Gatha | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure
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List of Abbreviations

# chinda sotaj parakkamma kame panuda brahmana

# savkharanaj khayaj batva akatabbusi brahmana

# (DhP 383)

Sentence Translation:

Having undertaken the effort, cut off the stream of suffering. Dispel sense-pleasures, Brahmin!
Having realized the destruction of conditioned things, you know the Nirvana, Brahmin!

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

chinda sotaj parakkamma kame panuda brahmana
| | | | | |
V.act. N.m. V.ger. N.m. V.act. N.m.
2.Sg.impt. Acc.Sg. | Acc.Pl. 2.Sg.imp. Voc.Sg.
|___________| | |_______| |
|______________| |___________|

List of Abbreviations

savkharanaj khayaj batva akata+bbu asi brahmana
| | | | | | |
N.m. N.m. V.ger. Adj. Adj.m. V.act.in. N.m.
Gen.Pl. Acc.Sg. | | Nom.Sg. 3.Sg.pres. Voc.Sg.
|______________| | |____| | |
|_____________| |__________| |
| |_____________|
|__________________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

chinda, V.: cut off, destroy. The verb root is chid-. 2.Sg.act.imp. = chinda.

sotaj: sota-, N.m.: stream. Acc.Sg. = sotaj.

parakkamma, V.ger: undertake, show courage. The verb root is kam- (to walk, to enter into) with the prefix para- (over, beyond).

kame: kama-, N.m.: sense-pleasure, sense desire. Acc.Pl. = kame.

panuda, V.: remove, dispel, drive away, reject. The verb root is nud-, with the strengthening prefix pa-. 2.Sg.act.imp. = panuda.

brahmana: brahmana-, N.m.: Brahmin, a holy man. Voc.Sg. = brahmana.

savkharanaj: savkhara-, N.m.: conditioned thing, world of phenomena. The meaning of this word is very wide, here we will use "conditioned thing". It comprises all of the world around us, including ourselves. Gen.Pl. = savkharanaj.

List of Abbreviations

khayaj: khaya-, N.m.: destruction, dissolution, end. Acc.Sg. = khayaj.

batva, V.ger.: having known. It is a ger. of the verb ba- (to know).

akatabbu: akatabbu-, Adj.: who knows the Nirvana. It is a compound of:
akata-, Adj.: uncreated, not made. It is the word kata-, Adj: done, made (it is a p.p. of the verb root kar-, to do) with the negative prefix a-. It is an epithet for the Nirvana.
-bbu-, Adj.suf.: knowing. It is derived from the verb root ba- (to know).
Nom.Sg.m. = akatabbu.

asi, V.: [you] are. The verb root is as- (to be). 2.Sg.act.in.pres. = asi.
Euphonic combination: akatabbu + asi = akatabbusi.

brahmana: see above.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of three syntactically separate sentences. They are:
1) chinda sotaj parakkamma (having undertaken the effort, cut off the stream [of suffering]). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the second person singular pronoun. The verb is chinda (cut off, 2nd person, singular, active, imperative). It has an attribute, the gerund parakkamma (having undertaken). The object is the noun sotaj (stream, accusative singular).
2) kame panuda brahmana (dispel sense-pleasures, Brahmin). The subject is the noun brahmana (Brahmin, vocative singular). The verb is panuda (dispel, 2nd person, singular, active, imperative). The object is the noun kame (sense-pleasures, accusative plural).
3) savkharanaj khayaj batva akatabbusi brahmana (having realized the destruction of conditioned things, you know the Nirvana, Brahmin). This can be further analysed into two segments:
a) savkharanaj khayaj batva (having realized the destruction of conditioned things). The verb is in gerund, batva (having known). The object is the noun khayaj (destruction, accusative singular). It has an attribute, the noun savkharanaj (of conditioned things, genitive plural).
b) akatabbusi brahmana (you know the Nirvana, Brahmin). The subject is the noun brahmana (Brahmin, vocative singular). The verb is asi ([you] are, 2nd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). The object is the compound akatabbu (knower of the Nirvana, nominative singular).

Commentary:

A certain Brahmin in Savatthi was a follower of the Buddha. Often he invited the monks to his house and he would address them as Arahants. Those monks, who had not yet attained the Arahantship, were embarrassed and many monks started to avoid the Brahmin's house.
The Brahmin felt sad and asked the Buddha why so many monks stopped coming to his house. The Buddha then questioned the monks and they told him about the Brahmin's form of address. The Buddha told them that the Brahmin did not mean anything bad; he spoke only out of his respect and devotion to the Arahants. Then the Buddha spoke this verse, saying that monks should uproot the stream of suffering, realize the destruction of conditioned things and experience the Nirvana.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

chinda
sotaj
parakkamma
kame
panuda
brahmana
savkharanaj
khayaj
batva
akatabbu
akata
bbu
asi