Gatha | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure
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List of Abbreviations

# bahitapapo ti brahmano samacariya samano ti vuccati

# pabbajayam attano malaj tasma pabbajito ti vuccati

# (DhP 388)

Sentence Translation:

One is called "a Brahmin" because he keeps away from evil.
One is called "a recluse" because he lives in tranquility.
If one has renounced one's own impurities, then one is called "a monk".

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

bahita+papo ti brahmano sama+cariya samano ti vuccati
| | | | | | | | |
Adj. Adj.m. part. N.m. N.m. N.f. N.m. part. V.pas.in.
| Nom.Sg. | Nom.Sg. | Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg. | 3.Sg.pres.
|________| |_____| |_____| |______| |
|____________| | |_________|
|__________________|

List of Abbreviations

pabbajayam attano malaj tasma pabbajito ti vuccati
| | | | | | |
Adj.m. N.m. N.n. Pron. Adj.m. part. V.pas.in.
Nom.Sg. Gen.Sg. Acc.Sg. Abl.Sg. Nom.Sg. | 3.Sg.pres.
| |______| | |______| |
|________________| | |__________|
| |_______________|
|_________________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

bahitapapo: bahitapapa-, Adj.: one who has kept away from evil. It is a compound of:
bahita-, Adj.: kept away, warded off, kept outside. It is a p.p. of the verb baheti (to keep away from). This verb is derived from the word bahi, Adv.: outside.
papa-, N.n.: evil, wrong doing.
Nom.Sg.m. = bahitapapo.

ti, part.: a particle, symbolizing the end of direct speech. In English this is expressed by quotation marks. Sometimes it is written as iti.

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

List of Abbreviations

samacariya: samacariya-, N.f.: living in tranquility. It is a compound of:
sama-, N.m.: calmness, tranquility. It is derived from the verb root sam- (to quiet)
cariya-, N.f.: living, wandering. It is derived from the verb car- (to move, to wander about).
Nom.Sg. = samacariya.

samano: samana-, N.m.: a recluse, a wandering ascetic, a monk (not only a Buddhist monk).
Nom.Sg. = samano.

ti: see above.

vuccati, V,: is called. It is a passive form of the verb root vac- (to say). 3.Sg.pas.in.pres. = vuccati.

pabbajayam: pabbajayant-, Adj.: renouncing, giving up. It is an a.pr.p. of the verb pabbajati (to go forth). Nom.Sg.m. = pabbajayam.

List of Abbreviations

attano: attan-, N.m./Pron.: self, oneself. Gen.Sg. = attano.

malaj: mala-, N.n.: impurity, stain, dirt. Nom.Sg. = malaj.

tasma: tad-, Pron.: that. Abl.Sg. = tasma (therefore, lit. "from that").

pabbajito: pabbajita-, Adj.: One who has "gone forth" from home and became a monk. It is a p.p. of the verb pabbajati (to go forth). Nom.Sg.m. = pabbajito.

ti: see above.

vuccati: see above.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of three syntactically separate sentences. They are:
1) bahitapapo ti brahmano (one is called a Brahmin because he keeps away from evil). The subject is the compound bahitapapo (who is keeping away from evil, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the noun brahmano (Brahmin, nominative singular). It is modified by the particle ti (end of the direct speech).
2) samacariya samano ti vuccati (one is called a recluse because he lives in tranquility). The subject is the compound samacariya (living in tranquility, nominative singular). The verb is vuccati (is called, 3rd person, singular, passive, indicative, present tense). The object is the noun samano (recluse, nominative singular). It is modified by the particle ti (end of the direct speech).
3) pabbajayam attano malaj tasma pabbajito ti vuccati (if one has renounced one's own impurities, then one is called a monk). This can be further analysed into two segments:
a) pabbajayam attano malaj (renouncing one's own impurities). The subject is omitted. The verb is in the active present participle, pabbajayam (renouncing, nominative singular). The object is the noun malaj (impurity, accusative singular). It has an attribute, the noun/pronoun attano (one's own, genitive singular).
b) tasma pabbajito ti vuccati (then one is called a monk). The verb is vuccati (is called, 3rd person, singular, passive, indicative, present tense). The object is the past participle pabbajito (one who has gone forth, monk, nominative singular). It is modified by the particle ti (end of the direct speech). The pronoun tasma (therefore, from that, ablative singular) connects this part of the sentence to the previous one.

Commentary:

Once a certain ascetic came to see the Buddha and asked him, if he (the Brahmin) could also be called "a monk" (pabbajita). The Buddha replied with this verse, saying that in order to be called "a monk" one has to discard all evil and impurities of mind.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

bahitapapo
bahita
papo
ti
brahmano
samacariya
sama
cariya
samano
vuccati
pabbajayam
attano
malaj
tasma
pabbajito