妙法蓮華經玄贊 4.104

4.104

釋名者，先釋總名，先德翻為「十二部經」，部含二義：一部𭿾、二部類。此是部類，十二義類有差別故。古人疑云十二部𭿾經，由此道士說三十六部，老莊之徒各為一部。今言「十二分教」，分謂分段，文義差別有十二分段故。又云「經」者乃濫契經，今翻為「教」，十二通稱，更無所濫，帶數釋也。釋別名者，總為三類，應頌、諷誦、自說、緣起、希法、方廣，此之六名唯依主釋，應重述頌乃至方理之廣故。論議一種唯持業釋，論體即議故。或諷誦亦持業釋，可諷可誦故，不同應頌，彼頌是教、此誦是言故。契經、記別、譬喻、本事、本生，此之五名通持業、依主兩釋，能契即經，契理之經，乃至本體即生，本世之生故。

Regarding the explanation of names: first, explaining the general name. Ancient worthies translated it as 'twelve divisions of scriptures' (十二部經). The word 'division' (部) contains two meanings: first, a division or partition (部𭿾); second, a category (部類). Here it means category, because the twelve meanings and categories have distinctions. Ancients were perplexed, saying they were 'twelve partition-scriptures', on which basis Daoists spoke of thirty-six divisions, with the followers of Laozi and Zhuangzi each forming one division. Now we say 'twelve limbs of teaching' (十二分教). 'Limb' (分) means a section or division, because there are twelve sections distinguished by text and meaning. Furthermore, saying 'sūtra' (經) causes confusion with sūtra proper (sūtra-aṅga, 契經); now translating it as 'teaching' (教) provides a common designation for all twelve without any confusion, which is an appositional compound with a number (带數釋, dvigu). Regarding the explanation of the specific names: they comprise three categories in all. Geya, gāthā, udāna, nidāna, adbhutadharma, and vaipulya—these six names are interpreted solely as genitive tatpuruṣa compounds (依主釋, tatpuruṣa), because they are verses that restate accordingly (應重述之頌), up to the vastness of directional principles (方理之廣), and so forth. Upadeśa alone is a karmadhāraya compound (持業釋), because the substance of the exposition (論體) is itself the debate/inquiry (議). Alternatively, gāthā is also a karmadhāraya compound, because it can be intoned (諷) and chanted (誦); it is not like geya, where that verse is the teaching, whereas this chanting is the speech. Sūtra, vyākaraṇa, avadāna, itivṛttaka, and jātaka—these five names admit both karmadhāraya and tatpuruṣa interpretations: that which can accord is itself the scriptural thread (sūtra), or it is the scriptural thread that accords with principle; up to the fundamental substance itself being birth, or the birth of the fundamental [past] life.