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

List of Abbreviations

# dantaj nayanti samitij dantaj rajabhiruhati

# danto settho manussesu yo'tivakyaj titikkhati

# (DhP 321)

Sentence Translation:

A tamed elephant is led into the assembly. The king mounts a tamed elephant.
The tamed one, who endures abuses, is the best amongst people.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

dantaj nayanti samitij dantaj raja abhiruhati
| | | | | |
Adj.m. V.act.in. N.f. Adj.m. N.m. V.act.in.
Acc.Sg. 3.Pl.pres. Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. Nom.Sg. 3.Sg.pres.
| |_______| |_______|________|
|______________| |___|

List of Abbreviations

danto settho manussesu yo ativakyaj titikkhati
| | | | | |
Adj.m. Adj.m. N.m. Rel.pron.m. N.n. V.act.in.
Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg. Loc.Pl. Nom.Sg. Acc.Sg. 3.Sg.pres.
| |_______| | |_________|
| | |_____________|
|______________|___________________|
|________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

dantaj: danta-, Adj.: restrained, tamed, controlled. It is a p.p. of the verb dam- (to restrain, to control, to tame). Acc.Sg.m. = dantaj.

nayanti, V.: lead. The verb root is ni-. 3.Pl.act.in.pres. = nayanti.

samitij: samiti-, N.f.: assembly. Acc.Sg. = samitij.

dantaj: see above.

raja: rajan-, N.m.: king. Nom.Sg. = raja.

abhiruhati, V.: mounts, ascends, climbs. The verb is ruh- (to grow) with the prefix abhi- (up, over). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = abhiruhati.
Euphonic combination: raja + abhiruhati = rajabhiruhati.

List of Abbreviations

danto: danta-, Adj.: restrained, tamed, controlled. It is a p.p. of the verb dam- (to restrain, to control, to tame). Nom.Sg.m. = danto.

settho: settha-, Adj.: best. Nom.Sg.m. = settho.

manussesu: manussa-, N.m.: human, person, man. Loc.Pl. = manussesu.

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

ativakyaj: ativakya-, N.n.: abuse, blame, reproach. It is derived from the verb root vac- (to speak) with the prefix ati- (extremely, in excess). Acc.Sg. = ativakyaj.
Euphonic combination: yo + ativakyaj = yo'tivakyaj.

titikkhati, V.: endures, bears, tolerates. The verb root is tij- (to sharpen). The desiderative form (expressing a desire to do an action) is titikkhati. 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = titikkhati.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of three syntactically separate sentences. They are:
1) dantaj nayanti samitij (a tamed elephant is led into the assembly). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person plural pronoun. The verb is nayanti ([they] lead, 3rd person, plural, active, indicative, present tense). It has an attribute, the noun samitij (to the assembly, accusative singular). The object is the past participle dantaj (a tamed [elephant], accusative singular).
2) dantaj rajabhiruhati (the king mounts a tamed elephant). The subject is the noun raja (king, nominative singular). The verb is abhiruhati (mounts, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). The object is the past participle dantaj (a tamed [elephant], accusative singular).
3) danto settho manussesu yotivakyaj titikkhati (the tamed one, who endures abuses, is the best amongst people). This can be further analysed into the main sentence a) and the dependent clause b):
a) danto settho manussesu (the tamed one is the best amongst people). The subject is the past participle danto (a tamed [elephant], nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". It has an attribute, the noun manussesu (amongst people, locative plural). The object is the adjective settho (best, nominative singular).
b) yotivakyaj titikkhati (who endures abuses). The subject is the relative pronoun yo (who, nominative singular). It also connects the clause to the subject of the main sentence. The verb is titikkhati (endures, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). The object is the noun ativakyaj (abuse, accusative singular).

Commentary:

The story for this verse is identical with the one for the previous verse (DhP 320) and the following one (DhP 322).
A tamed elephant is very valuable: it is an important symbol of the king. The king is driven all around the city on a tamed elephant. The tamed elephant is the best of all elephants.
In the same way, one who "tamed" oneself is always the best of people. From the self-control begins the way to the Awakenment. Therefore, to show constraint when being abused is a very good training for those aspiring to the highest goal.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

dantaj
nayanti
samitij
raja
abhiruhati
danto
settho
manussesu
yo
ativakyaj
titikkhati