Adi-lila, Chapter 2 137

TRANSLATION

“One should not state a predicate before its subject, for it cannot thus stand
without proper support.”’

PURPORT

This rhetorical rule appears in the Ekddasi-tattva, Thirteenth Canto, in connec-
tion with the metaphorical use of words. An unknown object should not be put
before the known subject because the object has no meaning if the subject is not
first given.

TEXT 75
wyzae a) sini ai she faces |
Bict wate Sie, **5tfeceH 1 9¢ UI
anuvada na kahiya na kahi vidheya
age anuvada kahi, pascad vidheya
SYNONYMS

anuvada—the subject; na kahiya—not saying; nd—not; kahi—\ say; vidheya—the
predicate; age- first; anuvada—the subject; kahi—| say; pascat— afterwards; vidheya—
the predicate.

TRANSLATION

If | do not state a subject, | do not state a predicate. First | speak the former and
then I speak the latter.

TEXT 76

‘facun’ SfSCA SICA, Cl AB GBS |
cargate’ afe wiTT, CAS SA SNS Hay i

‘vidheya’ kahiye tare, ye vastu ajhata
‘anuvada’ kahi tare, yei haya jnata
SYNONYMS

vidheya—the predicate; kahiyve—| say; tare—to him; ye—that; vastu—thing; ajfata
—unknown; anuvada—the subject; kahi—| say; tare—to him; yei—that which; haya—
is; /Aata—known.

TRANSLATION

The predicate of a sentence is what is unknown to the reader, whereas the subject
is what is known to him.
