Gatha | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure
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List of Abbreviations

# appam pi ce sajhitaj bhasamano dhammassa hoti anudhammacari

# ragab ca dosab ca pahaya mohaj sammappajano suvimuttacitto

# anupadiyano idha va huraj va sa bhagava samabbassa hoti

# (DhP 20)

Translation:

Even if he recites a little of scriptures, but lives in truth according to the Dharma,
having abandoned lust, hatred and delusion, has the right knowledge, with a well emancipated mind,
is not attached to anything, either in this world, nor in the other one, he shares the [blessings of] monkshood.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

appam pi ce sajhitaj bhasamano dhammassa hoti anu+dhamma+cari
| | | | | | | | | |
Adj.m. part. part. N.m. Adj.m. N.m. V.act.in. Pref. N.m. N.m.
Acc.Sg. | | Acc.Sg. Nom.Sg. Gen.Sg. 3.Sg.pres. |_____| Nom.Sg.
| | | |_________| | | |_________|
|_______|____|__________| | |_______________|
|____| | |_______________|
|______| |
|____________________________________|____________________________

List of Abbreviations

ragab ca dosab ca pahaya mohaj samma+ppajano su+vimutta+citto
| | | | | | | | | | |
N.m. conj. N.m. conj. V.ger. N.m. Adv. N.m. pref. Adj. N.m.
Acc.Sg. | Acc.Sg. | | Acc.Sg. | Nom.Sg. |_____| Nom.Sg.
|______| |_____| | | |_______| |_______|
|___________|_______|_______| | |
__________________|_____________________|_______________|__________________

List of Abbreviations

an+upadiyano idha va huraj va sa bhagava samabbassa hoti
| | | | | | | | | |
neg. Adj.m. Adv. conj. Adv. conj. Pron.m. Adj.m. N.n. V.act.in.
| Nom.Sg. |____| |____| Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg. Gen.Sg. 3.Sg.pres.
|______| | | | |________| |
|____________|_________| | |______________|
| |__________________|
____________|______________________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

appam: appa-, Adj.: little, few. Acc.Sg.m. = appam.

pi, part.: also, as well, even (often spelled api).

ce, part.: if.

sajhitaj: sajhita-, Adj.: connected, joined, settled. A p.p. of the verb dha- (put) with the prefix saj- (together). As a N.m. = the Buddhist texts. Acc.Sg. = sajhitaj.

bhasamano: bhasamana-, Adj.: speaking. It is a med.pr.p. of the verb bhas- (to speak). Nom.Sg.m. = bhasamano.

List of Abbreviations

dhammassa: dhamma-, N.m.: Buddha's Teaching. The Law. Derived from the verb dha-, to hold. Thus dhamma "holds the world together". Gen.Sg.: dhammassa.

hoti, V.: is. The verb bhu- (to be). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = hoti.

anudhammacari: anudhammacarin-, N.m.: living in truth. A compound of:
anudhamma-, Adj.: according to the Law, in truth. Can be further analyzed as:
anu-, Prep.: according to, following.
dhamma-, N.m.: Buddha's Teaching, The Law, truth.
carin-, N.m.: living, acting. Derived by the suffix -in from the verb car- (to walk, to act).
Nom.Sg. = anudhammacari.

ragab: raga-, N.m.: passion, lust. Derived from the verb raj- (to color). Acc.Sg. = raga j. The form ragab is due to the euphonic combination (ragaj + ca = ragab ca).

List of Abbreviations

ca, conj.: and.

dosab: dosa-, N.m.: ill-will, hatred, anger. Acc.Sg. = dosaj. The form dosab is due to the euphonic combination (dosaj + ca = dosab ca).

pahaya, V.: Having abandoned or eliminated. A ger. of the verb ha- (to leave, to give up) with the strengthening prefix pa-.

mohaj: moha-, N.m.: delusion, bewilderment. Derived from the verb muh- (to get bevildered). Acc.Sg. = mohaj.

