Gatha | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure
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List of Abbreviations

# attadatthaj paratthena bahuna pi na hapaye

# attadattham abhibbaya sadatthapasuto siya

# (DhP 166)

Sentence Translation:

Let one not neglect one's own spiritual attainment for other's spiritual attainment, however great.
Having fully understood one's own spiritual attainment, let one pursue the true attainment.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

atta+d+atthaj para+atthena bahuna pi na hapaye
| | | | | | | |
N.m. N.n. Adj. N.n. Adj.n. part. neg. V.act.caus.
| Acc.Sg. | Ins.Sg. Ins.Sg. | | 3.Sg.opt.
|________| |_____| |_____| |_____|
| |____________| |
| |________________|
|__________________________|

List of Abbreviations

atta+d+attham abhibbaya sad+attha+pasuto siya
| | | | | | |
N.m. N.n. V.ger. Adj. N.n. Adj.m. V.act.
| Acc.Sg. | |____| Nom.Sg. 3.Sg.opt.
|________| | |_______| |
|___________| |___________|
|________________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

attadatthaj: attadattha-, N.n.: one's own spiritual attainment. It is a compound of:
atta-, N.m.: it is the compound form of the word attan-, N.m.: self, oneself.
attha-, N.n.: welfare, attainment. Here in the sense of "spiritual attainment".
Euphonic combination: atta- + attha- = attadattha-.
Acc.Sg. = attadatthaj.

paratthena: parattha-, N.n.: other's spiritual attainment. It is a compound of:
para-, Adj.: different, other.
attha-, N.n.: see above.
Euphonic combination: para- + attha- = parattha-.
Ins.Sg. = paratthena.

bahuna: bahu-, Adj.: large, much, very. Ins.Sg. = bahuna.

pi, part.: even, also.

na, neg.: not.

List of Abbreviations

hapaye, V.: to neglect, to omit. The verb root is ha- (to leave). 3.Sg.act.caus.opt. = hapaye.

attadattham: see above (attadatthaj).

abhibbaya, V.ger.: having fully understood. The verb root is ba- (to know) with the prefix abhi- (intensifying sense).

sadatthapasuto: sadatthapasuta-, Adj.: pursuing the true attainment. It is a compound of:
sat-, Adj.: good, true. Original meaning: existing. The full form (sant-) is an a.pr.p. of the verb as- (to be). The compound form of sant- = sat-.
attha-, N.n.: see above.
Euphonic combination: sat- + attha- = sadattha-.
pasuta-, Adj.: pursuing, intent upon.
Nom.Sg.m. = sadatthapasuto.

siya, V.: would be. The verb root is as-. 3.Sg.act.opt. = siya.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of two syntactically separate sentences. They are:
1) attadatthaj paratthena bahuna pi na hapaye (let one not neglect one's own spiritual attainment for other's spiritual attainment, however great). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is hapaye (let neglect, 3rd person, singular, active, causative, optative). It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The verb has an attribute, the compound paratthena (for other's spiritual attainment, lit. by other's spiritual attainment, instrumental singular). This word has an attribute, the adjective bahuna (for great, lit. by great, instrumental singular). It is further modified by the particle pi (even). The object is the compound attadatthaj (one's own spiritual attainment, accusative singular).
2) attadattham abhibbaya sadatthapasuto siya (having fully understood one's own spiritual attainment, let one pursue a true attainment). This can be further analysed into two segments:
a) attadattham abhibbaya (having fully understood one's own spiritual attainment). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is in gerund, abhibbaya (having fully understood). The object is the compound attadatthaj (one's own spiritual attainment, accusative singular).
b) sadatthapasuto siya (let one pursue the true attainment). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is siya (let one be, 3rd person, singular, active, optative). The object is the compound sadatthapasuto (pursuing the true attainment, nominative singular).

Commentary:

Close to the age of eighty, the Buddha declared that he would attain his final Parinirvana in four months. There were many monks who have not reached the final goal yet and they were very distressed. They wept and kept close to the Buddha all the time. There was a monk, named Attadatta who decided to honor the Buddha by attaining the Awakenment during his lifetime. So he kept alone and practiced diligently. Some other monks did not understand his intention and told Buddha, "Attadatta does not love you, he did not come to pay homage to you! He is egoistic, indeed!" Attadatta explained his behavior, saying that in his opinion the greatest homage to Buddha would be if he attained the Arahantship within the remaining four months of the Buddha's life.
The Buddha approved of this and replied with this verse, saying that in spiritual attainment, one should diligently strive to reach the goal oneself and only then do other things.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

attadatthaj
atta
atthaj
paratthena
para
atthena
bahuna
pi
na
hapaye
abhibbaya
sadatthapasuto
sad
pasuto
siya