Translation
Now let us translate a few Pali sentences adopted from the Suttas, which contain various declined forms of the interrogative pronouns.
1. Sabbaṃ, bhikkhave, ādittaṃ. Kena ādittaṃ? ‘Rāgagginā, dosagginā, mohagginā ādittaṃ, jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi ādittan’ti vadāmi.
sabba = all,
āditta = burning,
kena (masc / neu, inst. s) = by what?
rāgaggi = fire of desire, greed;
dosaggi = fire of hatred, ill-will;
mohaggi = fire of delusion,
soka = grief, sorrow;
parideva = lamentation,
domanassa = distress, mental pain;
upāyāsa = agitation, despair;
ādittan’ti = ādittaṃ + ti,
vadāmi = I say
Translation : Bhikkhus, all is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; burning with birth, aging, and death; with sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, I say.
(By Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)
2. Na, bhikkhave, lobhajena kammena dosajena kammena mohajena kammena devā paññāyanti, manussā paññāyanti, yā vā panaññāpi kāci sugatiyo.
lobhaja = born of greed,
dosaja = born of hatred,
mohaja = born of delusion,
paññāyati = appears, is evident / clear;
yā = that which,
panaññāpi = pana+aññā+pi,
añña = other,
kāci (kā + ci, fem, nom. s) = some (someone / something),
sugati = good destination
Translation : Bhikkhus, it is not [the realms] of devas and humans—or any other good destinations—that are seen because of kamma born of greed, hatred, and delusion.
(By Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)
3. “Kāya nuttha, paribbājakā, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā, kā ca pana vo antarākathā vippakatā”ti?
kāya (fem, inst. s) = by / with what?
nuttha = nu + ettha,
nu = indefinite particle often combined with an interrogative pronoun,
ettha = here,
paribbājaka = wanderer, wandering ascetic;
etarahi = now, at present;
kathā = talk, discussion;
sannisinna (adj) = sitting down together,
kā (fem, nom. s) = what?
vo = by / among you,
antarākathā = conversation, discussion;
vippakata = unfinished, interrupted
Translation : “Wanderers, what discussion were you engaged in just now? What was the conversation that was underway?”
(By Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)
Note : This is a stock question that we come across frequently in the Suttas. In a situation where a group of people (monks, lay devotees, followers of other sects etc.) is engaged in some discussion and the Buddha comes across them, this is the question he puts to them. In simple words, he is asking – what were you talking about just now.
4. Kasmiṃ padese samaṇaṃ vasantaṃ, gantvāna passemu mayaṃ idāni
kasmiṃ (masc, loc. s) = in which / where?
padesa = region,
vasanta (Pr P from vasati) = dwelling,
gantvāna = having gone,
passemu = we will / would see,
mayaṃ = we,
idāni = now
Translation : Having gone to which region, we will now see the monks dwelling (there)?
Please Note the irregular sequence of words, which is quite different from standard sub-obj-verb format. This is a regular feature of verses, wherein the words often follow random sequence.
5. Kamhi kāle tayā dhīra, patthitā bodhimuttamā
kamhi (masc, loc. s) = at which (time), when?, locative case is used to denote time,
kāla = time,
tayā = by you,
dhīra (voc. s) = wise,
patthita = wished for, desired;
bodhimuttamā = the excellent knowledge, the supreme wisdom (enlightenment)
Translation : O wise one! When did you aspire for the supreme wisdom / enlightenment?
6. “Kassa te dhammamaññāya, acchinduṃ bhavabandhanan”ti?
kassa (masc, gen. s) = of whom, whose?
te = they
dhammamaññāya = dhammaṃ + aññāya
aññāya (gerund of jānāti) = having known, understood;
acchinduṃ = (PT third p, p) = cut, severed;
bhavabandhanan”ti = bhavabandhanaṃ + ti
bandhana = fetter, bond;
bhavabandhana = fetter of existence
Translation : Whose Dhamma was it that they understood
Whereby they cut through the bondage of existence?
