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

List of Abbreviations

# akakkasaj vibbapanij giraj saccam udiraye

# yaya nabhisaje kabci tam ahaj brumi brahmanaj

# (DhP 408)

Sentence Translation:

Who speaks smooth, informative and true words,
by which he does not offend anyone - him do I call a Brahmin.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

akakkasaj vibbapanij giraj saccam udiraye
| | | | |
Adj.f. Adj.f N.f. Adj.f. V.act.opt.
Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. 3.Sg.caus.
|_____________|________|______| |
|____| |
|________________|
|_____________________________

List of Abbreviations

yaya na abhisaje kabci tam ahaj brumi brahmanaj
| | | | | | | |
Rel.Pron.f. neg. V.act.opt. Pron.m. Pron.m. Pron. V.act.in. N.m.
Ins.Sg. | 3.Sg. Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. Nom.Sg. 1.Sg.pres. Acc.Sg.
| |______| | | | | |
| |___________| | | | |
|___________________| | | | |
__________| | | | |
|___________________________| | | |
|___________________|_________|________|
| |_____|
|_______|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

akakkasaj: akakkasa-, Adj.: smooth, not harsh. It is the word kakkasa-, Adj.: harsh, rough, negated by the negative prefix a-. Acc.Sg.f. = akakkasaj.

vibbapanij: vibbapana-, Adj.: instructive, making clear, informing. It is derived from the causative form vibbapeti (to make known, to teach, to instruct). The verb root is ba- (to know) with the prefix vi- (intensifying sense). Acc.Sg.f. = vibbapanij.

giraj: gira-, N.f.: speech, words, utterance. Acc.Sg. = giraj.

saccam: sacca-, Adj.: real, true. Acc.Sg.f. = saccam.

udiraye, V.: should utter, pronounce, speak, say. The verb root is ir- (to move) with the prefix ud- (up). 3.Sg.act.caus.opt. = udiraye.

yaya: yad-, Rel.Pron.: that which. Ins.Sg. Ins.Sg.f. = yaya.

List of Abbreviations

na, neg.: not.

abhisaje, V.: should curse, make angry. The verb root is saj- (to hang) with the prefix abhi- (to, on to). 3.Sg.act.opt. = abhisaje.
Euphonic combination: na + abhisaje = nabhisaje.

kabci: kibci-, Pron.: whatever. Acc.Sg.m. = kabci.

tam: tad-, Pron.: it. Masculine form: so-, he. Acc.Sg. = tam (him).

ahaj, Pron.: I. Nom.Sg. = ahaj.

brumi, V.: [I] say, proclaim. The verb root is bru-. 1.Sg.act.in.pres. = brumi.

brahmanaj: brahmana-, N.m.: Brahmin, a holy man. Acc.Sg. = brahmanaj.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of two related sentences. They are:
1) akakkasaj vibbapanij giraj saccam udiraye yaya nabhisaje kabci (who speaks smooth, informative and true words, by which he does not offend anyone). This can be further analyzed into the main sentence a) and the clause b):
a) akakkasaj vibbapanij giraj saccam udiraye (who speaks smooth, informative and true words). The subject is omitted, the verb implying the third person singular pronoun. The verb is udiraye (should [one] utter, 3rd person, singular, active, optative). The object is the noun giraj (speech, accusative singular). It has three attributes, the adjectives akakkasaj (smooth, accusative singular), vibbapanij (informative, accusative singular) and saccam (true, accusative singular).
b) yaya nabhisaje kabci (by which he does not offend anyone). The subject is omitted, the verb implying the third person singular pronoun. The verb is abhisaje (would curse, 3rd person, singular, active, optative). It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The object is the pronoun kabci (whomever, accusative singular). The relative pronoun yaya (by which, instrumental singular) connects the clause to the main sentence.
2) tam ahaj brumi brahmanaj (him do I call a Brahmin). The subject is the pronoun ahaj (I, nominative singular). The verb is brumi ([I] say, 1st person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). The object is the noun brahmanaj (Brahmin, accusative singular). It has an attribute, the pronoun tam (him, accusative singular).

Commentary:

There was a monk named Pilinda Vaccha, who always addressed people in a offensive manner, as if he was somewhat superior. Other monks complained to the Buddha about it and he told them that Pilinda Vaccha had been born as a Brahmin for many past existences. Therefore, the way he addressed others was not meant as an offense (for Vaccha was an Arahant), but he did it simply out of force of habit. The Buddha then spoke this verse, saying that Arahants have no intention of harming others even with their speech.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

akakkasaj
vibbapanij
giraj
saccam
udiraye
yaya
na
abhisaje
kabci
tam
ahaj
brumi
brahmanaj