Amitabha Sutra

Sanskrit Lesson

By Bhikshuni Heng Hsien

tatkim manyase sariputra kena karanena sa
tathagato mitayurnamocyate/

What do you think Sariputra? For what reason is that Thus Come One named Limitless Life?

Shakyamuni Buddha now asks tat "this" kim1 "what" manyase2 "do you think" sariputra "Sariputra?" kena3 "for/by what" karanena4 "reason" (is) sa5 "that" tathagato6 "Thus Come One" 'mitayur7 "Limitless Life" namocyate "(is) named?" Word order in Sanskrit puts the main verb at the end, literally ucyate8 "he is called/ is he called" nama9 "by name" 'mitayur, that is, amitayus "Limitless/ Unlimited Life." amita means "unlimited", and ayus means "life," and so the compound means literally "one who has unlimited life." Why does the Buddha Amitayus have that name?           --To be continued


1 Accusative singular neuter of the interrogative pronoun.

2 Second person singular verb, present indicative middle voice, of root/man- "think."

3 Instrumental singular neuter of the integrative adjective, modifying karanena.

4 Instrumental singular of the neuter noun karana.

5 Nominative singular of the demonstrative adjective, modifying the masculine noun tathagato. Note that sound sandhi (sound combination) makes sas appear here as sa before initial t-.

6 Nominative singular of the masculine noun tathagata, subject of verb ucyate. Note that final -s becomes -o- in combination with initial a-.

7 Initial a- of amitayus disappears, as per note 6, and final -s becomes -r before initial n-.

8. Third singular verb, present indicative passive, of root/ vac- which forms the present stem in reversed uc-.

9 Adverbial accusative of the neuter noun naman Final -a of nama and initial u- of ucyate combine into -o- giving -ocyate.