AN 4.42

Pañhabyākaraṇasutta

“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, pañhabyākaraṇāni. Katamāni cattāri? Atthi, bhikkhave, pañho ekaṁsabyākaraṇīyo; atthi, bhikkhave, pañho vibhajjabyākaraṇīyo; atthi, bhikkhave, pañho paṭipucchābyākaraṇīyo; atthi, bhikkhave, pañho ṭhapanīyo. Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri pañhabyākaraṇānīti.

Ways of Answering Questions

“Mendicants, there are these four ways of answering questions. What four? There is a question that should be answered categorically. There is a question that should be answered analytically. There is a question that should be answered with a counter-question. There is a question that should be set aside. These are the four ways of answering questions.

Ekaṁsavacanaṁ ekaṁ, vibhajjavacanāparaṁ; Tatiyaṁ paṭipuccheyya, catutthaṁ pana ṭhāpaye.

One is stated categorically, another analytically, a third with a counter-question, while a fourth is set aside.

Yo ca tesaṁ tattha tattha, jānāti anudhammataṁ; Catupañhassa kusalo, āhu bhikkhuṁ tathāvidhaṁ.

That sort of mendicant, who knows each of these, in line with good principles, is said to be skilled in the four kinds of questions.

Durāsado duppasaho, gambhīro duppadhaṁsiyo; Atho atthe anatthe ca, ubhayassa hoti kovido.

They’re intimidating, hard to defeat, deep, and hard to crush. They’re expert in both what the meaning is and what it isn’t.

Anatthaṁ parivajjeti, atthaṁ gaṇhāti paṇḍito; Atthābhisamayā dhīro, paṇḍitoti pavuccatī”ti.

Shunning what is not the meaning, an astute person grasps the meaning. An attentive one, comprehending the meaning, is said to be astute.”