Gatha | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure |
Vocabulary&Grammar | Commentary | Pronunciation |
In this world, does there exist a person restrained by
conscience,
who avoids blame, like a good horse avoids a whip?
hiri+nisedho
puriso koci lokasmij
vijjati
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N.f. Adj.m. N.m.
Pron.m. N.m. V.pas.in.
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3.Sg.pres.
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List of Abbreviations
yo
nindaj apabodheti
asso bhadro kasam
iva
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Rel.Pron.m. N.f. V.act.caus.
N.m. Adj.m. N.f.
part.
Nom.Sg. Acc.Sg. 3.Sg.pres.
Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg. Acc.Sg. |
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hirinisedho:
hirinisedha-, Adj.: restrained by conscience.
It is a compound of:
hiri-,
N.f.: sense of shame, conscience.
nisedha-, Adj.: restraining,
holding back.
Nom.Sg.m. = hirinisedho.
puriso: purisa-, N.m.: person. Nom.Sg. = puriso.
koci: kibci-, Pron.: whatever. Nom.Sg.m. = koci.
lokasmij: loka-, N.m.: world. Loc.Sg. = lokasmij.
vijjati, V.: exists, is found. The verb root is vid- (to find). 3.Sg.pas.in.pres. = vijjati.
List of Abbreviations
yo: yad-, Rel.Pron.: that which. Nom.Sg.m. = yo.
nindaj: ninda-, N.f.: blame, reproach. Acc.Sg. = nindaj.
apabodheti, V.: avoids. It is a causative of the verb root budh- (to understand) with the prefix apa- (away). 3.Sg.act.caus.pres. = apabodheti.
asso: assa-, N.m.: horse. Nom.Sg. = asso.
bhadro: bhadra-, Adj.: good. Nom.Sg.m. = bhadro.
kasam: kasa-, N.f.: whip. Acc.Sg. = kasam.
iva, part.: like, as (another, more often used form of this word is va).
List of Abbreviations
This verse consists of two related
sentences. They are:
1) hirinisedho
puriso koci lokasmij vijjati (in this
world, does there exist a person restrained by conscience). The subject
is the noun puriso (person, nominative singular). It has two attributes,
the adjective compound hirinisedho
(restrained by conscience, nominative singular) and the pronoun koci
(a, some; nominative singular). The verb is vijjati (is found, exists;
3rd person, singular, passive, indicative, present tense). It
has an attribute, the noun lokasmij
(in the world, locative singular).
2) yo nindaj
apabodheti asso bhadro kasam iva (who
avoids blame, like a good horse avoids a whip). This sentence contains
two parts. The main sentence is yo nindaj
apabodheti (who avoids blame). The subject is the relative pronoun
yo (who, nominative singular). The verb is apabodheti (avoids,
3rd person, singular, active, causative, present tense). The
object is the noun nindaj (blame, accusative
singular). The second part is the clause asso bhadro kasam
iva (like a good horse [avoids] a whip). The subject is the noun asso
(horse, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the adjective bhadro
(good, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb apabodheti
from the main sentence. The object is the noun kasam
(whip, accusative singular). The particle iva (like) connects the
clause to the main sentence.
Venerable Ananda
once met a young beggar who was going around dressed in old rags and holding
a begging plate. After meeting Ananda, the
man decided to become a monk. His name was Pilotika.
When he became a monk, he put his
old clothes and the plate under a certain tree. Sometimes he felt not satisfied
with his life as a monk and he went back to the tree and contemplated going
back to the layman's life. But when he realized how miserable were his
days before he became a monk, he felt shame and returned to the monastery.
This happened many times. Other monks
asked him where was he going all the time. He told them he went to see
his teacher. Pilotika considered his old clothes and the plate to be his
teacher, because they taught him futility of the lay life many times. He
started to practice earnestly and took his old clothes as a meditation
subject. Soon he was able to reach Awakenment and therefore he stopped
going to the tree.
Other monks asked him again, why does
not he go to see his teacher any more. Pilotika replied that he does not
have need for a teacher any more, hinting that he was an Arahant. The monks
went to see the Buddha and asked him if it was true, if Pilotika has really
reached the goal. The Buddha replied in affirmative, saying that indeed
Pilotika now has no need to see his "teacher" because he has nothing to
learn from the old clothes anymore. He has realized the truth and became
an Arahant. The Buddha further added this verse and the following one (DhP
144).
Word pronunciation:
hirinisedho
hiri
nisedho
puriso
koci
lokasmij
vijjati
yo
nindaj
apabodheti
asso
bhadro
kasam
iva