Gāthā Sentence Translation Sentence Structure
Vocabulary&Grammar Commentary Pronunciation
List of Abbreviations

appam pi ce saṃhitaṃ bhāsamāno dhammassa hoti anudhammacārī

rāgañ ca dosañ ca pahāya mohaṃ sammāppajāno suvimuttacitto

anupādiyāno idha vā huraṃ vā sa bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti

(DhP 20)



Translation:

Even if he recites a little of scriptures, but lives in truth according to the Dharma,
having abandoned lust, hatred and delusion, has the right knowledge, with a well emancipated mind,

is not attached to anything, either in this world, nor in the other one, he shares the [blessings of] monkshood.



Sentence Structure:

List of Abbreviations

appam   pi      ce   saṃhitaṃ bhāsamāno dhammassa  hoti        anu+dhamma+cārī
|             |        |         |                |                  |             |             |          |           |

Adj.m.  part. part.  N.m.        Adj.m.          N.m.     V.act.in.    Pref.   N.m.    N.m.

Acc.Sg.  |        |    Acc.Sg.    Nom.Sg.       Gen.Sg.   3.Sg.pres.    |_____|      Nom.Sg.

|             |       |          |_________|                  |             |                  |_________|

|_______|____|__________|                           |             |_______________|

     |____|       |                                              |_______________|

         |______|                                                           |

              |____________________________________|____________________________

List of Abbreviations

rāgañ  ca     dosañ   ca    pahāya mohaṃ sammā+ppajāno su+vimutta+citto
|           |          |        |          |           |           |            |         |        |          |

N.m.  conj.  N.m.  conj.  V.ger.   N.m.     Adv.      N.m.  pref.  Adj.    N.m.

Acc.Sg. |    Acc.Sg.   |         |      Acc.Sg.      |       Nom.Sg.  |_____|    Nom.Sg.

|______|          |_____|        |            |           |_______|              |_______|

      |___________|_______|_______|                  |                           |

__________________|_____________________|_______________|__________________

List of Abbreviations

an+upādiyāno idha   vā  huraṃ  vā      sa       bhāgavā  sāmaññassa    hoti
|            |           |       |        |        |          |              |              |                 |

neg.  Adj.m.   Adv. conj. Adv.  conj.  Pron.m.   Adj.m.      N.n.        V.act.in.

|      Nom.Sg.     |____|        |____|     Nom.Sg.  Nom.Sg.  Gen.Sg.     3.Sg.pres.

|______|                |                |               |             |________|                 |

      |____________|_________|               |                    |______________|

                     |                                       |__________________|

____________|______________________________|



Vocabulary and Grammar:

List of Abbreviations

appam: appa-, Adj.: little, few. Acc.Sg.m. = appam.

pi, part.: also, as well, even (often spelled api).

ce, part.: if.

saṃhitaṃ: saṃhita-, Adj.: connected, joined, settled. A p.p. of the verb dhā- (put) with the prefix saṃ- (together). As a N.m. = the Buddhist texts. Acc.Sg. = saṃhitaṃ.

bhāsamāno: bhāsamāna-, Adj.: speaking. It is a med.pr.p. of the verb bhās- (to speak). Nom.Sg.m. = bhāsamāno.

List of Abbreviations

dhammassa: dhamma-, N.m.: Buddha's Teaching. The Law. Derived from the verb dha-, to hold. Thus dhamma "holds the world together". Gen.Sg.: dhammassa.

hoti, V.: is. The verb bhū- (to be). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = hoti.

anudhammacārī: anudhammacārin-, N.m.: living in truth. A compound of:
    anudhamma-, Adj.: according to the Law, in truth. Can be further analyzed as:

        anu-, Prep.: according to, following.

        dhamma-, N.m.: Buddha's Teaching, The Law, truth.

    cārin-, N.m.: living, acting. Derived by the suffix -in from the verb car- (to walk, to act).

Nom.Sg. = anudhammacārī.

rāgañ: rāga-, N.m.: passion, lust. Derived from the verb raj- (to color). Acc.Sg. = rāgaṃ. The form rāgañ is due to the euphonic combination (rāgaṃ + ca = rāgañ ca).

List of Abbreviations

ca, conj.: and.

dosañ: dosa-, N.m.: ill-will, hatred, anger. Acc.Sg. = dosaṃ. The form dosañ is due to the euphonic combination (dosaṃ + ca = dosañ ca).

pahāya, V.: Having abandoned or eliminated. A ger. of the verb hā- (to leave, to give up) with the strengthening prefix pa-.

mohaṃ: moha-, N.m.: delusion, bewilderment. Derived from the verb muh- (to get bevildered). Acc.Sg. = mohaṃ.

