Let one not neglect one's own spiritual attainment for other's spiritual attainment, however great.
Having fully understood one's own spiritual attainment, let one pursue the true attainment.

atta+d+atthaṃ para+atthena bahunā  pi    na    hāpaye
|               |        |         |            |        |       |          |
N.m.     N.n.  Adj.    N.n.     Adj.n. part. neg. V.act.caus.
|         Acc.Sg.   |     Ins.Sg.   Ins.Sg.   |       |     3.Sg.opt.
|________|        |_____|            |_____|       |_____|
       |                     |____________|                 |
       |                               |________________|
       |__________________________|

List of Abbreviations

atta+d+attham abhiññāya sad+attha+pasuto     siyā
|              |             |           |       |         |             |
N.m.    N.n.      V.ger.    Adj. N.n.  Adj.m.    V.act.
|        Acc.Sg.        |           |____|   Nom.Sg. 3.Sg.opt.
|________|            |               |_______|             |
       |___________|                      |___________|
                |________________________|

attadatthaṃ: attadattha-, N.n.: one's own spiritual attainment. It is a compound of:
    atta-, N.m.: it is the compound form of the word attan-, N.m.: self, oneself.
    attha-, N.n.: welfare, attainment. Here in the sense of "spiritual attainment".
Euphonic combination: atta- + attha- = attadattha-.
Acc.Sg. = attadatthaṃ.

paratthena: parattha-, N.n.: other's spiritual attainment. It is a compound of:
    para-, Adj.: different, other.
    attha-, N.n.: see above.
Euphonic combination: para- + attha- = parattha-.
Ins.Sg. = paratthena.

bahunā: bahu-, Adj.: large, much, very. Ins.Sg. = bahunā.

pi, part.: even, also.

na, neg.: not.

List of Abbreviations

hāpaye, V.: to neglect, to omit. The verb root is hā- (to leave). 3.Sg.act.caus.opt. = hāpaye.

attadattham: see above (attadatthaṃ).

abhiññāya, V.ger.: having fully understood. The verb root is ñā- (to know) with the prefix abhi- (intensifying sense).

sadatthapasuto: sadatthapasuta-, Adj.: pursuing the true attainment. It is a compound of:
    sat-, Adj.: good, true. Original meaning: existing. The full form (sant-) is an a.pr.p. of the verb as- (to be). The compound form of sant- = sat-.
    attha-, N.n.: see above.
Euphonic combination: sat- + attha- = sadattha-.
    pasuta-, Adj.: pursuing, intent upon.
Nom.Sg.m. = sadatthapasuto.

siyā, V.: would be. The verb root is as-. 3.Sg.act.opt. = siyā.

List of Abbreviations

    This verse consists of two syntactically separate sentences. They are:
    1) attadatthaṃ paratthena bahunā pi na hāpaye (let one not neglect one's own spiritual attainment for other's spiritual attainment, however great). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is hāpaye (let neglect, 3^rd person, singular, active, causative, optative). It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The verb has an attribute, the compound paratthena (for other's spiritual attainment, lit. by other's spiritual attainment, instrumental singular). This word has an attribute, the adjective bahunā (for great, lit. by great, instrumental singular). It is further modified by the particle pi (even). The object is the compound attadatthaṃ (one's own spiritual attainment, accusative singular).
    2) attadattham abhiññāya sadatthapasuto siyā (having fully understood one's own spiritual attainment, let one pursue a true attainment). This can be further analysed into two segments:
    a) attadattham abhiññāya (having fully understood one's own spiritual attainment). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is in gerund, abhiññāya (having fully understood). The object is the compound attadatthaṃ (one's own spiritual attainment, accusative singular).
    b) sadatthapasuto siyā (let one pursue the true attainment). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is siyā (let one be, 3^rd person, singular, active, optative). The object is the compound sadatthapasuto (pursuing the true attainment, nominative singular).

    Close to the age of eighty, the Buddha declared that he would attain his final Parinirvāna in four months. There were many monks who have not reached the final goal yet and they were very distressed. They wept and kept close to the Buddha all the time. There was a monk, named Attadatta who decided to honor the Buddha by attaining the Awakenment during his lifetime. So he kept alone and practiced diligently. Some other monks did not understand his intention and told Buddha, "Attadatta does not love you, he did not come to pay homage to you! He is egoistic, indeed!" Attadatta explained his behavior, saying that in his opinion the greatest homage to Buddha would be if he attained the Arahantship within the remaining four months of the Buddha's life.
    The Buddha approved of this and replied with this verse, saying that in spiritual attainment, one should diligently strive to reach the goal oneself and only then do other things.

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

attadatthaṃ
atta
atthaṃ
paratthena
para
atthena
bahunā
pi
na
hāpaye
abhiññāya
sadatthapasuto
sad
pasuto
siyā