Tibeten~Sanskrit Idiom Query

[Stephen Hodge]

Dear all,

Thanks for the suggestions so far. However, I am not sure that these fit the 
context. I am assuming something here like "na śrotuṃ + śaknoti" (or similar 
with some form of śak*).

The context is this: the text is giving advice to laymen about dealing with 
monks who have distorted the Vinaya, claiming that the Buddha actually 
allowed various forbidden luxury items. The laymen are advised to question 
these monks closely about their behaviour and gives the responses of the 
monks likely to be encountered. The text goes on to say of the laymen:

gal te tshig nyan du mi btub pa de dag ni yang dag pa'i mdo sde shes pa yin 
no ||

FYI, a Chinese version parallels the first clause with: 若其問訊猶不能知, evidently 
reading my problem phrase as "don't know" etc.

The contrasting position immediately follows mentioning laymen who are 
fooled by these bad monks and accept their explanations, with predictably 
dire consequences:

len par byed pa . . . de dag ni sems can dmyal ba pa yin par rig par bya ste 
|

I wonder this might prompt any further suggestions ?

　

Best wishes,

Stephen Hodge