Gatha | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure |
Vocabulary&Grammar | Commentary | Pronunciation |
Very happily indeed we live, who have nothing whatsoever.
We will be feeding on joy, just like the Radiant Gods.
susukhaj vata
jivama
yesaj
no na
atthi kibcanaj
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Adv. part.
V.act.in. Rel.Pron.m. Pron.m. neg. V.act.in.
Pron.n.
|_________| 1.Pl.pres.
Gen.Pl. Gen.Pl. |
3.Sg.pres. Nom.Sg.
|___________|
|_________| |______|
|
|
|
|__________|
|
|___________________|
|_____________________________|
List of Abbreviations
piti+bhakkha
bhavissama deva
abhassara
yatha
|
|
| |
| |
N.f. Adj.m.
V.act. N.m. Adj.m.
Rel.Adv.
| Nom.Pl.
1.Pl.fut. Nom.Pl. Nom.Pl. |
|_______|
|
|_______|
|
|____________|
|__________|
|_______________________|
susukhaj, Adv.: very happily. It is derived from the word sukha-, Adj.: happy, with the prefix su- (well, good).
vata, part.: indeed, certainly.
jivama, V.: (we) live. The verb root is jiv-. 1.Pl.act.in.pres. = jivama.
yesaj: yat-, Rel.Pron.: that, which. Gen.Pl.m. = yesaj.
no: aham, Pron.: I. Gen.Pl. = no.
na, neg.: not.
atthi, V.: is. The verb root is as- (to
be). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = atthi.
Euphonic combination: na + atthi = natthi.
List of Abbreviations
kibcanaj: kibcana-, Pron.n.: something, anything. Nom.Sg. = kibcanaj.
pitibhakkha:
pitibhakkha-, Adj.: feeding on joy.
It is a compound of:
piti-,
N.f.: joy, delight.
bhakkha-, Adj.: eating, feeding.
It is derived from the verb root bhakkh- (to eat).
Nom.Pl.m. = pitibhakkha.
bhavissama, V.: (we) will be. The verb root is bhu-. 1.Pl.act.fut. = bhavissama.
deva: deva-, N.m.: god, celestial being. Nom.Pl. = deva.
abhassara:
abhassara-, Adj.: radiant. Radiant
Gods, a special class of gods that feed on joy.
Nom.Pl.m. = abhassara.
yatha, Rel.Adv.: as, just like.
List of Abbreviations
This verse consists of two syntactically
separate sentences. They are:
1) susukhaj
vata jivama yesaj
no natthi kibcanaj
(very happily indeed we live, who have nothing whatsoever). This can be
further analysed into two segments:
a) susukhaj
vata jivama
(very happily indeed we live). The subject is omitted; the verb implies
the first person plural pronoun. The verb is jivama
(we live, 1st person, plural, active, indicative, present tense).
It has an attribute, the adverb susukhaj
(very happily). The particle vata (indeed) serves mainly for metrical
purposes.
b) yesaj
no natthi kibcanaj
(who have nothing whatsoever). The subject is the pronoun kibcanaj
(anything, nominative singular). The verb is atthi (is, 3rd
person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). It is negated by
the negative particle na (not). The verb has two attributes, the
pronoun no (ours, genitive plural) and the relative pronoun yesaj
(whose, genitive plural).
2) pitibhakkha
bhavissama deva
abhassara yatha
(we will be feeding on joy, just like the Radiant Gods). This can be further
analysed into the main sentence a) and the clause b):
a) pitibhakkha
bhavissama (we will be feeding on joy).
The subject is the adjective compound pitibhakkha
(feeding on joy, nominative plural). The verb is bhavissama
([we] will be, 1st person, plural, active, future).
b) deva
abhassara yatha
(just like the Radiant Gods). The subject is the noun deva
(gods, nominative plural) with its attribute, the adjective abhassara
(radiant, nominative plural). The relative adverb yatha
(just as, like) connects the clause to the main sentence.
The Buddha once saw that a group of
young girls from Pabcasala
village was very close to attaining the first stage of Awakenment. One
day, when the girls were returning from the bath at the river, the Buddha
entered the village for almsfood. However, the villagers were influenced
by Mara and gave him nothing.
When the Buddha left the village,
he met Mara who asked him if he has received
enough almsfood. The Buddha, knowing that Mara
influenced the villagers, admonished him for doing such a wrong deed. Mara
wanted to make further fun of the Buddha and so told him to go back to
the village to ask for almsfood again.
When the Buddha returned to the village,
the girls came back from their bath and paid their homage to him. Mara
appeared again and asked the Buddha if he was not quite hungry, not having
eaten anything that day. The Buddha replied with this verse, saying that
even if he did not get any food at all, he would sustain himself on joy
and satisfaction, like the Radiant Gods, who live in constant joy and happiness.
Word pronunciation:
susukhaj
vata
jivama
yesaj
no
na
atthi
kibcanaj
pitibhakkha
piti
bhakkha
bhavissama
deva
abhassara
yatha