Gatha | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure |
Vocabulary&Grammar | Commentary | Pronunciation |
Easy to see are faults of others; one's own faults are
difficult to see.
One exposes the faults of others like husks.
One's own conceals like a cheating player of dice an
unlucky throw.
sudassaj vajjam
abbesaj
attano pana duddasaj
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Adj.n. N.n.
Adj.m. Pron.m. part. Adj.n.
Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg. Gen.Pl. Gen.Sg.
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List of Abbreviations
paresaj hi
so vajjani
opunati yatha
bhusaj
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Adj.m. part. Pron.m. N.n.
V.act.in. Rel.Adv. N.n.
Gen.Pl. | Nom.Sg.
Acc.Pl. 3.Sg.pres. |
Acc.Sg.
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List of Abbreviations
attano pana chadeti
kalij va kitava
satho
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Pron.m. part. V.act.caus. N.m. part.
Adj.m. Adj.m.
Gen.Sg. | 3.Sg.pres.
Acc.Sg. | Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg.
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sudassaj: sudassa-, Adj.: easy to see. It is derived from the verb root das- (to see) with the prefix su- (well, good). Nom.Sg.n. = sudassaj.
vajjam: vajja-, N.n.: fault, what should be avoided. Nom.Sg. = vajjam.
abbesaj: abba-, Adj.: other, different. Gen.Pl.m. = abbesaj.
attano: attan-, N.m./Pron.: self, oneself. Gen.Sg. = attano.
pana, part.: indeed.
duddasaj: duddasa-, Adj. difficult to see. It is derived from the verb root das- (to see) with the prefix du- (bad, difficult). Nom.Sg.n. = duddasaj.
List of Abbreviations
paresaj: para-, Adj.m.: other. Gen.Pl. = paresaj.
hi, part.: indeed.
so: tad-, Pron.n.: it. Nom.Sg.m. = so.
vajjani: vajja-, N.n.: see above. Acc.Pl. = vajjani.
opunati, V.: lay bare, expose. Lit. to winnow, sift. The verb root is pu- (to cleanse) with the prefix ava- (away; here shortened to o-). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = opunati.
yatha, Rel.Adv.: as, just like.
bhusaj: bhusa-, N.n.: chaff, husk. Acc.Sg. = bhusaj.
List of Abbreviations
attano: see above.
pana: see above.
chadeti, V.: covers, conceals. The verb root is chad- (to cover). 3.Sg.act.caus.pres. = chadeti.
kalij: kali-, N.m.: an unlucky throw at dice, number one. Acc.Sg. = kalij.
va, part.: as, like.
kitava: kitava-, Adj.: one who is lucky at throwing dice. Nom.Sg.m. = kitava.
satho: satha-, Adj.: deceitful, treacherous, fraudulent. Nom.Sg.m. = satho.
List of Abbreviations
This verse consists of four syntactically
separate sentences. They are:
1) sudassaj
vajjam abbesaj
(easy to see are faults of others). The subject is the noun vajjam
(fault, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the adjective abbesaj
(of others, genitive plural). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to
be". The object is the adjective sudassaj
(easy to see, nominative singular).
2) attano pana duddasaj
(one's own faults are difficult to see). The subject is the word vajjam
from the previous sentence. It has an attribute, the noun/pronoun attano
(one's own, genitive singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb
"to be". The object is the adjective duddasaj
(difficult to see, nominative singular). The particle pana (indeed)
serves only for metrical purposes.
3) paresaj
hi so vajjani opunati
yatha bhusaj
(one exposes the faults of others like husks). This can be further analysed
into the main sentence and the clause:
a) paresaj
hi so vajjani opunati
(one exposes the faults of others). The subject is the pronoun so
(he, nominative singular). The verb is opunati
(exposes, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present
tense). The object is the noun vajjani
(faults, accusative plural). It has an attribute, the adjective paresaj
(of others, genitive plural). The particle hi (indeed) serves only
for metrical purposes.
b) yatha
bhusaj (like husks). The object is the
noun bhusaj (chaff, accusative singular).
The relative adverb yatha (like, as)
connects the clause to the main sentence.
4) attano pana chadeti
kalij va kitava
satho (one's own conceals like a cheating
player of dice an unlucky throw). This can be further analysed into the
main sentence and the clause:
a) attano pana chadeti
(one's own conceals). The subject is the noun vajjani
from the previous sentence. It has an attribute, the noun/pronoun attano
(one's own, genitive singular). The verb is chadeti
(conceals, 3rd person, singular, active, causative, present
tense). The particle pana (indeed) serves only for metrical purposes.
b) kalij
va kitava satho
(like a cheating player of dice an unlucky throw). The subject is the adjective
kitava (a player, one who is lucky
at throwing dice, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the adjective
satho (cheating, nominative singular).
The verb is chadeti from the main sentence.
The object is the noun kalij (number
one, an unlucky throw, accusative singular). The particle va (as,
like) connects the clause to the main sentence.
In the town of Bhaddiya there lived
a rich man named Mendaka. When the Buddha arrived at Bhaddiya, he realized
that Mendaka and his whole family are able to understand the Dharma. He
explained the teaching to them and after hearing the Dharma from him, Mendaka,
his wife, son, daughter-in-law and servant all attained the first level
of Awakenment. Mendaka related how many ascetic teachers spoke ill of the
Buddha and tried to dissuade Mendaka from seeing the Buddha. The Buddha
explained by this verse, that it is only very natural to see others' faults
and not to see one's own.
The Buddha then revealed the past
existences of Mendaka. He was always a rich man who donated many things
to those seeking Awakenment.
Word pronunciation:
sudassaj
vajjam
abbesaj
attano
pana
duddasaj
paresaj
hi
so
vajjani
opunati
yatha
bhusaj
chadeti
kalij
va
kitava
satho