List of Abbreviations

sammāppajāno: sammāppajāna-, N.m.: having right knowledge. A compound of:
    sammā-, Adv.: properly, rightly, as it should be, truly.

    pajāna-, N.m.: knowledge, understanding. Derived from the verb ñā-

    (to know) with the strengthening prefix pa-. More often seen as pajānanā-, N.f.

The duplication of the letter p is due to the euphonic combination (sammā + pajāna = sammāppajāna).

Nom.Sg. = sammāppajāno.

suvimuttacitto: suvimuttacitta-, N.m.: with a well emancipated mind. A compound of:
    su-, pref.: well.

    vimutta-, Adj.: emancipated, freed, released. A p.p. of the verb muc- (to release)

    with the prefix vi- (meaning separation).

    citta-, N.n.: mind.

Nom.Sg. = suvimuttacitto.

List of Abbreviations

anupādiyāno: anupādiyāna-, Adj.: not clinging, not attached. A negated (by the negative prefix an-) med.pr.p. of the verb upādiyati (to cling, to be attached). This verb can be analyzed as the root dā- (to give) with the prefix ā- (towards). Thus ādiyati means take up, seize, grasp. Further, the prefix upa- (nearness, close touch) is also added.
Nom.Sg.m. = anupādiyāno.

idha, Adv.: here, in this world.

, conj.: or.

huraṃ, Adv.: there, in the other world.

List of Abbreviations

sa: tad-, Pron.n.: it. Nom.Sg.m. = sa (the more usual form is so).

bhāgavā: bhāgavant-, Adj.m.: partaking of, having a share. The word bhāga-, N.m.: share, with a possessive suffix vant-. Nom.Sg. = bhāgavā.

sāmaññassa: sāmañña-, N.n.: monkshood. An abstract from samaṇa-, N.m.: monk, recluse. Gen.Sg. = sāmaññassa.

List of Abbreviations  

    The first segment of this sentence is appam pi ce saṃhitaṃ bhāsamāno (even if [he] recites a little of scriptures). The subject of this sentence is omitted, implying a personal pronoun (which comes in the last clause). The verb is bhāsamāno (which is the medium present participle in nominative singular). The object is the word saṃhitaṃ (scripture, accusative singular) with its attribute appam (a little, accusative singular). There are two particles pi (even) and ce (if).

    The next segment is dhammassa hoti anudhammacārī ([he] lives in truth according to the Dharma). The subject here is again an omitted personal pronoun. The verb is hoti (is, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). The object anudhammacārī (living in truth, nominative singular) has an attribute dhammassa (of the Dharma, according to the Dharma, genitive singular).

    Third segment is rāgañ ca dosañ ca pahāya mohaṃ. Again, the subject (personal pronoun) is omitted. As the verb serves the gerund pahāya. There is a triple object rāgañ, dosañ, mohaṃ (lust, hatred, delusion, respectively, all accusative singular). They are connected by two conjunctions ca (and) in the common way of Pali texts.

    Next two segments are just attributes to the main subject of the sentence, the personal pronoun sa (he) in the last clause. They are sammāppajāno (having the right knowledge, nominative singular) and suvimuttacitto (with a well emancipated mind, nominative singular).

    Next is the segment anupādiyāno idha vā huraṃ vā (not attached to anything, either in this world, nor in the other one). The subject is, as above the personal pronoun coming in the final clause. The verb is anupādiyāno (not attached, active present participle, in nominative singular). The object is double -- idha (here) and huraṃ (there), connected by two conjunctions (or) in the common way of Pali texts.

    Last part is the sentence sa bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti (he is a sharer of the monkshood). The subject is the pronoun sa (he, nominative singular). The verb is hoti (is, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). The object is the word bhāgavā (sharer, "shareholder", nominative singular) with its attribute sāmaññassa (of monkshood, genitive singular).



Commentary:

So, who can be truly called a monk, who shares the blessings of monkshood? It must be a person, who is living in accordance with the Dharma, as proclaimed by the Buddha. He must abandon all three roots of evil (lust, hatred and delusion), must have the right knowledge of the Dharma and his mind must be liberated. He must not of course be attached to anything in this world, but neither to anything in his possible future rebirths. Such a person is sharing all the blessings of monkshood, even if he does not preach the Dharma a lot.



Sentence pronunciation:

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

appam
pi

ce

saṃhitaṃ

bhāsamāno

dhammassa
hoti

anudhammacārī
rāgañ

dosañ

pahāya

mohaṃ

sammāppajāno

suvimuttacitto
anupādiyāno

idha


huraṃ

sa
bhāgavā

sāmaññassa