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

List of Abbreviations

# yatha bubbulakaj passe yatha passe maricikaj

# evaj lokaj avekkhantaj maccuraja na passati

# (DhP 170)

Sentence Translation:

As if one would see a bubble, as if one would see a mirage,
who observes the world like that, the King of Death does not see him.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

yatha bubbulakaj passe yatha passe maricikaj
| | | | | |
Rel.Adv. N.m. V.act. Rel.Adv. V.act. N.f.
| Acc.Sg. 3.Sg.opt. | 3.Sg.opt. Acc.Sg.
| |________| | |_______|
|______________| |___________|
|________________________|
|__________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

evaj lokaj avekkhantaj maccu+raja na passati
| | | | | | |
Adv. N.m. Adj.m. N.m. N.m. neg. V.act.in.
| Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. | Nom.Sg. | 3.Sg.pres.
| |________| |____| |______|
|___________| | |
|______________________|___________|
|___________|
_____________________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

yatha, Rel.Adv.: as, just like.

bubbulakaj: bubbulaka-, N.m.: bubble, water bubble. Acc.Sg. = bubbulakaj.

passe, V.: should see. The verb root is dis- (to see). 3.Sg.act.opt = passe.

yatha: see above.

passe: see above.

maricikaj: maricika-, N.f.: mirage. Acc.Sg. = maricikaj.

evaj, Adv.: thus, in this way.

List of Abbreviations

lokaj: loka-, N.m.; world.

avekkhantaj: avekkhant-, Adj.: observing, considering, looking at. It is an a.prp.p of the verb root ikkh- (to see) with the prefix ava- (down, over). Acc.Sg.m. = avekkhantaj.

maccuraja: maccuraja-, N.m.: the king of death, Mara. The compound of:
maccu-, N.m.: death.
rajan-, N.m.: king. The compound form of rajan- is raja-.
Nom.Sg. = maccuraja.

na, neg.: not.

passati: sees. The verb root is dis- (to see). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = passati.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of two connected sentences. They are:
1) yatha bubbulakaj passe yatha passe maricikaj (as if one would see a bubble, as if one would see a mirage). This can be further analysed into two segments:
a) yatha bubbulakaj passe (as if one would see a bubble). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is passe (one would see, 3rd person, singular, active, optative). The object is the noun bubbulakaj (a bubble, accusative singular). The relative adverb yatha (as, like) connects the sentence to the following one.
b) yatha passe maricikaj (as if one would see a mirage). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is passe (one would see, 3rd person, singular, active, optative). The object is the noun maricikaj (a mirage, accusative singular). The relative adverb yatha (as, like) connects the sentence to the following one.
2) evaj lokaj avekkhantaj maccuraja na passati (who observes the world like that, the King of Death does not see him). The subject is the compound maccuraja (the king of death, nominative singular). The verb is passati (sees, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The object is the active present participle avekkhantaj (one who observes, accusative singular). It has an attribute, the noun lokaj (the world, accusative singular), with its attribute, the adverb evaj (thus).

Commentary:

A group of monks went to the forest to practice meditation. But they made very little progress and decided to return to the Buddha and ask for further instructions. On the way to the monastery it was very hot and they saw a mirage. Then a storm broke out and the rain made bubbles on the ground, which soon disappeared. The monks reflected on the mirage and the bubbles, comparing it to their own bodies. Very soon they all attained Arahantship.
When they related the matter to the Buddha he uttered this verse, saying that this form of meditation was very good and one is able to reach the goal quickly.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

yatha
bubbulakaj
passe
maricikaj
evaj
lokaj
avekkhantaj
maccuraja
maccu
raja
na
passati