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

List of Abbreviations

# yo ca pubbe pamajjitva paccha so na ppamajjati

# so imaj lokaj pabhaseti abbha mutto va candima

# (DhP 172)

Sentence Translation:

Who has been formerly negligent, but later is not,
illuminates this world like a moon freed from cloud.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

yo ca pubbe pamajjitva paccha so na ppamajjati
| | | | | | | |
Rel.Pron.m. conj. Adj. V.ger. Adv. Pron.m. neg. V.act.in.
Nom.Sg. | Loc.Sg. | | Nom.Sg. | 3.Sg.pres.
| | |______| | | |_______|
|____________|_______| |_____|_________|
|______| |____|
|______________________________|
|________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

so imaj lokaj pabhaseti abbha mutto va candima
| | | | | | | |
Pron.m. Pron.m. N.m. V.act.caus. N.n. Adj.m. part. N.m.
Nom.Sg. Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. 3.Sg.pres. Abl.Sg. Nom.Sg. | Nom.Sg.
| |______| | |_______| | |
| |__________| |_________|______|
|__________________| |_____|
|__________________________________|
________________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

yo: yad-, Rel.Pron.: that which. Nom.Sg.m. = yo.

ca, conj.: and.

pubbe: pubba-, Adj.: previous, former. Loc.Sg. = pubbe (before, formerly, previously).

pamajjitva, V.ger.: having been careless, having neglected. The verb root is mad- (to be intoxicated) with the strengthening prefix pa-.

paccha, Adv.: afterwards, after that, later.

so: tad-, Pron.n.: it. Nom.Sg.m. = so.

na, neg.: not.

pamajjati, V.: is careless, neglects. The verb root is mad- (to be intoxicated) with the strengthening prefix pa-. 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = pamajjati.
Euphonic combination: na + pamajjati = na ppamajjati.

List of Abbreviations

so: see above.

imaj: idaj, Pron.: this. Acc.Sg.m. = imaj.

lokaj: loka-, N.m.; world.

pabhaseti, V.: illumines, enlighten. The verb root is bhas- (to shine) with the strengthening prefix pa-. 3.Sg.act.caus.pres. = pabhaseti.

abbha: abbha-, N.n.: cloud. Abl.Sg. = abbha.

mutto: mutta-, Adj.: freed, released. It is a p.p. of the verb muc- (to release). Nom.Sg.m. = mutto.

va: a contracted form of eva, part.: just, only.

candima: candima-, N.m.: moon. Nom.Sg. = candima.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of two sentences. They are:
1) yo ca pubbe pamajjitva paccha so na ppamajjati (who has been formerly negligent, but later is not). This can be further analysed into two segments:
a) yo ca pubbe pamajjitva (who has been formerly negligent). The subject is the relative pronoun yo (who, nominative singular). The verb is in the gerund, pamajjitva (having been negligent). It has an attribute, the adjective pubbe (in the past, formerly; locative singular). The conjunction ca serves mainly for metrical purposes.
b) paccha so na ppamajjati (but later dos not neglect). The subject is the pronoun so (he, nominative singular). The verb is pamajjati (neglects, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). It is negated by the negative particle na (not). It has an attribute, the adverb paccha (later).
2) so imaj lokaj pabhaseti abbha mutto va candima (illuminates this world like a moon freed from cloud). This contains the main sentence a) and the clause b):
a) so imaj lokaj pabhaseti (illuminates this world). The subject is the pronoun so (he, nominative singular). The verb is pabhaseti (illuminates, 3rd person, singular, active, causative, present tense). The object is the noun lokaj (world, accusative singular) with its attribute, the pronoun imaj (this, accusative singular).
b) abbha mutto va candima (like a moon freed from cloud). The subject is the noun candima (moon, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the past participle mutto (freed, nominative singular) with its attribute, the noun abbha (from cloud, ablative singular). The particle va (as, like) connects the clause to the main sentence.

Commentary:

There was a monk named Sammunjjani. He spent most of his time inside the monastery, sweeping the premises. Venerable Revata was staying at the same monastery, practicing meditation. Sammunjjani thought Revata to be very lazy and one day confronted him and asked him if he did not think it would be proper for him to help him to sweep the monastery. Revata replied, that a monk should sweep for a short time in the morning and then should practice meditation and try to perceive the true nature of things in order to reach Awakenment. Sammunjjani closely followed this advice and in a very short time he became an Arahant.
Some other monks then asked him why he did not sweep as much as before. Sammunjjani replied that when he was negligent, he was sweeping all the time, but now he was mindful and so does not sweep so often. The monks went to the Buddha and reported to him, that Sammunjjani claims to be an Arahant. The Buddha confirmed, that Sammunjjani indeed reached the Awakenment and added this verse for the benefit of others.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

yo
ca
pubbe
pamajjitva
paccha
so
na
pamajjati
imaj
lokaj
pabhaseti
abbha
mutto
va
candima