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

List of Abbreviations

# vitakkupasame ca yo rato

# asubhaj bhavayate sada sato

# esa kho byantikahiti

# esa checchati marabandhanaj

# (DhP 350)

Sentence Translation:

Who is devoted to calming of thoughts,
meditates on impurity, is always mindful,
such a person will put an end to craving.
Such a person will cut off the fetters of Mara.

Sentence Structure:
List of Abbreviations

vitakka+upasame ca yo rato
| | | | |
N.m. N.m. conj. Rel.Pron.m. Adj.m.
| Loc.Sg. | Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg.
|__________| | | |
|__________|________|_________|
| |_________________________________I.
|_____________________|
|____________________________II.

List of Abbreviations

asubhaj bhavayate sada sato
| | | |
N.n. V.med.in. Adv. Adj.m.
Acc.Sg. 3.Sg.caus. | Nom.Sg.
|___________| |______|
I.____|_________________|
II.______________________________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

esa kho byanti+kahiti
| | | |
Pron.m. part. Adj. V.act.
Nom.Sg. | | 3.Sg.fut.
|_________| |______|
|____________|
|_____________________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

esa checchati mara+bandhanaj
| | | |
Pron.m. V.act. N.m. N.n.
Nom.Sg. 3.Sg.fut. | Acc.Sg.
| | |_______|
| |__________|
|_______________|

Vocabulary and Grammar:
List of Abbreviations

vitakkupasame: vitakkupasama-, N.m.: calming of thoughts. It is a compound of:
vitakka-, N.m.: thought, thinking.
upasama-, N.m.: calm, quiet, tranquility. It is derived from the verb root sam- (to be appeased) with the prefix upa- (towards, up).
Euphonic combination: vitakka- + upasama- = vitakkupasama-.
Loc.Sg. = vitakkupasame.

ca, conj.: and.

yo: yad-, Rel.Pron.: that which. Nom.Sg.m. = yo.

rato: rata-, Adj.: devoted. It is a p.p. of the verb ram- (to delight in, to be devoted to).
Nom.Sg.m. = rato.

List of Abbreviations

asubhaj: asubha-, Adj.: unpleasant, not pleasant. It is the word subha-, Adj.: pleasant, nice negated by the negative prefix a-. As an N.n.: impurity. Acc.Sg. = asubhaj.

bhavayate, V.: meditates on. Lit. "cause to be", produce, cultivate, develop. It is a caus. of the verb root bhu- (to be). 3.Sg.med.caus.pres. = bhavayate.

sada, Adv.: always.

sato: sata-, Adj.: mindful, wakeful, alert. It is a p.p. of the verb root sar- (to remember, to be mindful). Nom.Sg.m. = sato.

esa: etad-, Pron.: this. Nom.Sg.m: esa.

kho, part.: indeed.

List of Abbreviations

byantikahiti, V.: will remove, will destroy. It is a compound of:
byanta-, Adj.: removed, finished. It is the word anta-, N.n.: end with the prefix vi- (away, separation). The compound form: byanti-.
kahiti, V.: will make. It is a fut. of the verb root kar- (to do). 3.Sg.act.fut. = kahiti.

esa: see above.

checchati, V.: will cut off, destroy, remove. The verb root is ched-. 3.Sg.act.fut. = checchati.

marabandhanaj: marabandhana-, N.n: the bond of Mara. It is a compound of:
mara-, N.m.: Mara, the Evil One, Death.
bandhana-, N.n.: bond, fetter. It is derived from the verb root bandh- (to bind, to fasten).
Acc.Sg. = marabandhanaj.

List of Abbreviations

This verse consists of two syntactically separate sentences. They are:
1) vitakkupasame ca yo rato asubhaj bhavayate sada sato esa kho byantikahiti (who is devoted to calming of thoughts, meditates on impurity, is always mindful, such a person will put an end to craving). This can be further analysed into two sentences:
a) vitakkupasame ca yo rato asubhaj bhavayate sada sato (who is devoted to calming of thoughts, meditates on impurity, is always mindful). The subject of this sentence is the relative pronoun yo (whoever, nominative singular). There are three clauses dependent on the subject. They are:
I) vitakkupasame ca rato (devoted to calming of thoughts). The subject is the past participle rato (devoted, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the compound vitakkupasame (to calming of thoughts, locative singular). The conjunction ca serves only for metrical purposes.
II) asubhaj bhavayate (meditates on impurity). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is bhavayate (meditates, 3rd person, singular, medium, indicative, causative). The object is the noun/adjective asubhaj (impurity, accusative singular).
III) sada sato (always mindful). The subject is the past participle sato (mindful, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the adverb sada (always).
b) esa kho byantikahiti (such a person will put an end [to craving]). The subject is the pronoun esa (he, nominative singular). It is stressed by the particle kho (indeed). The verb is byantikahiti (will put an end, 3rd person, singular, active, future).
2) esa checchati marabandhanaj (such a person will cut off the fetters of Mara). The subject is the pronoun esa (he, nominative singular). The verb is checchati (will cut off, 3rd person, singular, active, future). The object is the compound marabandhanaj (the fetter of Mara, accusative singular).

Commentary:

The story for this verse is identical with the one for the previous verse (DhP 349).
The more we think about the pleasant things, the more we desire them. The thirst and attachment will grow. We should also reflect on the unpleasant and impure things in order to restrain our thirst and craving. In this way, we will be able to cut off the fetters that bind us to this world and we can reach the Awakenment.

Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

vitakkupasame
vitakka
upasame
ca
yo
rato
asubhaj
bhavayate
sada
sato
esa
kho
byantikahiti
byanta
kahiti
checchati
marabandhanaj
mara
bandhanaj