(By Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)
7. Na kho panāhaṃ kassaci pāpaṃ cetemi.
panāhaṃ = pana + ahaṃ
kassaci (kassa + ci, masc, dat. s) = to / towards someone,
na kassaci = towards no one, towards anyone;
pāpa = evil,
cetemi = I think, perceive, intend
Translation : I have no evil intentions toward anyone.
(By Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)
8. ‘Kesaṃ nu kho rakkhito attā, kesaṃ arakkhito attā’ti?
kesaṃ (masc, gen. p) = of whom, whose?
rakkhita = protected, guarded;
attā = self,
arakkhita = unprotected
Translation : ‘Who now protect themselves and who leave themselves unprotected?’
(By Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)
The literal translation of the above sentence would be – whose self is protected, whose self is unprotected.
Please Note : In the above sentence, along with the particle nu, kho is also used with the interrogative pronoun. We come across this ‘nu kho’ combination frequently in the Suttas when some question is asked.
9. Ayaṃ kho rukkho sampannaphalo ca upapannaphalo ca, natthi ca kānici bhūmiyaṃ patitāni.
ayaṃ = this,
sampanna = complete, endowed;
upapanna = possessed of,
kānici (kāni + ci, neut, nom. p) = some,
bhūmi = ground,
patita = fallen
Translation : This tree is laden with fruit but none of its fruit has fallen to the ground.
(By Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)
10. Ko panāvuso, kāmānaṃ assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṃ nissaraṇaṃ?
ko (masc, nom. s) = what,
panāvuso = pana + āvuso
kāma = sensual pleasure;
assāda = enjoyment, gratification;
ādīnava = danger, drawback;
kiṃ (neut, nom. s) = what,
nissaraṇa = escape
Translation : But, friends, what is the gratification, what is the danger, and what is the escape in the case of sensual pleasures?
(By Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)
Please Note the use of ko and kiṃ in the above sentence. As assāda and ādinava are masculine nouns, the interrogative pronoun related to them is masculine – ko; while referring to the neuter noun nissaraṇa, neuter interrogative pronoun – kiṃ – is used.
11. So tāsu vedanāsu aniccānupassī viharanto, virāgānupassī viharanto, nirodhānupassī viharanto, paṭinissaggānupassī viharanto na kiñci loke upādiyati.
so = he,
tāsu = in those,
vedanā = feeling,
anicca = impermanence,
aniccānupassī = contemplating impermanence,
viharanto (Pr p of viharati, masc, nom. s) = dwelling, abiding;
virāga = dispassion, fading away;
nirodha = cessation,
paṭinissagga = relinquishment,
kiñci = kiṃ + ci = some(thing),
kiṃ (neut, nom. s) = what,
loka = world,
upādiyati = grasps, clings
Translation : He abides contemplating impermanence in those feelings, contemplating fading away, contemplating cessation, contemplating relinquishment. Contemplating thus, he does not cling to anything in the world.
(By Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)
12. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, rañño pasenadissa kosalassa sāvatthiyaṃ paṭivasantassa sākete kiñcideva accāyikaṃ karaṇīyaṃ uppajjeyya.
seyyathāpi = just as, suppose;
rañño = of the king,
paṭivasanta (Pr p of paṭivasati) = living, dwelling;
sāketa = name of a town,
kiñcideva = kiñci + eva
kiñci = kiṃ + ci = some(thing),
accāyika = urgent,
karaṇīya = duty, action;
uppajjeyya = would arise, would come up
Translation : Suppose that King Pasenadi of Kosala while living at Sāvatthī had some urgent business to settle at Sāketa.
(By Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)
Please Note : The literal translation of the above sentence would be – Friend, suppose while King Pasenadi of Kosala is dwelling at Sāvatthi, there would arise some urgent duty / business for him (to take care) at Sāketa.
The English translation is often simplified to avoid such cumbersome sentence construction.