Translation
Let us translate a few Pali sentences from the Suttas into English, with conjugated forms of verbs in the Past Tense. Please pay special attention to the irregular forms of verbs as studied above.
1. Coro ahaṃ pure āsiṃ, aṅgulimāloti vissuto.
cora = thief,
pure (ind) = in the past, previously
āsiṃ (PT, first person, s of √as – atthi) = I was
aṅgulimāloti = aṅgulimālo iti = as Angulimāla
vissuta (adj) = famous, renowned
Translation : Previously I was a thief, famous (known) as Angulimāla.
2. Ahaṃ kho sakamhā gāmā amuṃ gāmaṃ agacchiṃ, tatra evaṃ aṭṭhāsiṃ evaṃ nisīdiṃ evaṃ abhāsiṃ evaṃ tuṇhī ahosiṃ.
saka (adj) = own,
sakamhā gāmā (both ablative) = from (my) own village,
amu (pron) = such and such,
amuṃ gāmaṃ (both accusative) = to such and such village,
agacchiṃ (PT, first person, s of gacchati) = I went,
tatra (ind) = there,
evaṃ (ind) = thus,
aṭṭhāsiṃ (PT, first person, s of tiṭṭhati) = I stood,
nisīdiṃ (PT, first person, s of nisīdati) = I sat,
abhāsiṃ (PT, first person, s of bhāsati) = I spoke,
tuṇhī (ind) = silent, silently,
ahosiṃ (PT, first person, s of √hū – hoti) = I was
Translation : I went to such and such village from my own village; there I stood thus (in this manner), sat thus, spoke thus and thus I was silent.
3. Bhūtapubbaṃ, bhikkhave, imissāyeva sāvatthiyā vedehikā nāma gatapatānī ahosi.
bhūtapubbaṃ (adv) = in the past, formerly;
bhikkhave (voc) = O monks!
ima (pron) = this,
imissāyeva = imissā + yeva = in this itself, in this very (city);
imissāyeva sāvatthiyā = in this very city of Sāvatthi,
vedehikā nāma = by the name Vedehikā, (one whose name was Vedehikā)
gatapatānī = mistress of a house,
ahosi (PT, third person, s of √hū – hoti) = was
Translation : O monks! Formerly in this very city of Sāvatthi, there was a mistress of the house called Vedehikā.
4. Mamaṃ kho pubbe bahū ahesuṃ mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā.
mamaṃ (pron) = my, mine, of me;
pubbe = in the past, formerly;
bahū = many,
ahesuṃ (PT, third person, pl of √hū – hoti) = were
mittāmaccā (compound) – mittā and amaccā = friends and colleagues / companions
ñātisālohitā (comp) – ñāti and sālohitā
ñāti = relative, relation;
sālohita = blood relation, kinsman
We can rearrange the words of the above sentence as :
Pubbe mamaṃ bahū mittāmiccā ñātisālohitā ahesuṃ.
Please note that there is a genitive case (mamaṃ) + √hu (to be) combination which indicates the meaning – has / have.
The literal translation of the above sentence is : In the past there were many friends and companions, relations and kinsmen of me.
We can simplify the above translation as below using the verb ‘have’.
Translation : Formerly / in the past, I had many friends and companions, relations and kinsmen.
5. Devesu mahiddhikā ahumha, mānusakamhi ko pana vādo.
mahiddhika (adj) = with great power, very powerful;
ahumha (PT, first person, pl of √hū – hoti) = we were,
mānusaka = human, human being
ko pana vādo = what is to say, (this phrase is used in the sense of pointing to something that is obvious, evident, or having no dispute – about the subject mentioned)
Translation : We were very powerful among the Devas, what to say about (being powerful) among the humans!
• This is part of a verse of Sumedhā Therī who remembers the splendour experienced by her and her friends in various lives as Devas and humans, due to their generosity / offering made to Buddha and the Sangha.
6. Tena kho pana samayena aññataro upāsako sukkāya bhikkhuniyā bhojanaṃ adāsi.
tena kho pana samayena = at that time,
aññatara (pron) = a certain,
sukkā = name of the nun / bhikkhunī
bhikkhuniyā = to the nun,
bhojana = food
adāsi = (PT, third person, s of dadāti) = (he) gave, offered
Translation : At that time, a certain lay devotee offered food to the nun Sukkā.
