Gatha | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure
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List of Abbreviations

# sudassaj vajjam abbesaj attano pana duddasaj

# paresaj hi so vajjani opunati yatha bhusaj

# attano pana chadeti kalij va kitava satho

# (DhP 252)

Sentence Translation:

Easy to see are faults of others; one's own faults are difficult to see.
One exposes the faults of others like husks.
One's own conceals like a cheating player of dice an unlucky throw.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

sudassaj vajjam abbesaj attano pana duddasaj
| | | | | |
Adj.n. N.n. Adj.m. Pron.m. part. Adj.n.
Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg. Gen.Pl. Gen.Sg. | Nom.Sg.
| |_______| |_____|_______|
|_______________|

List of Abbreviations

paresaj hi so vajjani opunati yatha bhusaj
| | | | | | |
Adj.m. part. Pron.m. N.n. V.act.in. Rel.Adv. N.n.
Gen.Pl. | Nom.Sg. Acc.Pl. 3.Sg.pres. | Acc.Sg.
|________|_____|________| | |_______|
| |___________| |
| |_________________|
|__________________|

List of Abbreviations

attano pana chadeti kalij va kitava satho
| | | | | | |
Pron.m. part. V.act.caus. N.m. part. Adj.m. Adj.m.
Gen.Sg. | 3.Sg.pres. Acc.Sg. | Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg.
|________| | | | |_______|
|___________| |_____|_________|
| |____|
|____________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

sudassaj: sudassa-, Adj.: easy to see. It is derived from the verb root das- (to see) with the prefix su- (well, good). Nom.Sg.n. = sudassaj.

vajjam: vajja-, N.n.: fault, what should be avoided. Nom.Sg. = vajjam.

abbesaj: abba-, Adj.: other, different. Gen.Pl.m. = abbesaj.

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

pana, part.: indeed.

duddasaj: duddasa-, Adj. difficult to see. It is derived from the verb root das- (to see) with the prefix du- (bad, difficult). Nom.Sg.n. = duddasaj.

List of Abbreviations

paresaj: para-, Adj.m.: other. Gen.Pl. = paresaj.

hi, part.: indeed.

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

vajjani: vajja-, N.n.: see above. Acc.Pl. = vajjani.

opunati, V.: lay bare, expose. Lit. to winnow, sift. The verb root is pu- (to cleanse) with the prefix ava- (away; here shortened to o-). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = opunati.

yatha, Rel.Adv.: as, just like.

bhusaj: bhusa-, N.n.: chaff, husk. Acc.Sg. = bhusaj.

List of Abbreviations

attano: see above.

pana: see above.

chadeti, V.: covers, conceals. The verb root is chad- (to cover). 3.Sg.act.caus.pres. = chadeti.

kalij: kali-, N.m.: an unlucky throw at dice, number one. Acc.Sg. = kalij.

va, part.: as, like.

kitava: kitava-, Adj.: one who is lucky at throwing dice. Nom.Sg.m. = kitava.

satho: satha-, Adj.: deceitful, treacherous, fraudulent. Nom.Sg.m. = satho.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of four syntactically separate sentences. They are:
1) sudassaj vajjam abbesaj (easy to see are faults of others). The subject is the noun vajjam (fault, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the adjective abbesaj (of others, genitive plural). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the adjective sudassaj (easy to see, nominative singular).
2) attano pana duddasaj (one's own faults are difficult to see). The subject is the word vajjam from the previous sentence. It has an attribute, the noun/pronoun attano (one's own, genitive singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the adjective duddasaj (difficult to see, nominative singular). The particle pana (indeed) serves only for metrical purposes.
3) paresaj hi so vajjani opunati yatha bhusaj (one exposes the faults of others like husks). This can be further analysed into the main sentence and the clause:
a) paresaj hi so vajjani opunati (one exposes the faults of others). The subject is the pronoun so (he, nominative singular). The verb is opunati (exposes, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). The object is the noun vajjani (faults, accusative plural). It has an attribute, the adjective paresaj (of others, genitive plural). The particle hi (indeed) serves only for metrical purposes.
b) yatha bhusaj (like husks). The object is the noun bhusaj (chaff, accusative singular). The relative adverb yatha (like, as) connects the clause to the main sentence.
4) attano pana chadeti kalij va kitava satho (one's own conceals like a cheating player of dice an unlucky throw). This can be further analysed into the main sentence and the clause:
a) attano pana chadeti (one's own conceals). The subject is the noun vajjani from the previous sentence. It has an attribute, the noun/pronoun attano (one's own, genitive singular). The verb is chadeti (conceals, 3rd person, singular, active, causative, present tense). The particle pana (indeed) serves only for metrical purposes.
b) kalij va kitava satho (like a cheating player of dice an unlucky throw). The subject is the adjective kitava (a player, one who is lucky at throwing dice, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the adjective satho (cheating, nominative singular). The verb is chadeti from the main sentence. The object is the noun kalij (number one, an unlucky throw, accusative singular). The particle va (as, like) connects the clause to the main sentence.

Commentary:

In the town of Bhaddiya there lived a rich man named Mendaka. When the Buddha arrived at Bhaddiya, he realized that Mendaka and his whole family are able to understand the Dharma. He explained the teaching to them and after hearing the Dharma from him, Mendaka, his wife, son, daughter-in-law and servant all attained the first level of Awakenment. Mendaka related how many ascetic teachers spoke ill of the Buddha and tried to dissuade Mendaka from seeing the Buddha. The Buddha explained by this verse, that it is only very natural to see others' faults and not to see one's own.
The Buddha then revealed the past existences of Mendaka. He was always a rich man who donated many things to those seeking Awakenment.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

sudassaj
vajjam
abbesaj
attano
pana
duddasaj
paresaj
hi
so
vajjani
opunati
yatha
bhusaj
chadeti
kalij
va
kitava
satho