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

List of Abbreviations

> > # subh'anupassij viharantaj indriyesu asajvutaj

> > # bhojanamhi c'amattabbuj kusitaj hinaviriyaj

> > # taj ve pasahati maro vato rukkhaj va dubbalaj

> > # (DhP 7)

Translation:

The person, who lives contemplating pleasant things, who is not restrained in senses,
Who does not know moderation in food, who is indolent and of poor effort,
Mara will overcome him, as wind a weak tree.

Sentence structure:
List of Abbreviations

subha+anupassij viharantaj indriyesu a+sajvutaj
| | | | | |
Adj. N.m. N.m. N.n. neg. N.m.
| Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. Loc.Pl. | Acc.Sg.
|________| | | |______| List of Abbreviations
|_______________| |________|
|_____________________|__________________________

bhojanamhi ca a+matta+bbuj kusitaj hina+viriyaj
| | | | | | | |
N.n. conj. Neg. N.n. Adj.m. N.m. Adj. Adj.m.
Loc.Sg. | | | Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. | Acc.Sg.
| | | |_____| | |______|
| | |_______| | |
|__________|__________| | |
|____| | | List of Abbreviations
________|____________________________|_________|_____________

taj ve pasahati maro vato rukkhaj va du+bbalaj
| | | | | | | | |
Pron.m. part. V.act.pres. N.m. N.m. N.m. enc. Pref. N.m.
Acc.Sg. | 3.Sg.in. Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg. Acc.Sg. | | Acc.Sg.
| | |_______| | | | |_____|
|__________|___________| | |_______|__________|
|___| | |____|
________| |_______________|
|________________________________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

subh'anupassij: subh'anupassin-, N.m.: contemplating the pleasant [things]. A compound consisting of:
subha-, Adj.: pleasant
anupassin-, N.m.: contemplating, viewing, observing. Derived from the verb pass-, to see
with the prefix anu-, on, at, down on. Anupassana- N.f.: observation, contemplation. The
suffix -in is so called possessive suffix (thus literally "having contemplation).
Acc.Sg. of the compound = subh'anupassij.

viharantaj: viharant-, pr.p.: staying, dwelling, living. Derived from the verb har- (to carry) with the prefix vi- (denoting separation). Viharati: V.: to live, to stay, to dwell.
AccSg.m. of the pr.p. = viharantaj.

List of Abbreviations

indriyesu: indriya-, N.n.: sense faculty. Loc.Pl. = indriyesu.

asajvutaj: asajvuta-, Adj.; unrestrained, ungoverned, unguarded. It is p.p. of the verb var- (to obstruct) with the prefix saj- (together, completely), negated by the negative prefix a-. Acc.Sg.m. = asajvutaj.

bhojanamhi: bhojana-, N.n.: food. Loc.Sg.= bhojanamhi.

ca, conj.: and.

List of Abbreviations

amattabbuj: amattabbu-, N.m.: not knowing the measure. mattabbu-, N.m.: knowing the measure. A compound of:
matta-, N.n.: measure.
-bu-, Adj. suffix: knowing (derived from the verb ba-, to know).
The compound is negated by the prefix a-.
Acc.Sg.m. of the compound = amattabbuj.

kusitaj: kusita-, Adj.: indolent, inactive. Acc.Sg.m.: kusitaj.

hinaviriyaj: hinaviriya-, Adj.: having poor strength. A compound of
hina-, Adj.: poor, inferior. It is p.p. of the verb ha- (to reject).
viriya-, N.n.: energy, vigor, effort.
Acc.Sg.m. of the compound = hinaviriyaj.

List of Abbreviations

taj: tad-, Pron.: it. Masculine form so-, he. Acc.Sg. = taj (him).

ve: affirmative particle, indeed, truly.

pasahati: to use force, to subdue, to overcome. The verb sah- (to conquer) with the emphasizing prefix pa-. 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = pasahati.

List of Abbreviations

maro: mara-, N.m.: Mara, personified death, the Evil One, devil. Nom.Sg. = maro.

vato: vata-, N.m.: wind. Nom.Sg. = vato.

rukkhaj: rukkha-, N.m.: tree. Acc.Sg. = rukkhaj.

va: enc.: as if, like.

dubbalaj: dubbala-, Adj.: weak, of bad strength. The word bala- (N.n.: strength) with the prefix du- (bad, insufficient). Acc.Sg.m. = dubbalaj.
List of Abbreviations

The subject of this sentence is maro (Mara) in the last line. It is in nominative singular. The verb is pasahati (overcome) in 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense. The main object is the word taj (him, accusative singular). The first three lines form attributes to the object, namely:
1) subh'anupassij viharantaj,
2) indriyesu asajvutaj,
3) bhojanamhi c'amattabbuj,
4) kusitaj,
5) hinaviriyaj.
In the first attribute, both parts (subh'anupassij - contemplating the pleasant and viharantaj - living) are in accusative singular, as they must agree with the main object.

The second attribute is asajvutaj (unrestrained) and therefore it is in accusative singular. The word indriyesu (in senses) forms an attribute to this word. It is in locative plural. Locative is the case, that expresses location. It is an answer to the question "Where?".

The third attribute is amattabbuj (not knowing measure) which is in accusative singular. An attribute to this word is bhojanamhi (in food), which is in locative singular. There is also a conjunction ca (and) connecting this attribute to the other ones.

The fourth attribute kusitaj (indolent) is in accusative singular.

The last attribute hinaviriyaj (of poor effort) is also in accusative singular.

The particle ve (indeed) in the last line serves just as an affirmative particle.

The second sentence (subordinate to the main sentence) is vato rukkhaj va dubbalaj (as wind [overcomes] a weak tree). The subject of this sentence is vato (wind) which is in nominative singular. The verb is omitted (implying here the verb pasahati from the main sentence). The object is rukkhaj (tree) and it is in accusative singular. The word dubbalaj (weak) forms an attribute to the object and it agrees with it in case and number. The enclitic va (as, like) connects this subordinate sentence to the main one.

Commentary:

What we have described here, is a recipe, how to become a prey of our own mind. For Mara, The Evil One, is not some outside force, some "devil" or deity of death and destruction, it is only our mind, our bad habits, laziness, evil intentions and especially ignorance, the true root of all evil. If we dwell with our minds only on the pleasant things, if we indulge in enjoying pleasurable things (subh'anupassij viharantaj), then it is easy for these tendencies in our brain ("Mara") to gain strength. The same thing happens, when we are unrestrained in six senses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind), taking in without restraint and reflection everything that comes and if we never have enough of sense pleasures (indriyesu asajvutaj). And of course, if we do not know moderation in food, we can expect the same result, because indulgence in food is actually a part of lack of restraint in senses (bhojanamhi c'amattabbuj). Laziness (kusitaj) and lack of effort to change our ways (hinaviriyaj) will not help us to get rid of these bad habits and the roots of meditative life will slowly wither and die away. And without strong, often cultivated roots, the tree of our practice will not grow higher and higher, will never bring fruits in reaching the Nirvana, but our bad tendencies will subdue us, our hope for reaching the goal, just as easily, as wind uproots a weak tree.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

subh'anupassij
viharantaj
indriyesu
asajvutaj
bhojanamhi
ca
amattabbuj
kusitaj
hinaviriyaj
taj
ve
pasahati
maro
vato
rukkhaj
va
dubbalaj