Please note the use of instrumental case in the above sentence, to indicate time. tena kho pana samayena = at that time, is a very commonly used phrase in the Suttas.
7. Ete ca dānāni adaṃsu pubbe, pasannacittā samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṃ.
ete = these (people), they;
adaṃsu (PT, third person, pl of dadāti) = gave, offered;
pasannacitta (adj) = one with gladdened mind, one with mind full of faith;
samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṃ = to monks and brahmins
Translation : And formerly, these people offered dāna to monks and brahmins, with gladdened mind / with faith.
Please note that in the above sentence, pasannacittā is an adjective of ete, thus it describes the state of the mind of the donors – as being happy / full of faith, while offering dāna.
8. Idha mayaṃ, bhante, pubbaṇhasamayaṃ … sāvatthiṃ piṇḍāya pāvisimha.
idha = here, then, now; a particle used in narration while moving on to the next point
pubbaṇhasamayaṃ = before noon, in the morning;
piṇḍāya = for alms,
pāvisimha (PT, first person, pl of pavisati) = we entered
Translation : Here, Venerable Sir! In the morning, we entered the city of Sāvatthi for alms.
The above type of sentence usually has two more words before the name of the city / village – nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya – which are translated as – having dressed, having taken the bowl and outer robe.
We will learn in detail about these type of words – the gerunds – in our coming unit.
9. Atha kho therā bhikkhū yathāvihāraṃ agamaṃsu. Āyasmāpi mahako sakaṃ vihāraṃ agamāsi.
therā bhikkhū = elder monks,
yathāvihāraṃ = to respective dwellings,
agamaṃsu (PT, third person, pl of √gam – gacchati) = (they) went,
āyasmā = venerable,
mahaka = name of the monk,
sakaṃ vihāraṃ = to (his) own dwelling,
agamāsi (PT, third person, s of √gam – gacchati) = (he) went
Translation : Then the elder monks went to their respective dwellings; and venerable Mahaka too went to his dwelling.
10. Assosi kho āyasmā puṇṇo mantāṇiputto – “bhagavā kira sāvatthiṃ anuppatto, sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme”ti.
assosi (PT, third person, s of suṇāti) = (he) heard,
bhagavā = the Blessed One, the Buddha;
kira = indeed,
anuppatta = reached, arrived
Translation : Venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta heard thus – “Indeed the Blessed One has arrived at Sāvatthi, he is dwelling at Sāvatthi in the Jeta’s Grove at Anathapindika’s monastery.”
11. ‘Idaṃ dukkhaṃ ariyasaccan’ti me, bhikkhave, pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu cakkhuṃ udapādi, ñāṇaṃ udapādi, paññā udapādi, vijjā udapādi, āloko udapādi.
idaṃ (pron) = this,
ariyasaccan’ti = ariyasaccaṃ + iti
idaṃ dukkhaṃ ariyasaccan’ti = ‘this is the noble truth of dukkha’
me = for me
ananussuta (adj) = unheard,
cakkhu = eye, vision;
ñāṇa = knowledge,
paññā = wisdom, insight;
vijjā = knowledge,
āloka = light,
udapādi (PT, third person, s of uppajjati) = arose, was born;
Translation : ‘This is the noble truth of suffering’ – thus, bhikkhus, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light. (By Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)
12. Atha kho bhgavā imaṃ udānaṃ udānesi – “aññāsi vata, bho, koṇḍañño, aññāsi vata, bho, koṇḍañño”ti!
udāna = inspired utterance,
udānesi (PT, third person, s of udāneti) = (he) uttered,
imaṃ udānaṃ udānesi = uttered this inspired utterance,
aññāsi (PT, third person, s of √ñā – jānāti) = (he) understood,
vata (ind) = indeed,
bho = a familiar term of address,
koṇḍañña = name of the monk, Ven Kondañña
Translation : Then the Blessed One uttered this inspired utterance – “Koṇḍañña has indeed understood! Koṇḍañña has indeed understood!” (By Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)