Viyahapannatti 25.3.870

25.3.870

"Venerable Sir! How many shapes (saṃsthāna) are declared?"
"Gautama! Six shapes are declared, namely: circular (parimaṇḍala), spherical (vṛtta), triangular (tryasra), quadrangular (cat Evanston / caturasra), elongated (āyata), and irregular (anitthaṃstha / indeterminate).
"Venerable Sir! In terms of substance (dravyārthatā), are circular shapes finite? Innumerable? Infinite?"
"Gautama! Not finite, not innumerable, infinite."
"Venerable Sir! Spherical shapes?"
"Just the same. Thus up to irregular shapes. So also in terms of space-points (pradeśārthatā). So also in terms of both substance and space-points (dravyārtha-pradeśārthatā)."
"Venerable Sir! Among these circular, spherical, triangular, quadrangular, elongated, and irregular shapes, in terms of substance, in terms of space-points, and in terms of both substance and space-points, which are fewer, or more, or equal, or specifically greater than which?"
"Gautama! Circular shapes in terms of substance are the fewest of all; spherical shapes in terms of substance are numerably fold [more]; quadrangular shapes in terms of substance are numerably fold [more]; triangular shapes in terms of substance are numerably fold [more]; elongated shapes in terms of substance are numerably fold [more]; irregular shapes in terms of substance are innumerably fold [more].
In terms of space-points: circular shapes in terms of space-points are the fewest of all; spherical shapes in terms of space-points are numerably fold [more]—as in terms of substance, so also in terms of space-points, up to: irregular shapes in terms of space-points are innumerably fold [more].
In terms of both substance and space-points: circular shapes in terms of substance are the fewest of all; that very sequence of substance is to be recited up to: irregular shapes in terms of substance are innumerably fold [more]; compared to irregular shapes in terms of substance, circular shapes in terms of space-points are innumerably fold [more]; spherical shapes in terms of space-points are numerably fold [more]; that very sequence of space-points is to be recited up to: irregular shapes in terms of space-points are innumerably fold [more]."