Adjectives : Examples and translation
Here are a few adjectives which we will come across in the suttas.
seta = white,
nīla = blue,
ratta = red,
kāḷa / kaṇha = black,
khuddaka = small,
rassa = short,
dīgha = long,
ucca = high, tall;
nīca = low, vulgar,
hīna = low, inferior;
majjhima = medium, middle;
paṇīta = superior,
jeṭṭha = elder,
kaniṭṭha = younger,
appaka = less,
bahu / bahuka = more, much;
uttāna = shallow,
gambhīra = deep,
kisa = lean, emaciated;
jiṇṇa = old, decayed, decrepit;
vuḍḍha = old,
mahallaka = old,
bāla = foolish,
paṇḍita = wise, intelligent;
kusala = wholesome,
akusala = unwholesome,
khema = safe, secure;
dullabha = rare, hard to find
We will learn more about the usage of adjectives in the following videos :
Let us translate a couple of sentences from Tipitaka, wherein we come across various declined forms of adjectives.
1. Dullabho buddhuppādo lokasmiṃ dullabho manussattapaṭilābho dullabhā saddhāsampatti dullabhā pabbajjā dullabhaṃ saddhammassavanaṃ…
dullabha (adj) = rare,
uppāda (m) = arising,
buddhuppāda = arising of the Buddha,
loka (m) = world,
manussa (m) = man, human being;
manussatta (n) = human existence, state of human being;
paṭilābha (m) = obtaining, acquisition;
saddhā (f) = faith, devotion, confidence;
sampatti (f) = fortune, attainment, wealth;
pabbajjā (f) = ordination as a monk,
saddhamma (m) = true teaching, the good Dhamma,
savana (n) = listening
2. Idaṃ kho pana bhikkhave dukkhaṃ ariyasaccaṃ -
jātipi dukkhā jarāpi dukkhā byādhipi dukkho maraṇampi dukkhaṃ appiyehi sampayogo dukkho piyehi vippayogo dukkho yampicchaṃ na labhati tampi dukkhaṃ saṅkhittena pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkhā.
idaṃ (pron) = this,
kho (ind) = indeed, surely;
pana (ind) = and, but;
dukkha (n) = suffering, stress, pain;
ariyasacca (n) = noble truth,
jāti (f) = birth,
pi (ind) = and, also;
dukkha (adj) = painful, stressful, unsatisfactory, unpleasant;
jarā (f) = old age,
byādhi (m) = sickness, disease;
maraṇa (n) = death,
piya (adj) = pleasant, agreeable, beloved;
appiya (adj) = unpleasant, disagreeable, not liked;
sampayoga (m) = association, coming together;
vippayoga (m) = dissociation, parting;
yaṃ (pron) = whatever, which;
iccha (adj) = wished for, desired;
na (ind) = no, not;
labhati (v) = gets, obtains, attains;
taṃ (pron) = that,
saṅkhitta (adj) = brief, concise;
pañca (num) = five
upādāna (n) = attachment, grasping;
khandha (m) = aggregate,
pañcupādānakkhandhā = five aggregates of clinging (fivefold clinging to existence)
Please note : Apart from the above list, a few nouns (E.g. vantu-mantu ending nouns), participles, pronouns, numbers etc. also act as adjectives. We will be learning about each of these categories in detail, as we move along the course.