Gatha | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure
Vocabulary&Grammar | Commentary | Pronunciation

List of Abbreviations

# tanhaya jayati soko tanhaya jayati bhayaj

# tanhaya vippamuttassa natthi soko kuto bhayaj

# (DhP 216)

Sentence Translation:

From thirst, grief is born. From thirst, fear is born.
One freed from thirst has no grief, whence fear?

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

tanhaya jayati soko tanhaya jayati bhayaj
| | | | | |
N.f. V.med.in. N.m. N.f. V.med.in. N.n.
Abl.Sg. 3.Sg.pres. Nom.Sg. Abl.Sg. 3.Sg.pres. Nom.Sg.
|_________| | |________| |
|_____________| |____________|

List of Abbreviations

tanhaya vippamuttassa na atthi soko kuto bhayaj
| | | | | | |
N.f. Adj.m. neg. V.act.in. N.m. Adv. N.n.
Abl.Sg. Gen.Sg. | 3.Sg.pres. Nom.Sg. | Nom.Sg.
|____________| |______| | |_____|
|__________________| |________|
|_______________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

tanhaya: tanha-, N.f.: thirst. Abl.Sg. = tanhaya.

jayati, V.: is born. The verb root is jan- (to be born). 3.Sg.med.in.pres. = jayati. The form jayati is sometimes used in poetry.

soko: soka-, N.m.: grief, sorrow. Nom.Sg. = soko.

tanhaya: see above.

jayati: see above.

bhayaj: bhaya-, N.n.: fear.

tanhaya: see above.

List of Abbreviations

vippamuttassa: vippamutta-, Adj.: emancipated, freed, released. It is a p.p. of the verb muc- (to release) with the prefixes vi- (meaning separation) and pa- (strengthening). Gen.Sg.m. = vippamuttassa.

na, neg.: not.

atthi, V.: is. The verb root is as- (to be). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = atthi.
Euphonic combination: na + atthi = natthi.

soko: see above.

kuto, Adv.: Whence? Where from?

bhayaj: see above.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of three syntactically separate sentences. They are:
1) tanhaya jayati soko (from thirst, grief is born). The subject is the noun soko (grief, nominative singular). The verb is jayati (is born, 3rd person, singular, medium, indicative, present tense). It has an attribute, the noun tanhaya (from thirst, ablative singular).
2) tanhaya jayati bhayaj (from thirst, fear is born). The subject is the noun bhayaj (fear, nominative singular). The verb is jayati (is born, 3rd person, singular, medium, indicative, present tense). It has an attribute, the noun tanhaya (from thirst, ablative singular).
3) tanhaya vippamuttassa natthi soko kuto bhayaj (one freed from thirst has no grief, whence fear?). This can be further analysed into two segments:
a) tanhaya vippamuttassa natthi soko (one freed from thirst has no grief). The subject is the noun soko (grief, nominative singular). The verb is atthi (is, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The verb has an attribute, the past participle vippamuttassa (of the one who is freed, genitive singular). This word has also an attribute, the noun tanhaya (from thirst, ablative singular).
b) kuto bhayaj (whence fear?). The subject is the noun bhayaj (fear, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The adverb kuto (whence?) can be seen as an attribute to this verb.

Commentary:

In Savatthi there lived a brahmin. He was not a follower of the Buddha. But because the Buddha knew he head the ability to attain the first stage of Awakenment, he went to the field where the brahmin was ploughing his field. The brahmin was very friendly and they talked many times. Every time the Buddha would visit him, the brahmin kept telling him he would offer him some rice after the harvest. The Buddha said nothing; because he knew this year the brahmin would get no harvest at all.
One day there was a heavy rain and all the rice was destroyed. The brahmin was sad, because now he could not fulfill his promise. But the Buddha told him this verse, saying that only because of thirst and craving there is suffering and pain. The brahmin attained the first stage of Awakenment.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

tanhaya
jayati
soko
bhayaj
vippamuttassa
na
atthi
kuto