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

List of Abbreviations

# saccaj bhane na kujjheyya dajja appam pi yacito

# etehi tihi thanehi gacche devana santike

# (DhP 224)

Sentence Translation:

Speak truth; don't get angry; when asked, give, even a little.
By these three means one will go to the presence of gods.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

saccaj bhane na kujjheyya dajja appam pi yacito
| | | | | | | |
N.n. V.act. neg. V.act. V.act. Adj.m. part. Adj.m.
Acc.Sg. 3.Sg.opt. | 3.Sg.opt. 3.Sg.opt. Acc.Sg. | Nom.Sg.
|__________| |______| | |_____| |
|__________| |
|_____________|

List of Abbreviations

etehi tihi thanehi gacche devana santike
| | | | | |
Pron.n. Num. N.n. V.act. N.m. N.n.
Ins.Pl. Ins.Pl. Ins.Pl. 3.Sg.opt. Gen.Pl. Loc.Pl.
|________| | | |______|
|__________| | |
|____________| |
|_______________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

saccaj: sacca-, N.n.: truth. Acc.Sg. = saccaj.

bhane, V.: should speak. The verb root is bhan-. 3.Sg.act.opt. = bhane.

na, neg.: not.

kujjheyya, V.: should be angry. The verb root is kujjh-. 3.Sg.act.opt. = kujjheyya.

dajja, V.: should give. The verb root is da-. 3.Sg.act.opt. = dajja.

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

pi, conj.: also.

List of Abbreviations

yacito: yacita-, Adj.: begged, asked for. It is a p.p. of the verb root yac-. Nom.Sg.m. = yacito.

etehi: etad-, Pron.: this. Ins.Pl. = etehi.

tihi: ti-, Num.: three. Ins.Pl. = tihi.

thanehi: thana-, N.n.: place, condition, state. It is derived from the verb root tha- (to stay).
Ins.Pl. = thanehi.

gacche, V.: should go, let him go. The verb root is gam- (to go). 3.Sg.act.opt. = gacche.

devana: deva-, N.m.: god, deity. Gen.Pl. = devana (instead of the more usual devanaj).

santike: santika-, N.n.: presence, vicinity. Loc.Sg. = santike.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of four syntactically separate sentences. They are:
1) saccaj bhane (speak truth). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is bhane ([one] should speak, 3rd person, singular, active, optative). The object is the noun saccaj (truth, accusative singular).
2) na kujjheyya (don't get angry). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is kujjheyya ([one] should get angry, 3rd person, singular, active, optative). It is negated by the negative particle na (not).
3) dajja appam pi yacito (when asked, give, even a little). The subject is the past participle yacito (asked, nominative singular). The verb is dajja ([one] should give, 3rd person, singular, active, optative). The object is the adjective appam (little, accusative singular). It is modified by the particle pi (even).
4) etehi tihi thanehi gacche devana santike (by these three means one will go to the presence of gods). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is gacche ([one] would go, 3rd person, singular, active, optative). It has an attribute, the noun thanehi (by means, instrumental plural). This word has also an attribute, the numeral tihi (by three, instrumental plural), with its attribute, the pronoun etehi (by these, instrumental plural). The object is the noun santike (to the presence, locative singular). The noun devana (of gods, genitive plural) is an attribute to the object.

Commentary:

Venerable Moggallana once visited the heaven world and asked the gods what good deeds had they done to be reborn in such happy state. Different gods had different answers. One was reborn as a god only because he always spoke truth. Another goddess said that she was a servant who never got angry with her master and never hated him, although he beat and abused her. Some gods replied they offered what little they could for the benefit of others.
Moggallana returned back and asked the Buddha if it was really possible to be reborn as a god just by these deeds. The Buddha confirmed it and spoke this verse, saying even little good deeds lead to heaven.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

saccaj
bhane
na
kujjheyya
dajja
appam
pi
yacito
etehi
tihi
thanehi
gacche
devana
santike