List of Abbreviations

sammappajano: sammappajana-, N.m.: having right knowledge. A compound of:
samma-, Adv.: properly, rightly, as it should be, truly.
pajana-, N.m.: knowledge, understanding. Derived from the verb ba-
(to know) with the strengthening prefix pa-. More often seen as pajanana-, N.f.
The duplication of the letter p is due to the euphonic combination (samma + pajana = sammappajana).
Nom.Sg. = sammappajano.

suvimuttacitto: suvimuttacitta-, N.m.: with a well emancipated mind. A compound of:
su-, pref.: well.
vimutta-, Adj.: emancipated, freed, released. A p.p. of the verb muc- (to release)
with the prefix vi- (meaning separation).
citta-, N.n.: mind.
Nom.Sg. = suvimuttacitto.

List of Abbreviations

anupadiyano: anupadiyana-, Adj.: not clinging, not attached. A negated (by the negative prefix an-) med.pr.p. of the verb upadiyati (to cling, to be attached). This verb can be analyzed as the root da- (to give) with the prefix a- (towards). Thus adiyati means take up, seize, grasp. Further, the prefix upa- (nearness, close touch) is also added.
Nom.Sg.m. = anupadiyano.

idha, Adv.: here, in this world.

va, conj.: or.

huraj, Adv.: there, in the other world.

List of Abbreviations

sa: tad-, Pron.n.: it. Nom.Sg.m. = sa (the more usual form is so).

bhagava: bhagavant-, Adj.m.: partaking of, having a share. The word bhaga-, N.m.: share, with a possessive suffix vant-. Nom.Sg. = bhagava.

samabbassa: samabba-, N.n.: monkshood. An abstract from samana-, N.m.: monk, recluse. Gen.Sg. = samabbassa.

List of Abbreviations

The first segment of this sentence is appam pi ce sajhitaj bhasamano (even if [he] recites a little of scriptures). The subject of this sentence is omitted, implying a personal pronoun (which comes in the last clause). The verb is bhasamano (which is the medium present participle in nominative singular). The object is the word sajhitaj (scripture, accusative singular) with its attribute appam (a little, accusative singular). There are two particles pi (even) and ce (if).
The next segment is dhammassa hoti anudhammacari ([he] lives in truth according to the Dharma). The subject here is again an omitted personal pronoun. The verb is hoti (is, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). The object anudhammacari (living in truth, nominative singular) has an attribute dhammassa (of the Dharma, according to the Dharma, genitive singular).
Third segment is ragab ca dosab ca pahaya mohaj. Again, the subject (personal pronoun) is omitted. As the verb serves the gerund pahaya. There is a triple object ragab, dosab, mohaj (lust, hatred, delusion, respectively, all accusative singular). They are connected by two conjunctions ca (and) in the common way of Pali texts.
Next two segments are just attributes to the main subject of the sentence, the personal pronoun sa (he) in the last clause. They are sammappajano (having the right knowledge, nominative singular) and suvimuttacitto (with a well emancipated mind, nominative singular).
Next is the segment anupadiyano idha va huraj va (not attached to anything, either in this world, nor in the other one). The subject is, as above the personal pronoun coming in the final clause. The verb is anupadiyano (not attached, active present participle, in nominative singular). The object is double - idha (here) and huraj (there), connected by two conjunctions va (or) in the common way of Pali texts.
Last part is the sentence sa bhagava samabbassa hoti (he is a sharer of the monkshood). The subject is the pronoun sa (he, nominative singular). The verb is hoti (is, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). The object is the word bhagava (sharer, "shareholder", nominative singular) with its attribute samabbassa (of monkshood, genitive singular).

Commentary:

So, who can be truly called a monk, who shares the blessings of monkshood? It must be a person, who is living in accordance with the Dharma, as proclaimed by the Buddha. He must abandon all three roots of evil (lust, hatred and delusion), must have the right knowledge of the Dharma and his mind must be liberated. He must not of course be attached to anything in this world, but neither to anything in his possible future rebirths. Such a person is sharing all the blessings of monkshood, even if he does not preach the Dharma a lot.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

appam
pi
ce
sajhitaj
bhasamano
dhammassa
hoti
anudhammacari
ragab
dosab
pahaya
mohaj
sammappajano
suvimuttacitto
anupadiyano
idha
va
huraj
sa
bhagava
samabbassa