Sutta Ne 5: 9.13
Vivicchā nāma vuccati vicikicchā
Could I request help with translating this sentence?
By using sutta central dictionary I would arrive at translation like:
Manifold desire for name is called vicikicchā.
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vivicchā: fem. stinginess; miserliness; meanness; tight-fistedness [vi + √is] ✗
“What is called meanness is said to be doubt”
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It looks like a possible play on words is going on here.
This is from the Vibhaṅga. I think I’ve identified the passage here:
“Kenassu nappakāsatī”ti pañhe “vivicchā pamādā nappakāsatī”ti visajjanā.
Yo puggalo nīvaraṇehi nivuto, so vivicchati.
Vivicchā nāma vuccati vicikicchā.
So vicikicchanto nābhisaddahati, na abhisaddahanto vīriyaṁ nārabhati akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ sacchikiriyāya.
So idhappamādamanuyutto viharati pamatto, sukke dhamme na uppādiyati, tassa te anuppādiyamānā nappakāsanti, yathāha bhagavā—
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SuttaCentral
Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli translation:
- [And again] “’Tis undisplayed through miswishing and neglect ” is the answer to “And wherefore is it undisplayed ”? When a person is shut in by hindrances, he miswishes (vivicchati ), and “miswishing” (vivicchā ) is what uncertainty (vicikicchā ) is called. When he is uncertain (vicikicchanto ) he does not settle his faith. When he does not settle his faith he does not instigate energy for the abandoning of unprofitable ideas [and] for the verification of profitable ideas. Here he abides devoted to negligence. When he is negligent he does not arouse ideas that belong to the white [side]. Not being aroused, they are not displayed to him, according as the Blessed One said:
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SuttaCentral
As Ceisiwr says, it seems to have some wordplay in the similar-looking Pāli words…
The word vivicchā (and the verbal form vivicchati used in the prior sentence) appears to be derived from sanskrit vi + √vic.
vivic here means “to rend asunder”.
vicikicchā (Sanskrit: vicikitsā) = doubt , uncertainty , ambiguity, confusion, distrust, skepticism, suspicion etc.
So here the commentator appears to be saying "when a person is driven asunder (by conflicting feelings), they are said to be in ‘doubt’.
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It’s a type of word play frequent in these texts.
A somewhat ‘false’ etymology or sound resemblance is used as a clever way to make a point.
When one has divided thoughts one has doubt.
‘vivicchā nāma vuccati vicikicchā’
See SN12.17, how Ven Acela kassapa was turning round on a catukotika problem regarding dukkha
sayaṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti?
paraṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti?
sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca dukkhan’ti?
asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ dukkhan’ti?
Maybe this is a teaching on hindrances and powers. “Doubt” is the last hinderance. “Faith” is the first power.