Evaṃ me sutaṃ

1. Arahaṃ ahaṃ brahmacariyaṃ carāmi.

arahaṃ = an Arahant, enlightened / liberated being;
ahaṃ (nom. s of amha) = I,
brahmacariya = holy life,
carati = walks, lives, behaves, conducts

Translation : I am an Arahant living the holy life.

2. Na kho mayaṃ passāma bhoto gotamassa yugaṃ vā naṅgalaṃ vā phālaṃ vā pācanaṃ vā balībadde vā.

mayaṃ (nom. p of amha) = we,
bhoto = of bhavanta (gen. s of bhavanta) = your / sir’s
bhavanta = sir, honourable, polite form of addressing ‘you’;
gotama = person of Gotama clan (here it applies to the Buddha)
yuga = yoke,
naṅgala = plough,
phāla = ploughshare, blade of the plough;
pācana = goad, stick used for driving animals;
balībadda = bull, ox

Translation : We do not see sir gotama’s yoke or plough or ploughshare or goad or oxen.

Please Note : The above sentence is said by the brahmin Kasibhāradvāja, and when he says ‘we’ (mayaṃ) it implies himself. We frequently come across such a use of plural from of personal pronouns. This is a common feature of many Indian languages, where certain persons (usually from upper social strata) talk about themselves in plural (like ‘mayaṃ’ instead of ‘ahaṃ’) and such eminent persons or any elders in a society / family are addressed by others in plural as well (‘tumhe’ instead of ‘tvaṃ’)
We should take this point into account while reading / translating the Suttas.

3. Evaṃ svākkhāto, bhikkhave, mayā dhammo uttāno vivaṭo pakāsito …

svākkhāta = well expounded, well taught;
mayā (inst. s of amha) = by me,
uttāna (adj) = manifest, clear, evident;
vivaṭa (adj) = open, unveiled;
pakāsita (adj) = made known, explained, revealed

Translation : Bhikkhus, the Dhamma is thus well expounded, made clear, unveiled, revealed by me.

4. Atha kho, bhante, aññataro brāhmaṇo amhe etadavoca –

atha = then,
aññatara (pron) = a certain,
amhe (acc. s of amha) = to us,
etadavoca = said thus

Translation : Venerable Sir! Then a certain brahmin said thus to us –

5. Na dāni sukaraṃ amhehi lābhasakkārasiloke pariccajituṃ

dāni = idāni = now,
sukara = easy,
amhehi (acc. s of amha) = by us,
lābha = gain,
sakkāra = honour,
siloka = fame, renown;
lābhasakkārasiloke (compound) = gain, honour and fame
pariccajati = gives up, abandons;
pariccajituṃ (ind) = to give up, to abandon

Translation : It is not easy for us now to give up gain, honour and fame.

Please Note : The sentence uses the words – amhehi pariccajituṃ – the literal translation of which is – ‘to be given up by us.’ As this translation will make the English sentence quite complicated, the implied meaning is used while translating the sentence into English.

6. Evaṃ no ayaṃ amhākaṃ pabbajjā avañjhā bhavissati saphalā saudrayā

no (dat. p of amha) = for us,
ayaṃ (pron) = this,
amhākaṃ (gen. p of amha) = our,
pabbajjā = going forth, ordaining;
vañjha (adj) = barren, futile;
avañjha (adj) = not barren, not futile;
saphala (adj) = fruitful,
udraya = result, consequence;
saudraya = sa+udraya = with (good) result

Translation : Thus (in such a way) this going forth of ours will not be barren, (but) will be fruitful and with good results for us.

Please note that the words avanjha, saphala and saudraya are adjectives, describing the noun pabbajjā. Hence they take the feminine forms in the above sentence avañjhā, saphalā and saudrayā.

7. Supupphitaggaṃ upagamma bhikkhuni,
Ekā tuvaṃ tiṭṭhasi sālamūle.

su = well, good;
pupphita (adj) = bearing flowers, blossomed;
agga = top, head;
supupphitagga (adj) = with flowering top (referring to the Sāla tree)
upagamma = having gone near / towards, having approached;
bhikkhuni (voc) = O bhikkhuni!
ekā (f) = one, alone;
tuvaṃ (nom. s of tumha) = you,
sālamūle = at the foot of Sāla tree

Translation : O bhikkhuni! Having approached a Sāla tree with a flowering top, you stand alone at its foot.

8. Lābhā te, gahapati, suladdhaṃ te, gahapati! Anāgāmiphalaṃ tayā, gahapati, byākataṃ.

lābhā (ind) = for (one’s) gain, it is a gain for …
gahapati (voc) = O householder,
suladdhaṃ = well gained,
te (dat. s of tumha) = for you,
anāgāmiphala = fruit of non-returning,
tayā (inst. s of tumha) = by you,
byākata (adj) = explained, declared

Translation : Householder, it is a gain for you! It is well-received (great gain) for you! O householder, you have declared the fruit of non-returning.

Please Note : The second sentence is in passive voice and the literal translation is – O householder! The fruit of non-returning has been declared by you.

9. “Api nu tumhehi evarūpaṃ diṭṭhaṃ vā sutaṃ vā”ti?

api = and, but, even;
nu = then, now, common particle used in questions
tumhehi (inst. p of tumha) = by you,
evarūpa = such, of such form, such a thing;
diṭṭha = seen,
suta = heard

Translation : And have you (ever) heard or seen such a thing?

Please Note : This sentence too is in passive voice and the literal translation is – And / whether such a thing has even been seen or heard by you?

10. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, yaṃ na tumhākaṃ taṃ pajahatha; taṃ vo pahīnaṃ dīgharattaṃ hitāya sukhāya bhavissati.

tasmātiha = therefore,
yaṃ = that which, whatever;
tumhākaṃ (gen. p of tumha) = your, yours;
taṃ = that
pajahati = abandons, gives up;
pajahatha = (you all) abandon – (it is an instruction / exhortation)
vo (gen. p of tumha) = your, yours;
pahīna (adj) = giving up, abandonment;
dīgharatta = a long time
hita = welfare, benefit;
sukha = happiness

Translation : Therefore bhikkhus, abandon / give up that which is not yours. That giving up will be for your happiness and welfare for a long time.

11. Ayaṃ vo amhākaṃ anusāsanī …

ayaṃ = this,
vo (acc. p of tumha) = to you,
amhākaṃ (gen. p of amha) = our,
anusāsanī = teaching, instruction

Translation : This is our instruction to you.

Please Note : This sentence appears frequently in the Suttas when the Buddha exhorts bhikkhus. Here amhākam refers to the Buddha’s teaching / instruction and can be translated as ‘my’ instead of ‘our’.

12. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṃ

evañhi = evaṃ+ hi = surely thus,
vo (inst. p of tumha) = by you,
sikkhati = learns, trains (oneself);
sikkhitabba = should be learnt, should be practised;

Translation : Bhikkhus, thus you should train yourselves.

Please Note : This sentence too is in passive voice and the literal translation is – Bhikkhus, thus should be learnt / practised by you.