Gatha | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure |
Vocabulary&Grammar | Commentary | Pronunciation |
Conscientious amongst the negligent, watchful amongst
the sleeping,
the wise one advances like a swift horse, having left
behind a weak one.
a+ppamatto pamattesu suttesu bahu+jagaro
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neg. Adj.m. Adj.m.
Adj.m. Adj. Adj.m.
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Loc.Pl. | Nom.Sg.
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List of Abbreviations
a + bala+assaj
va sigha+asso
hitva yati
su+medhaso
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neg. N.n. N.m. part. Adj.
N.m. V. V.act.in.
pref. Adj.m.
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ger. 3.Sg.pres. | Nom.Sg.
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appamatto: appamatta-, Adj.: conscientious,
non-negligent. A negated (by the negative prefix a-) word pamatta-,
Adj.: negligent. It is a p.p. of the verb mad- (to be intoxicated)
with the strengthening prefix pa- (thus pamajjati = to be
careless, to neglect).
Doubled p is due to the euphonic combination (a
+ pamatta = appamatta).
Nom.Sg. = appamatto.
pamattesu: pamatta-, Adj.: negligent. It
is a p.p. of the verb mad- (to be intoxicated) with the strengthening
prefix pa- (thus pamajjati = to be careless, to neglect).
Loc.Pl. = pamattesu.
suttesu: sutta-, Adj.: sleeping. A p.p. of the verb sup- (to sleep). Loc.Pl. = suttesu.
List of Abbreviations
bahujagaro:
bahujagara-, Adj.: very awake, very
watchful. A compound of:
bahu-, Adj.: large, much, very.
jagara-,
Adj.: awake, watchful. Derived from the verb jagarti
(to be awake).
Nom.Sg. = bahujagaro.
abal'assaj: abal'assa-,
N.m.: weak horse. A compound of:
abala-, Adj.: weak, powerless.
The word bala-, N.n.: power, strength, negated by
the negative prefix a-.
assa-, N.m.: horse.
The contracted form abal'assa- is due to the metrical
requirements.
Acc.Sg. = abal'assaj.
va, part.: as, like.
List of Abbreviations
sigh'asso:
sigh'assa-, N.m.: swift horse. A compound
of:
sigha-,
Adj.: swift, quick.
assa-, N.m.: horse.
The contracted form sigh'assa-
is due to the metrical requirements.
Nom.Sg. = sigh'asso.
hitva, V.ger.: having renounced, having left behind. A ger. of the verb ha- (to abandon, to leave).
yati, V.: goes. The verb root ya- (to go). 3.Sg.in.act.pres. = yati.
sumedhaso: sumedhasa-, N.m.: wise one. The word medhasa, Adj.: wise, intelligent, with the prefix su- (good, well). Nom.Sg. = sumedhaso.
List of Abbreviations
The subject of the sentence is the
word sumedhaso (wise one, nominative singular). The verb is yati
(goes, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense).
The subject has two attributes. They are 1) appamatto (conscientious,
nominative singular) with its own attribute pamattesu (amongst negligent
ones, locative plural) and 2) bahujagaro
(very watchful, nominative singular) with its attribute suttesu
(amongst sleeping ones, locative plural).
The sentence has a clause, abal'assaj
va sigh'asso hitva
(like a swift horse, having left behind a weak horse). Here, the subject
is sigh'asso (a swift horse, nominative
singular). The gerund hitva (having
abandoned) serves as a verb. The object is abal'assaj
(a weak horse, accusative singular).
Once, there were two monks, who were
friends. They both got a subject of meditation from the Buddha. So they
went to the forest monastery to meditate. One of them was rather lazy.
Because it was winter, he was warming himself by the fire the first part
of the night and the other part he spent talking to other monks and novices.
But the other monk was very mindful and diligent. He spent the night meditating
and soon he became an arahant.
After the end of the retreat they
went back to see the Buddha. The lazy monk actually accused the diligent
one of laziness! He told Buddha, whereas he himself was first warming himself
by the fire and then "not-sleeping", his friend was idling, lying down
and sleeping all the time. But the Buddha of course knew the truth and
he told them this verse. One friend was like a weak horse, lazy and talkative,
but the other one, like a swift horse, was diligent and mindful. And he
left the other friend behind - he became an arahant.
Word pronunciation:
appamatto
pamattesu
suttesu
bahujagaro
abal'assaj
abala
assaj
va
sigh'asso
sigha
asso
hitva
yati
sumedhaso