Oskar von Hinüber suggests here that the Theravāda tradition offers no support 
for a derivation of sutta from sūkta. (In der Theravāda-Überlieferung findet 
die Annahme, daß sutta- eigentlich sūkta- entspräche, nirgends eine Stütze, wie 
die lange Erörterung  zu sutta-, As 19, 15–26 mit aller Deutlichkeit zeigt.)

However, the Atthasālini passage cited here (= Sp I 19 = Sv I 17) quotes and 
explains a mnemonic verse that offers 6 ways of taking sutta; the second of 
these is precisely sūkta (Pali suvutta):

"As revealing benefits, as well spoken (suvutta), as productive, as yielding,
as sheltering well, as a universal measuring cord, it is called sutta.”

"For a sutta reveals various benefits for ourselves and others. And in it these 
benefits are spoken well (suvutta) since they are spoken in accordance with the 
disposition of those who are to be trained …"

atthānaṃ sūcanato suvuttato savanato ’tha sūdanato |
suttāṇā suttasabhāgato ca suttan ti akkhātaṃ ||

taṃ hi attatthaparatthādibhede atthe sūceti. suvuttā c’ ettha atthā 
veneyyajjhāsayānulomena vuttattā ...

Rupert Gethin
--
Rupert Gethin
Professor of Buddhist Studies
University of Bristol
Department of Religion and Theology
3 Woodland Road ● Bristol BS8 1TB ● UK

Email: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>

On 10 May 2021, at 21:13, Lubin, Tim <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> 
wrote:

Oskar von Hinüber (1994: “Die Neun Aṅgas,” p. 132) approvingly cites 
Mayrhofer’s judgment (EWA III/ 492) that the derivation from sūkta is 
“entbehrlich”; he cites a long discussion of the term in Buddhaghosa’s 
Atthasālinī 19.15–26 as evidence against it.

Tim Lubin


From: INDOLOGY 
<[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
 on behalf of INDOLOGY 
<[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
Reply-To: Andrew Ollett 
<[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
Date: Monday, May 10, 2021 at 3:28 PM
To: Jim Ryan <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
Cc: INDOLOGY <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
Subject: Re: [INDOLOGY] The Buddhist term sutta

Dear Jim,

See Max Walleser's 1914 book, footnote on p. 4:

https://archive.org/details/dli.granth.87981/page/4/mode/2up<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fdli.granth.87981%2Fpage%2F4%2Fmode%2F2up&data=04%7C01%7Clubint%40wlu.edu%7C0333231e2b2a4612271008d913e9c5d1%7Cd1a80622a99943e58eb67873905e939e%7C1%7C0%7C637562717033304457%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=DTNhc%2Bn9b9De7mhR5NFEIwsDBzS5Mmag%2B4MyhjFm2ak%3D&reserved=0>

K. R. Norman and Gombrich accepted this suggestion. I suppose Pollock got it 
from Gombrich.

Andrew

On Mon, May 10, 2021 at 2:22 PM Jim Ryan via INDOLOGY 
<[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Dear all,

Sheldon Pollock in The Language of the Gods in the World of Men (p. 52) 
suggests that the Buddhist term “sutta” does not derive from the Sanskrit 
sūtra, but rather from sūkta. Sanskrit double consonant clusters do show 
regular assimilation, regressively and progressively, in Prakrit, where two 
different consonants become a double of one of them. I’m interested in hearing 
learned opinion on Pollock’s suggestion. I had not noticed this interesting 
detail, when I first read this book some years ago.

James Ryan
Asian Philosophies and Cultures (Emeritus)
California Institute of Integral Studies

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