"What do you think, Sariputra?  For what
reason is this discourse on Dharma called one
that receives the protection of all Buddhas?"

     This lesson begins Section  seventeen, and
asks a question in the same manner  described
in the lessons for issues #122 and #126:  tat
kim manyase sariputra?  "What (sat kim) do you
think (manyase) , Sariputra?"  See issue #122
for grammatical discussion.  kena karanena "for
what reason" was also thoroughly presented in
that issue.  Those words introduce the subject
in Sanskrit, and the verb comes at the end of
the sentence, whereas English inverts the word
order to indicate it is a question and puts
"is" before the subject.

    All Buddhas spoke with their vast, long
tongue, saying:  pratiyatha yuyam-idam-acintya 
guna-parikirtanam sarva-buddha-parigraham nama
dharma-paryayam. "All of you, believe and accept
this discourse on Dharma which is called one
that is praised for its inconceivable qualities
and receives the protection of all Buddhas."
In this sentence now, the word for "discourse on
Dharma" appears in the nominative singular, mas-
culine, since it is the subject instead of the
direct object as before.  Therefore it reads:
ayam  ("this"--note  that  external  sandhi  brings
about the joining of final -a of the word before
with the initial a- of this word) dharma-paryayah
"discourse on Dharma".  Only part of the phrase
the Buddhas speak is included in the question:
sarva-buddha-parigraho "(one that) receives the
protection of all Buddhas."

     For full discussion, see Issue #145.  The
main verb.here is namocyate "is called," which
was discussed in issue #122.  When the answer
has been completely given, the Buddha will end
with the phrase "for that reason," reminding
us of how and where the question began. The
question is not so much a matter of the meaning
of the name of the discourse on Dharma, but is
rather a discussion of how all Buddhas protect
this Sutra and those who recite and uphold it.