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

List of Abbreviations

# yava hi vanatho na chijjati

# anumatto pi narassa narisu

# patibaddhamano va tava so

# vaccho khirapako va matari

# (DhP 284)

Sentence Translation:

As long as the undergrowth of passion of a man towards women,
even a minuscule one, is not cut off,
so long his mind is bound,
just like a calf drinking milk from the mother.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

yava hi vanatho na chijjati
| | | | |
Rel.Adv. part. N.m. neg. V.pas.in.
| | Nom.Sg. | 3.Sg.pres.
|_________| | |______|
| |________|_______________________________I.
| |____|
|________________|
|_________________________________________II.

List of Abbreviations

anu+matto pi narassa narisu
| | | | |
Adj. Adj.m. part. N.m. N.f.
| Nom.Sg. | Gen.Sg. Loc.Pl.
|______| | |_______|
|_________| |
I.______|______________|
II._____________________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

patibaddha+mano va tava so
| | | | |
Adj. Adj.m. part. Adv. Pron.m.
| Nom.Sg. | | Nom.Sg.
|___________| | | |
|___________| | |___________________________
|_________|__________________|
|_____|
__________________|

List of Abbreviations

vaccho khira+pako va matari
| | | | |
N.m. N.n. Adj.m. part. N.f.
Nom.Sg. | Nom.Sg. | Loc.Sg.
| |_____| | |
|___________| | |
|______________|______|
|_______|
_________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

yava, Rel.Adv.: as long as, as far as.

hi, part.: indeed.

vanatho: vanatha-, N.m.: undergrowth, thicket, under-brush. Nom.Sg. = vanatho.

na, neg.: not.

chijjati, V.: is cut off, is removed. The verb root is chid-. 3.Sg.pas.in.pres. = chijjati.

anumatto: anumatta-, Adj.: minuscule, of an atomic measure. It is a compound of:
anu-, Adj.: small, atomic, subtle.
matta-, Adj.: measured, measuring.
Nom.Sg.m. = anumatto.

List of Abbreviations

pi, part.: also, even.

narassa: nara-, N.m.: man, person. Gen.Sg. = narassa.

narisu: nari-, N.f.: woman. Loc.Pl. = narisu.

patibaddhamano: patibaddhamano-, Adj.: having a bound mind. It is a compound of:
patibaddha-, Adj.: bound, tied, dependent. It is a p.p. of the verb root badh- (to bind) with the prefix pati- (towards).
mano-, N.n.: mind.
Nom.Sg.m. = patibaddhamano.

va: a contracted form of eva, part.: just, only.

List of Abbreviations

tava, Adv.: so much, so long.

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

vaccho: vaccha-, N.m.: calf. Nom.Sg. = vaccho.

khirapako: khirapaka-, Adj.: drinking milk, sucking milk. It is a compound of:
khira-, N.n.: milk.
paka-, Adj.: drinking. It is derived from the verb root pa- (to drink) with the adjective suffix -ka-.
Nom.Sg.m. = khirapako.

va, part.: as, like.

matari: matar-, N.f.: mother. Loc.Sg. = matari.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of two related sentences. They are:
1) yava hi vanatho na chijjati anumatto pi narassa narisu (as long as the undergrowth of passion of a man towards women, even a minuscule one, is not cut off). The subject is the noun vanatho (undergrowth, nominative singular). It has two attributes; the first of them is the adjective compound anumatto (minuscule, nominative singular). This word is modified by the particle pi (even). The second attribute is the noun narassa (of a man, genitive singular). It has its own attribute, the noun narisu (in women, locative singular). The verb is chijjati (is cut off, 3rd person, singular, passive, indicative, present tense). It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The relative adverb yava (as long as) connects this sentence to the following one. The particle hi (indeed) serves mainly for metrical purposes.
2) patibaddhamano va tava so vaccho khirapako va matari (so long his mind is bound, just like a calf drinking milk from the mother). This can be further analysed into the main sentence and the clause:
a) patibaddhamano va tava so (so long his mind is bound). The subject is the pronoun so (he, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the compound patibaddhamano (having a bound mind, nominative singular). It is modified by the particle va (just). The adverb tava (so long) connects this sentence to the previous one.
b) vaccho khirapako va matari (just like a calf drinking milk from the mother). The subject is the noun vaccho (calf, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the compound khirapako (drinking milk, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the noun matari (by the mother, locative singular). The particle va (as, like) connects the clause to the main sentence.

Commentary:

The story for this verse is identical with the one for the previous verse (DhP 283).
Greed or passion is one of the three main roots of evil. Due to the underlying ignorance, we feel passion and hatred, like and dislike. Because of that we do things with the mind bound with passion or hatred. Therefore we create karma that keeps us in the circle of life and death. Only when we cut off these passions and dissolve ignorance, can we stop creating karmically good and bad deeds and be free from suffering, with a free mind.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

yava
hi
vanatho
na
chijjati
anumatto
anu
matto
pi
narassa
narisu
patibaddhamano
patibaddha
mano
va
tava
so
vaccho
khirapako
khira
pako
matari