Translation
Now let us translate a few sentences adopted from the Suttas, containing declined forms of Nouns expressing relationships and Agent Nouns.
1. Atha kho āyasmato raṭṭhapālassa ñātidāsī āyasmato raṭṭhapālassa mātaraṃ etadavoca –
atha kho = then
āyasmato raṭṭhapālassa = of Venerable Ratthapāla
ñātidāsī = servant of a relative
mātaraṃ (acc. s of mātu) = to the mother
etadavoca = said thus
Translation : Then a servant of Venerable Ratthapāla’s relative said thus to Ven. Ratthapāla’s mother.
2. Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati pubbārāme migāramātupāsāde. Tena kho pana samayena visākhāya migāramātuyā nattā kālaṅkatā hoti piyā manāpā.
ekaṃ samayaṃ = once, at one time;
bhagavā = the Blessed One, the Buddha;
sāvatthiyaṃ = at Sāvatthi,
viharati (historical present tense) = was dwelling,
pubbārāme = in Pubbārāma, in the Eastern Monastery;
migāramātupāsāde (compound) = in the mansion of Migāra’s mother,
tena kho pana samayena = at that time,
visākhāya migāramātuyā = of Visākhā, Migāra’s mother (name by which Visākhā is described in the Suttas – Migāramātā Visākhā)
nattā (fem) = grand-daughter,
kālaṅkatā = dead,
piyā = beloved,
manāpā = dear
Translation : Once the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthi, in the Eastern Monastery, in the Mansion of Migāramātā Visākhā. At that time, Migāramātā Visākhā’s dear and beloved grand-daughter had died.
Please Note : In the above sentence, the gender of the word nattā is said to be feminine and is translated as grand-daughter. Though the word nattā can be used for a grand-son, in this particular case, the commentary to the Sutta tells us that a grand-daughter of Migāramātā Visākhā had died. (Visākhāsutta KN 3.78)
3. Tvaṃ khosi, samma raṭṭhapāla, mātāpitūnaṃ ekaputtako piyo manāpo sukhedhito sukhaparibhato. Na taṃ mātāpitaro anujānissanti agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajjāya.
khosi = kho + asi,
asi = you are,
samma = dear, friend, a familiar term of address;
mātāpitūnaṃ (gen. pl of the compound mātāpitu) = of mother & father, of the parents
ekaputtaka = the only son,
sukhedhita = raised in comfort,
sukhaparibhata = brought up in comfort,
taṃ = to you,
mātāpitaro (nom. pl of the compound mātāpitu) = mother & father, parents
anujānissanti = will permit, will allow;
pabbajjāya = for going forth (to go forth)
Translation : Dear Ratthapāla, indeed you are your parents’ only son, dear, beloved, brought up in comfort, raised in comfort. (Your) parents will not permit you to go forth from home to homelessness.
4. Idheva, bhante, kapilavatthusmiṃ gopikā nāma sakyadhītā ahosi.
idheva = here itself,
kapilavatthusmiṃ = in (the city of) Kapilavatthu,
gopikā nāma = by the name Gopikā, called as;
sakyadhītā (nom. s of the compound sakyadhītu) = daughter of the Sakyan clan (a Sakyan woman)
ahosi = was.
Translation : Venerable Sir! In this very Kapilavatthu, there was a Sakyan woman by the name Gopikā.
5. Bhūtapubbaṃ, brāhmaṇa, imissāyeva sāvatthiyā aññatarassa purisassa pitā kālamakāsi … bhātā kālamakāsi … bhaginī kālamakāsi … putto kālamakāsi … dhītā kālamakāsi … pajāpati kālamakāsi.
bhūtapubbaṃ = in the past, formerly;
imissāyeva sāvatthiyā = in this very Sāvatthi, in this same Sāvatthi;
aññatarassa purisassa = of a certain man,
pitā (nom. s of pitu) = father,
kālamakāsi = kālaṃ akāsi (PT, third p, s of kālaṃ karoti) = died,
bhātā (nom. s of bhātu) = brother,
bhaginī = sister,
dhītā (nom. s of dhītu) = daughter,
pajāpati = wife
Translation : O Brahmin! Formerly in this same Sāvatthi a certain man’s father died … his brother died … his sister died … his son died … his daughter died … his wife died.
6. Idhekacco puggalo ārāmaṃ gantā hoti abhikkhaṇaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ santike dhammassavanāya.
idhekacco = idha + ekacco,
ekacco puggalo = one person, a person;
ārāmaṃ = to the monastery,
gantā (nom. s of gantu) = goer, one who goes;
abhikkhaṇaṃ = frequently, often;
bhikkhūnaṃ santike = near / towards the monks, in the presence of monks;
dhammassavanāya = for listening to the teachings
Translation : Here a person often goes to the monastery, near (to) the monks, to listen to the teachings.
