Gatha | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure
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List of Abbreviations

# diva tapati adicco rattim abhati candima

# sannaddho khattiyo tapati jhayi tapati brahmano

# atha sabbam ahorattij buddho tapati tejasa

# (DhP 387)

Sentence Translation:

During the day shines the sun, at night shines the moon.
The Kshatriya shines when armed, the Brahmin shines when meditating.
And the Buddha shines with splendor all day and night.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

diva tapati adicco rattim abhati candima
| | | | | |
Adv. V.act.in. N.m. Adv. V.act.in. N.m.
| 3.Sg.pres. Nom.Sg. | 3.Sg.pres. Nom.Sg.
|________| | |______| |
|_____________| |___________|

List of Abbreviations

sannaddho khattiyo tapati jhayi tapati brahmano
| | | | | |
Adj.m. N.m. V.act.in. Adj.m. V.act.in. N.m.
Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg. 3.Sg.pres. Nom.Sg. 3.Sg.pres. Nom.Sg.
|____________|________| |________| |
|______| |____________|

List of Abbreviations

atha sabbam aho+rattij buddho tapati tejasa
| | | | | | |
Adv. Adj.f. N.n. N.f. N.m. V.act.in. N.n.
| Acc.Sg. | Acc.Sg. Nom.Sg. 3.Sg.pres. Ins.Sg.
| | |_____| | |________|
| |_______| | |
| |____________|____________|
| |______|
|____________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

diva, Adv.: by day, during day. It is derived from the word diva-, N.n.: day.

tapati, V.: radiates, shines. The verb root is tap- (to be hot, to burn). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = tapati.

adicco: adicca-, N.m.: sun. Nom.Sg. = adicco.

rattim, Adv.: at night, by night. It is derived from the word ratti-, N.f.: night.

abhati, V.: shines. The verb root is bha- (to shine) with the prefix a- (on). 3.Sg.act.pres.in. = abhati.

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

List of Abbreviations

sannaddho: sannaddha-, Adj.: armed. It is a p.p. of the verb root nandh- (to bind) with the prefix sam- (together). Nom.Sg.m. = sannaddho.

khattiyo: khattiya-, N.m.: Kshatriya, warior, ruler; the member of the Kshatriya clan.
Nom.Sg. = khattiyo.

tapati: see above.

jhayi: jhayin-, Adj.m.: meditating. Derived from the verb jhe- (to meditate). Nom.Sg.m. = jhayi.

tapati: see above.

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

List of Abbreviations

atha, Adv.: then.

sabbam: sabba-, Adj.: all, every. Acc.Sg.f. = sabbam.

ahorattij: ahoratti-, N.f.: day and night. It is a compound of:
aho-, N.n.: day.
ratti-, N.f.: night.
Acc.Sg. = ahorattij.

buddho: buddha-, Adj.: awakened. Here as a title: The Buddha, Awakened One. It is a p.p. of the verb root budh- (to awaken). Nom.Sg.m. = buddho.

tapati: see above.

tejasa: tejo-, N.n.: splendor, energy. Ins.Sg. = tejasa.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of five syntactically separate sentences. They are:
1) diva tapati adicco (during the day shines the sun). The subject is the noun adicco (sun, nominative singular). The verb is tapati (shines, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). It has an attribute, the adverb diva (by day).
2) rattim abhati candima (at night shines the moon). The subject is the noun candima (moon, nominative singular). The verb is abhati (shines, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). It has an attribute, the adverb rattim (at night).
3) sannaddho khattiyo tapati (the Kshatriya shines when armed). The subject is the noun khattiyo (Kshatriya, nominative singular). The verb is tapati (shines, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). It has an attribute, the adjective sannaddho (armed, nominative singular).
4) jhayi tapati brahmano (the Brahmin shines when meditating). The subject is the noun brahmano (Brahmin, nominative singular). The verb is tapati (shines, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). It has an attribute, the adjective jhayi (meditating, nominative singular).
5) atha sabbam ahorattij buddho tapati tejasa (and the Buddha shines with splendor all day and night). The subject is the noun buddho (Buddha, nominative singular). The verb is tapati (shines, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). It has two attributes, the noun tejasa (by splendor, instrumental singular) and the compound ahorattij (day and night, accusative singular). This word has its own attribute, the adjective sabbam (all, accusative singular). The sentence is introduced by the adverb atha (and, then).

Commentary:

The king Pasenadi once came to see the Buddha. He was dressed in royal clothes, with all the regalia. He was very resplendent. In the congregation sat Venerable Kaludayi, who was in deep meditation and his body was bright, as if emitting light. In the sky, the sun was setting and the moon was just rising, both of them radiating beautiful rays of light.
Venerable Ananda observed all this and then he realized that the splendor of the Buddha is surpassing all others. He mentioned this and the Buddha replied with this verse, saying that the Buddha always shines by the power of morality, virtue, merit, wisdom and righteousness.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

diva
tapati
adicco
rattim
abhati
candima
sannaddho
khattiyo
jhayi
brahmano
atha
sabbam
ahorattij
aho
rattij
buddho
tejasa