Root Verses on the Middle Way
Indian philosophy · Nāgārjuna
Nāgārjuna’s Middle Way presents Mark Siderits and Shōryū Katsura’s translation of the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā with commentary.
Translations & sourcesEditions & translators
Mark Siderits and Shōryū Katsura’s translation and commentary is available through the publisher. This link is a paid book listing, not a free full-text edition.
Edition & attribution
An introduction. Follow the source link below to explore the translated work.
Introductions, reflection questions and added section headings are editorial material, separate from the attributed translation.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork created for Buddhist Atlas. It is an evocative companion, not a depiction of the text’s historical setting.
Published edition · paid
Source link checked October 1, 2026. The linked publisher provides the text and its usage terms.
Connections
Guru Viking1
- Ep326: Enlightened Politics - Leigh Brasington
Reference checked in captions.
Source
People & teachers3
- Nāgārjuna
Author of the Root Verses on the Middle Way.
Source
- Tsongkhapa
A later interpreter who wrote the Ocean of Reasoning commentary.
Source
- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama
Teaches on this text:
Traditions & history4
- Madhyamaka
The philosophical tradition grounded in Nāgārjuna’s analysis.
Source
- Madhyamaka
Study context: this text is included in the Atlas guide to Madhyamaka.
- Tibetan traditions
Study context: this text is included in the Atlas guide to Tibetan traditions.
- Nālandā tradition
Study context: this text is included in the Atlas guide to Nālandā tradition.
Books1
- Nāgārjuna’s Middle Way
A complete translation with commentary on this work.
Source
Topics2
- Emptiness & not-self
Explore Emptiness & not-self across the Atlas.
- Impermanence & letting go
Explore Impermanence & letting go across the Atlas.
Make yourself comfortable
About this textContext & reading guide
Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā examines causation, movement, self, time and other categories through arguments against independent, inherent existence. It is a foundational work for Madhyamaka philosophy.
These compressed verses benefit from commentary. Read the arguments as inquiries into how things depend on conditions, rather than as an assertion that nothing exists or that actions have no consequences.