sutta » an » an4 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.42

Pañhabyākaraṇasutta

Ways of Answering Questions

“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, pañhabyākaraṇāni.
“Mendicants, there are these four ways of answering questions.

Katamāni cattāri?
What four?

Atthi, bhikkhave, pañho ekaṁsabyākaraṇīyo;
There is a question that should be answered categorically.

atthi, bhikkhave, pañho vibhajjabyākaraṇīyo;
There is a question that should be answered analytically.

atthi, bhikkhave, pañho paṭipucchābyākaraṇīyo;
There is a question that should be answered with a counter-question.

atthi, bhikkhave, pañho ṭhapanīyo.
There is a question that should be set aside.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri pañhabyākaraṇānīti.
These are the four ways of answering questions.

Ekaṁsavacanaṁ ekaṁ,
One is stated categorically,

vibhajjavacanāparaṁ;
another analytically,

Tatiyaṁ paṭipuccheyya,
a third with a counter-question,

catutthaṁ pana ṭhāpaye.
while a fourth is set aside.

Yo ca tesaṁ tattha tattha,
A mendicant who knows each of these,

jānāti anudhammataṁ;
in line with good principles,

Catupañhassa kusalo,
is said to be skilled

āhu bhikkhuṁ tathāvidhaṁ.
in the four kinds of questions.

Durāsado duppasaho,
They’re intimidating, hard to defeat,

gambhīro duppadhaṁsiyo;
deep, and hard to crush.

Atho atthe anatthe ca,
They’re expert in both

ubhayassa hoti kovido.
what the meaning is and what it isn’t.

Anatthaṁ parivajjeti,
Rejecting what is not the meaning,

atthaṁ gaṇhāti paṇḍito;
an astute person grasps the meaning.

Atthābhisamayā dhīro,
An attentive one, comprehending the meaning,

paṇḍitoti pavuccatī”ti.
is said to be astute.”

Dutiyaṁ.