7. Yepi te brāhmaṇānaṃ pubbakā isayo mantānaṃ kattāro mantānaṃ pavattāro …
yepi = whoever,
te = they, those;
brāhmaṇānaṃ pubbakā = ancient brahmins / ancestors of the brahmins,
isayo = sages,
manta = hymn, chant, charm;
kattāro (nom. pl of kattu) = maker, creator;
pavattāro (nom. pl of pavattu) = speaker, composer;
Translation : Whoever they were (those), the ancestors of brahmins, the sages, the creators of chants, the reciters (speakers) of chants …
Please note the two agent nouns in the above sentence, kattāro (kattu) and pavattāro (pavattu). These nouns are derived from verbs karoti and pa+vatti, respectively.
kattu (from karoti = does) = one who does / makes / performs,
pavattu (from pa+vatti or pa+√vac = speaks/says) = one who says, speaks, chants
8. Tumhehi kiccaṃ ātappaṃ akkhātāro tathāgatā
tumhehi = by you,
kiccaṃ = should be done, duty,
ātappa = striving, exertion;
akkhāti = declares, announces, tells;
akkhātāro (nom. pl of akkhātu) = one who declares, announces, points out;
Translation : The striving is to be done by you, the Tathagatas (Buddhas) are the ones who declare (the truth / the path)
(The Buddhas point out the way, it is for you to strive ardently)
9. Cattārome, bhikkhave, valāhakā. Katame cattāro? Gajjitā no vassitā,
vassitā no gajjitā, neva gajjitā no vassitā, gajjitā ca vassitā ca …..
Ekacco puggalo bhāsitā hoti, no kattā ….
cattārome = cattāro + ime = these four
valāhaka = rain cloud,
katama = which?
gajjitā (nom. s of gajjitu) = one that thunders,
vassitā (nom. s of vassitu) = one that rains / showers,
ekacco puggalo = one man, a person;
bhāsitā (nom. s of bhāsitu) = one who speaks,
kattā (nom. s of kattu) = one who does / acts / performs
Translation : Bhikkhus! These are the four (types of) rain clouds. Which four? One that thunders but does not rain, one that rains but does not thunder, one that neither thunders nor rains, and one that thunders as well as rains….
(Similarly) a person is the one who speaks, but does not act (according to the speech) …
10. Itipi so bhagavā … satthā devamanussānaṃ …
itipi so bhagavā = such is he, the Blessed One
satthā = one who admonishes, the teacher;
devamanussānaṃ = of gods and men
Translation : Such is he, the blessed one …. The teacher of gods and men ….
11. Yaṃ, bhikkhave, satthārā karaṇīyaṃ sāvakānaṃ hitesinā anukampakena anukampaṃ upādāya, kataṃ vo taṃ mayā.
yaṃ = whatever,
satthārā (inst. s of satthu) = by the teacher,
karaṇīya = should be done, ought to be done;
hitesinā (inst. s of hitesī) = by the well-wisher, by one desiring welfare;
sāvakānaṃ hitesinā = by one who desires welfare of his disciples,
anukampaka = compassionate,
anukampaṃ upādāya = out of compassion,
kata = done,
vo (pron) = for you,
taṃ = that,
mayā = by me
Translation : Bhikkhus! Whatever should be done by a compassionate teacher, desirous of his disciples’ welfare, out of compassion, I have done that for you.
• The above sentence occurs frequently in the Suttas, which is followed by the exhortation –These are the roots of the trees, these are empty huts …. Meditate O bhikkhus! Lest you be remorseful later.
Please Note : In the above sentence, the words satthārā, anukampakena and hitesinā – are masculine, instrumental singular forms (of satthu, anukampaka and hitesī, respectively). When we identify these forms, we can infer that they all apply to one person (the Buddha) and can then translate the sentence correctly. This is how we can apply our understanding & memorisation of the declension tables while reading of the Suttas.
12. Yepi samaṇassa gotamassa sāvakā sikkhaṃ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattanti tepi satthu ceva vaṇṇavādino honti, dhammassa ca vaṇṇavādino honti, saṅghassa ca vaṇṇavādino honti.
yepi = and they who, even those;
sikkhā = training,
sikkhaṃ paccakkhāya = having given up the training,
hīnāyāvattanti = hīnāya + āvattanti = return to the lowly life (disrobing, returning to a householder’s life)
tepi = even they, they too;
satthu (gen. s of satthu) = of the teacher
ceva = ca + eva = and also
vaṇṇavādino (nom. pl of vaṇṇavādī) = those who praise
Translation : Even those disciples of Samaṇa Gotama (the Buddha) who having given up the training return to a lowly life, even they praise the Teacher (the Buddha), the Dhamma (teaching) and the Sangha.
13. Atthi kho no, āvuso, satthari pasādo, atthi dhamme pasādo
no (pron) = of us (genitive case)
no + atthi (gen + atthi) = we have,
satthari = in the teacher, towards the teacher;
pasāda = joy, faith, devotion
Translation : We have faith (trust) in the teacher, (we have) faith in the teaching.
Please Note : Though satthu and dhamma are the objects in the above sentence, these words appear in the locative case due to the noun pasāda, which is derived from the verb pasīdati. We have learnt in our earlier units that the verb pasīdati always associates with nouns in the locative case. (i.e. the object of pasīdati and its derivative nouns, adjectives etc; takes up locative case instead of accusative case.)