Gatha | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure
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List of Abbreviations

# n'etaj kho saranaj khemaj n'etaj saranam uttamaj

# n'etaj saranam agamma sabbadukkha pamuccati

# (DhP 189)

Sentence Translation:

This refuge is not safe; this refuge is not supreme.
Having come to such a refuge, one will not be free from all suffering.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

na etaj kho saranaj khemaj na etaj saranam uttamaj
| | | | | | | | |
neg. Pron.n. part. N.n. Adj.n. neg. Pron.n. N.n. Adj.n.
| Nom.Sg. | Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg. | Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg.
| |______| | | | |_______| |
| |________| | |_________|___________|
|______________|___________| |____|
|______|

List of Abbreviations

na etaj saranam agamma sabba+dukkha pamuccati
| | | | | | |
neg. Pron.n. N.n. V.ger. Adj. N.n. V.pas.in.
| Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. | | Abl.Sg. 3.Sg.pres.
| |______| | |______| |
| |__________| | |
|______________|_______________|___________|
| |_______|
|___________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

na, neg.: not.

etaj: etad-, Pron.: this. Neuter: etaj. Nom.Sg. = etaj.
Euphonic combination: na + etaj = n'etaj.

kho, part.: indeed.

saranaj: sarana-, N.n.: refuge. Nom.Sg.: saranaj.

khemaj: khema-, N.n.: safe, calm, peaceful. Nom.Sg.n. = khemaj.

na: see above.

etaj: see above.

saranam: see above (saranaj).

List of Abbreviations

uttamaj: uttama-, Adj.: highest, supreme. Nom.Sg.n. = uttamaj.

na: see above.

etaj: see above. Here Acc.Sg.

saranam: see above. Here Acc.Sg.

agamma, V.ger.: having come. The verb root is gam- (to go) with the prefix a- (towards).

sabbadukkha: sabbadukkha-, N.n.: all suffering. It is a compound of:
sabba-, Adj.: all.
dukkha-, N.n.: sorrow, pain, suffering.
Abl.Sg. = sabbadukkha.

pamuccati, V.: to be released, to be freed. The verb root is muc- (to be released) with the strengthening prefix pa-. 3.Sg.pas.in.pres. = pamuccati.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of three syntactically separate sentences. They are:
1) n'etaj kho saranaj khemaj (this refuge is not safe). The subject is the noun saranaj (refuge, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the pronoun etaj (this, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The object is the adjective khemaj (safe, nominative singular). The particle kho (indeed) serves mainly for metrical purposes.
2) n'etaj saranam uttamaj (this refuge is not supreme). The subject is the noun saranam (refuge, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the pronoun etaj (this, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The object is the adjective uttamaj (supreme, nominative singular).
3) n'etaj saranam agamma sabbadukkha pamuccati (having come to such a refuge, one will not be free from all suffering). This can be further analysed into the main sentence b) and the clause a):
a) etaj saranam agamma (having come to such a refuge). The subject is omitted; the verb pamuccati from the main sentence implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is in the gerund, agamma (having come). The object is the noun saranam (to the refuge, accusative singular) with its attribute, the pronoun etaj (to this, accusative singular).
b) na sabbadukkha pamuccati (one will not be free from all suffering). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is pamuccati (is freed, 3rd person, singular, passive, indicative, present tense). It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The verb has an attribute, the compound sabbadukkha (from all suffering, ablative singular).

Commentary:

The story for this verse is identical with the one for the preceding verse (DhP 188) and the following ones (DhP 190, DhP 191, DhP 192).
Trees or mountains are not liberated from the round of rebirths. Neither are the protective gods that may inhabit them. Therefore, taking these things as a refuge will not help us in the goal, liberation of mind from the round of rebirths, the Samsara.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

na
etaj
kho
sara n a j
khemaj
uttamaj
agamma
sabbadukkha
sabba
dukkha
pamuccati