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

List of Abbreviations

# phandanaj capalaj cittaj durakkhaj dunnivarayaj

# ujuj karoti medhavi usukaro va tejanaj

# (DhP 33)

Sentence Translation:

The wavering, unsteady mind, hard to guard, difficult to restrain,
the wise one straightens, like an arrow-maker an arrow.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

phandanaj capalaj cittaj durakkhaj dunnivarayaj
| | | | |
Adj.n. Adj.n. N.n. Adj.n. Adj.n.
Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg.
| | | | |
|_____________|________|_______|__________|
|____|
|_______________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

ujuj karoti medhavi usu+karo va tejanaj
| | | | | | |
Adj.n. V.act.in. N.m. N.m. Adj.m. part. N.n.
Acc.Sg. 3.Sg.pres. Nom.Sg. | Nom.Sg. | Acc.Sg.
|__________| | |_____| | |
______| | |_________|_______|
|_________________| |____|
|_______________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

phandanaj: phandana-, Adj.: throbbing, trembling, wavering. Derived from the verb root phand- (to tremble). Nom.Sg.n. = phandanaj.

capalaj: capala-, Adj.: shaking, unsteady. Nom.Sg.n. = capalaj.

cittaj: citta-, N.n.: mind. Nom.Sg. = cittaj.

durakkhaj: durakkha-, Adj.: hard to guard. A compound of:
du-, pref.: hard, difficult, bad.
rakkha-, Adj.; to be guarded. Derived from the verb root rakkh- (to guard).
The form durakkha- is due to the euphonic combination (du + rakkha = durakkha).
Acc.Sg.n. = durakkhaj.

List of Abbreviations

dunnivarayaj: dunnivaraya-, Adj.: difficult to restrain, difficult to hold back. A compound of:
du-, pref.: hard, difficult, bad.
nivaraya-, Adj.: to be restrained, to be kept back.
The form dunnivaraya- is due to the euphonic combination (du + nivaraya = dunnivaraya). Acc.Sg.n. = dunnivarayaj.

ujuj: uju-, Adj.: straight. Acc.Sg.n. = ujuj.

karoti, V,: do. The verb root kar-. 3.Sg.in.act.pres. = karoti.

medhavi: medhavin-, N.m.: intelligent person, wise one. Nom.Sg. = medhavi.

List of Abbreviations

usukaro: usukara-, N.m.: arrow-maker. A compound of:
usu-, N.m.: arrow.
kara-, Adj.: one, who does; one, who makes. Derived from the verb kar-, to do.
Nom.Sg.m. = usukaro.

va, part.; like, as.

tejanaj: tejana-, N.n: arrow. Acc.Sg. = tejanaj.

List of Abbreviations

The subject of this sentence is the word medhavi (wise one, nominative singular) and the verb is karoti (does, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative present tense) with an attribute ujuj (straight, accusative singular). In fact, we can consider the whole phrase ujuj + karoti (makes straight) as a verbal phrase ujujkaroti (straightens), as is quite common in Classical Sanskrit.
The object is the word cittaj (mind, accusative singular). It has four attributes: phandanaj (wavering), capalaj (unsteady), durakkhaj (hard to guard) and dunnivarayaj (difficult to restrain). They all agree with the object, so they are in accusative singular.
There is a clause, usukaro va tejanaj (like an arrow-maker an arrow). Here, the subject is usukaro (arrow-maker, nominative singular). As verb serves the verbal phrase from the main sentence (ujuj karoti, straightens). The object is tejanaj (arrow, accusative singular). The particle va (as, like) connects the clause to the main sentence.

Commentary:

Once the Buddha was staying on Calika mountain. One of the monks, Meghiya Thera was attending upon him. This Thera saw a nice mango grove and asked the Buddha for permission to go there for meditation. But there were no other monks at that time and the Buddha needed an attendance. So he told Meghiya to wait for arrival of somebody else and then he could go.
But Meghiya wanted to go really badly, so he asked the Buddha again and again, until he got his permission. He went to the grove and started to meditate, only to find out that his mind was wandering. He stayed there the whole day, but made no progress.
In the evening he reported to the Buddha, how he was all the time assailed by thoughts associated with senses, ill will and cruelty. The Buddha told him the verses 33 and 34 and Meghiya attained Sotapatti, the first stage on the way to awakenment.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

phandanaj
capalaj
cittaj
durakkhaj
dunnivarayaj
ujuj
karoti
medhavi
usukaro
va
tejanaj