavena = comparison (metaphor)