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

List of Abbreviations

# na tena ariyo hoti yena panani hijsati

# ahijsa sabbapananaj ariyo ti pavuccati

# (DhP 270)

Sentence Translation:

One is not to be called Noble if he hurts living beings.
Because of non-violence towards all living beings is one called "Noble".

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

na tena ariyo hoti yena panani hijsati
| | | | | | |
neg. Pron. Adj.m. V.act.in. Rel.Pron. N.n. V.act.in.
| Ins.Sg. Nom.Sg. 3.Sg.pres. Ins.Sg. Acc.Pl. 3.Sg.pres.
|______|______|________| | |_______|
| |___| |__________|
|____| |
|__________________________|

List of Abbreviations

ahijsa sabba+pananaj ariyo ti pavuccati
| | | | | |
N.f. Adj. N.m. Adj.m. part. V.pas.in.
Nom.Sg. | Gen.Pl. Nom.Sg. | 3.Sg.pres.
| |______| |_____| |
|____________| |_________|
|_________________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

na, neg.: not.

tena: tad-, Pron.: it. Ins.Sg.n. = tena (by it, because of it).

ariyo: ariya-, Adj.: noble, distinguished, good. Nom.Sg.m. = ariyo.

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

yena: yad-, Rel.Pron.: that which. Ins.Sg.n. = yena.

panani: pana-, N.n.: breath, life, living being. Acc.Pl. = panani.

hijsati, V.: hurts. The verb root is hijs- (to hurt). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = hijsati.

List of Abbreviations

ahijsa: ahijsa-, N.f.: non-violence, not hurting, not injuring. It is derived from the verb root hijs- (to hurt) with the negative prefix a-. Nom.Sg. = ahijsa.

sabbapananaj: sabbapana-, N.m.: all living beings. It is a compound of:
sabba-, Adj.: all.
pana-, N.m.: breath, life, living being.
Gen.Pl. = sabbapananaj.

ariyo: see above.

ti, part.: a particle, symbolizing the end of direct speech. In English this is expressed by quotation marks. Sometimes it is written as iti.

pavuccati, V,: is called. It is a passive form of the verb root vac- (to say), with the strengthening prefix pa-. 3.Sg.pas.in.pres. = pavuccati.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of two syntactically separate sentences. They are:
1) na tena ariyo hoti yena panani hijsati (one is not to be called Noble if he hurts living beings). This can be analysed into two parts:
a) na tena ariyo hoti (one is not to be called Noble). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is hoti (is, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The object is the noun ariyo (Noble, nominative singular). The pronoun tena (by that, instrumental singular) connects this segment to the following one.
b) yena panani hijsati (if he hurts living beings). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is hijsati (hurts, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). The object is the noun panani (living beings, accusative plural). The relative adverb yena (by which, because; instrumental singular) connects this segment to the previous one.
2) ahijsa sabbapananaj ariyo ti pavuccati ([because of] non-violence towards all living beings is [one] called "Noble"). The subject is the noun ahijsa (non-violence, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the compound sabbapananaj (of all living beings, genitive plural). The verb is pavuccati (is called, 3rd person, singular, passive, indicative, present tense). The object is the adjective ariyo (Noble, nominative singular). It is modified by the particle ti (quotation marks).

Commentary:

There was a fisherman named Ariya living in Savatthi. Once while he was fishing, the Buddha and some monks went around. Ariya got up and paid his respects to the Buddha, who asked him about his name. When replied, the Buddha spoke this verse, saying that he was not worthy to be called Ariya ("Noble") if he harmed living beings.
Ariya understood and attained the first level of Awakenment.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

na
tena
ariyo
hoti
yena
panani
hijsati
ahijsa
sabbapananaj
sabba
pananaj
ti
pavuccati