Excellent are tamed mules; and the thoroughbred horses from Sindh;
and all kinds of elephants. One who tamed himself is the best of all.

varam     assatara    danta   ajaniya   ca   sindhava
|                   |             |            |          |          |
Adj.n.       N.m.     Adj.m.   Adj.m.  conj.   N.m.
Nom.Sg. Nom.Pl. Nom.Pl. Nom.Pl.    |     Nom.Pl.
|                   |_______|             |_____|______|
|_______________|                            |___|

List of Abbreviations

kubjara   ca   maha+naga     atta+danto      tato    varaj
|               |        |         |          |         |           |           |
N.m.     conj. Adj.    N.m.   N.m. Adj.m.   Adv.   Adj.n.
Nom.Pl.    |       |    Nom.Pl.    |    Nom.Sg.    |     Nom.Sg.
|                |       |_____|          |_____|           |______|
|_________|_______|                   |____________|
         |____|

varam: vara-, Adj.: best. Nom.Sg.n. = varam. The neuter singular form is always used in Pali (even though the noun is in the masculine plural).

assatara: assatara-, N.m.: mule. Nom.Sg. = assatara.

danta: danta-, Adj.: restrained, tamed, controlled. It is a p.p. of the verb dam- (to restrain, to control, to tame). Nom.Pl.m. = danta.

ajaniya: ajaniya-, Adj.: of good birth, thoroughbred. It is derived from the verb root jan- (to be born). Nom.Pl.m. = ajaniya.

ca, conj.: and.

sindhava: sindhava-, N.m.: a Sindh horse. It is derived from the word sindhu-, N.m.: Sindh.
Nom.Pl. = sindhava.

kubjara: kubjara-, N.m.: elephant. Nom.Pl. = kubjara.

List of Abbreviations

ca: see above.

mahanaga: mahanaga-, N.m.: a great elephant. It is a compound of:
    mahant-, Adj.: big, great. The compound form is maha-.
    naga-, N.m.: elephant.
Nom.Pl. = mahanaga.

attadanto: attadanta-, Adj.: who tamed himself. It is a compound of:
    atta-, N.m.: it is the compound form of the word attan-, N.m.: self.
    danta-, Adj.: restrained, tamed, controlled. It is a p.p. of the verb dam- (to restrain, to control, to tame).
Nom.Sg.m. = attadanto.

tato, Adv.: than that.

varaj: see above.

List of Abbreviations

    This verse consist four syntactically separate sentences. They are:
    1) varam assatara danta (excellent are tamed mules). The subject is the noun assatara (mules, nominative plural). It has an attribute, the past participle danta (tamed, nominative plural). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the adjective varam (best, nominative singular).
    2) ajaniya ca sindhava (and the thoroughbred horses from Sindh). The subject is the noun sindhava ([horses] of Sindh, nominative plural). It has an attribute, the adjective ajaniya (thoroughbred, nominative plural). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the adjective varam from the previous sentence. The conjunction ca (and) connects this sentence to the previous one.
    3) kubjara ca mahanaga (and all kinds of elephants). There are two subjects in this sentence, the nouns kubjara (elephants, nominative plural) and mahanaga (great elephants, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the adjective varam from the first sentence. The conjunction ca (and) connects this sentence to the previous one.
    4) attadanto tato varaj (one who tamed himself is the best of all). The subject is the compound attadanto (self-tamed, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the adjective varam (best, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the adverb tato (than that).

    The story for this verse is identical with the one for the previous two verses (DhP 320 and DhP 321).
    People of all regions in all times always desired to own thoroughbred and tamed animals. In this verse we are told that someone who tamed himself is to be praised even more.

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

varam
assatara
danta
ajaniya
ca
sindhava
kubjara
mahanaga
maha
naga
attadanto
atta
danto
tato