"Sariputra, just as I now praise the thus in-
conceivable qualities of those Buddhas, World-
Honored Ones, in the same way, Sariputra, those
Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, also oraise my thus
inconceivable qualities.

     Sakyamuni Buddha continues to tell his
disciple Sariputra, about the interrelation of
the Buddhas of the ten directions.  The text,
when divided according to word endings, reads:

    tad-yatha-apa nama, sariputra, aham etarhi
    tesam buddhanam bhagavatam evam-acintya-
    gunan parikirtayami, evam-eva, sariputra,
    mana-api te buddha bhagavanta evam-acintya-
    gunan parikirtayanti.

The sturcture appeared previously in VBS
issue #141, which also had tadyathapi nama in
the sense of "just as," picked up later on by
evam-eva "in the same way."  The verb of the
first clause, as before, is reinforced by aham
"I," and is parikirtayami "(I) praise," discuss-
ed in full in issue #141.  The direct object is
more complex in this instance, however, being
a compound based mainly on the accusative plural
masculine gunan "qualities," described by the
compound evam "thus" acintya "inconceivable,"
together making "thus-inconceivable qualities."
That in turn governs a possessive genitive  here
masculine plural, the basic word being buddhanam
"of Buddhas."  In apposition to "Buddas" is
"World-Honored Ones"--bhagavatam--both being
modified   the demonstrative pronoun tesam
"those."  The words have occurred many
previous lessons, and so do not need to be con-
sidered in detail here.

     Just as Shakyamuni Buddha now is praising
the guana--"meritorious qualities" or "meritor-
ious virtues"--of all the other Buddhas, in the
same way (he tells his disciple Sariputra), te
"those" (nominative plural masculine this time,
since now the subject of the new clause) buddha
"Buddhas" (with fins) -a dropped before follow-
ing sound), bhagavanta (again, final -s is
dropped by external sandhi) "World-Honored Ones"
api "alsa" parikirtayanti "(they) praise" mama
"of me" = "my" (note that Sanskrit says liter-
ally mama-api "of me also," instead of putting
"also" with the verb) evam-acintya-gunan "thus
inconceivable qualities."

    The word order seems a little strange in
English, and so the usual English order has
been adopted in translation   Literally the
Sanskrit reads:  "Just as, Sariputra, I now of
those Buddhas, (World-)Honored Ones, the thus
inconceivable qualities praise, in the sane way,
Sariputra, of me also those Buddhas, (World-)
Honored Ones, the thus inconceivable qualities
praise."

     When the Buddha Shakyamuni is the Host,
all the Buddhas of the ten directions are the
"attendants," and praise Shakyamuni Buddha's
"merit and virtue"--guna meaning also "virtue"
in the sense of excellent quality, or "meritor-
ious virtues."  In Sanskrit, when describing
Buddhas.and Bodhisattvas, the word is usually
found in the plural, for Buddhas and Bodhisat-
tvas are endowed with infinite amounts of such
inconceivable meritorious qualities or virtues.
                  --to be continued