prapaYca
prapañca , m. ( cf. Skt. id. , Pali papañca, and the foll. items), is a word which in Pali and BHS is very hard to define; a careful and searching study of the Pali is needed, and has not been made. Northern translations are unusually bewildering; Tib. regularly spros (pa) , which seems to mean (1) spreading out, enlargement , and (2) activity . Suzukiʼs Index to Laṅk cites three Chin. renderings, (1) frivolous talk (this is the only Chin. recorded in Index to Bbh , with reference to 51.15 ), (2) falsehood , (3) the error of false statement . Das s.v. spros pa (two items) offers a confused variety of interpretations; for the neg. (niṣ-pra°, a-pra°, etc. ) he says the state of an absolute inactivity . The state of freedom from prapañca is always praised; common is niṣ-(niḥ-)prapañca, free from … , Mvy 2925 (among synonyms for gambhīra); Mmk 12.4 (form [Page381-a] corrupt); 13.21 ; Gv 471.8 ; (of the dharmacakra) LV 436.11 ; of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Mmk 164.9 ; Gv 25.19 ; Dbh.g. 26(52).1 ; Bbh 42.17 ; RP 15.15 ( vs : aśaṭha akuha niṣprapañca-citto bhavati, which rather suggests falsehood for pra°, with some Chin. ); aprapañcaṃ tac cakraṃ, sarvaprapañcopārambhavigatatvāt LV 422.16 (see upārambha ); vigata-prapañcāḥ (bodhisattvāḥ) RP 15.2 ( vs ); in a number of passages pra° is bracketed or closely associated with vikalpa, and the contexts suggest vain fancy, false imagining : viṣayavikalpahetukam anādikāla-prapañca-vāsanāhetukaṃ ca Laṅk 38.1—2 , and similarly 42.2 ; vikalpa-prapañcādhiṣṭhānaṃ vikalpa-prapañcālambanaṃ vastu janayanti rūpādi-saṃjñakaṃ Bbh 51.3—5 ; vikalpādhiṣṭhānasya prapañcavastunaḥ (dṛṣṭyasmimānasya …) 15; vikalpa-prapañca-vastv-āśrayā satkāyadṛṣṭir … 16—17; tasya savastukasya vikalpasya nirodho yaḥ, sa sarva-prapañca-nirodho veditavyaḥ; evaṃ ca prapañca-nirodho ( etc. , as cited s.v. parinirvāṇa ) Bbh 55.15 ff. ; saṃjñāvikalpāḥ prapañca-saṅgānugatā(ḥ) 266.5—6 ; sarva-vikalpa-prapañcātītā(ḥ) (tathāgatāḥ) Laṅk 19.18 ; jalpa-prapañcābhiratā hi bālās Laṅk 186.8 , see jalpa , the interpretation of which is doubtful, which increases the uncertainty of prapañca; prapañcārāma- Śikṣ 105.3 , delight in pra° ; °cārāmam adhikṛtyāha 114.13 . followed by a series of vss on the subject (prapañca-cārin, acting with or according to … 114.17, 19 ); pra° bracketed with vigraha, strife , 115.2 ; its object is possessions, 4—7 (na vo 'sti kṣetraṃ na kṛṣir vaṇijyā syur yasya arthāya prapañca etc 6—7); next a vs devoted to vigraha, as based on family and possessions, 8—11; then again a vs on pra°, ending prapañca varjitva janetha kṣāntim 15; prapañca-cāra, the course of pra° , again contrasted with kṣānti, 18—19; parallel with iñjana, manyana, spandana (text syan°), Gv 253.14 ( vs ), see prapañcana and °cita , similarly used; important is MadhK 448.1 ff. , (prakṛti-)śānte niḥsvabhāve tathāgate sarvaprapañcātīte mandabuddhitayā śāśvatāśāśvatādikayā nityānityāstināstiśūnyāśūnyasarvajñāsarvajñādikayā (here a kārikā vs :) prapañcayanti (see this) ye buddhaṃ prapañcātītam avyayaṃ, te prapañca-hatāḥ sarve na paśyanti tathāgataṃ. ( Comm. continues:) vastu-nibandhanā hi prapañcāḥ syur, avastukaḥ (so!) ca tathāgataḥ, kutaḥ prapañcānāṃ pravṛttisaṃbhava iti.ataḥ prapañcātītas tathāgataḥ … tam itthaṃvidhaṃ tathāgataṃ svotprekṣitamithyā-parikalpamala-malina-mānasa-tayā vividhair abhūtaiḥ parikalpaviśeṣair ye buddhaṃ bhagavantam prapañcayanti, te svakair eva prapañcair hatāḥ santas …; here false fancy, vain imagining , seems not far wrong; note parikalpa associated with it; prapañcopaśamaḥ MadhK 538.3 ( vs ), with sarvopalambhopaśamaḥ.