If something is to be done, one should then do it and undertake it firmly.
A lax life as a monk will only heap up more dust of hindrances.

kayirā      ce    kayirātha    enaṃ  daḷham   etaṃ    parakkame
|                |           |               |          |           |              |
V.act.     part.   V.med.    Pron.m. Adv.    Pron.m.   V.act.
3.Sg.opt.    |     3.Sg.opt.   Acc.Sg.     |       Acc.Sg.  3.Sg.opt.
|_________|           |________|           |______|________|
        |_______________|                              |____|

List of Abbreviations

sithilo       hi   paribbājo bhiyyo ākirate       rajaṃ
|                |          |            |           |               |
Adj.m.    part.   N.m.     Adv.   V.med.in.   N.m.
Nom.Sg.    |    Nom.Sg.      |     3.Sg.pres.  Acc.Sg.
|_________|_____|             |______|               |
         |                                     |___________|
         |__________________________|

kayirā, V.: should do. The verb is root kar- (to do). 3.Sg.act.opt. = kayirā.

ce, part.: if.

kayirātha, V.: should do. The verb root is kar- (to do). 3.Sg.med.opt. = kayirātha.

enaṃ: ena-, Pron.: it. In Pali used only in Acc.Sg.m.: enaṃ (him).
Euphonic combination: kayirātha + enaṃ = kayirāthenaṃ.

daḷhaṃ, Adv.: strongly, firmly. It is derived from the word daḷha-, Adj.: strong, firm.
Acc.Sg.n. = daḷhaṃ. Here as an Adv.

etaṃ: etad-, Pron.: this. Neuter: etaṃ. Nom.Sg.m.: etaṃ.

List of Abbreviations

parakkame, V.: should undertake, show courage. The verb root is kam- (to walk, to enter into) with the prefix para- (over, beyond). 3.Sg.act.opt. = parakkame.

sithilo: sithila-, Adj.: loose, lax. Nom.Sg.m. = sithilo.

hi, part.: indeed.

paribbājo: paribbāja-, N.m.: monkshood, practicing the customs of a wandering monk (not necessarily a Buddhist). Nom.Sg. = paribbājo.

bhiyyo, Adv.: more, further, in a higher degree.

ākirate, V.: fill, heap, disperse. The verb root is kir- (to strew, to scatter) with the prefix ā- (to, towards). 3.Sg.med.in.pres. = ākirate.

rajaṃ: rajo-, N.m.: dust, dirt. Acc.Sg. = rajaṃ.

List of Abbreviations

    This verse consists of three syntactically separate sentences. They are:
    1) kayirā ce kayirāthenaṃ (if something is to be done, one should then do it). This can be further analysed into two parts:
    a) kayirā ce (if something is to be done). The verb is kayirā ([one] should do, 3^rd person, singular, active, optative). It is modified by the particle ce (if).
    b) kayirāthenaṃ (one should then do it). The verb is kayirātha (one should do, 3^rd person, singular, medium, optative). The object is the pronoun enaṃ (it, accusative singular).
    2) daḷham etaṃ parakkame (one should undertake it firmly). The verb is parakkame (one should undertake, 3^rd person, singular, active, optative). It has an attribute, the adverb daḷhaṃ (firmly). The object is the pronoun etaṃ (this, accusative singular).
    3) sithilo hi paribbājo bhiyyo ākirate rajaṃ (a lax life as a monk will only heap up more dust [of hindrances]). The subject is the noun paribbājo (monkshood, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the adjective sithilo (lax, nominative singular). It is stressed by the particle hi (indeed). The verb is ākirate (heaps up, 3^rd person, singular, medium, indicative, present tense). It has an attribute, the adverb bhiyyo (more). The object is the noun rajaṃ (dust, accusative singular).

    The story for this verse is identical with the one for the previous two verses (DhP 311, DhP 312).
    When one becomes a monk, it is because "there is something to be done". The task is - the complete liberation from the cycle of rebirths. All the energy should be applied to this task. If a monk is lax, there is no progress possible. The only result will be "heaping up" of more and more "dust" - hindrances and obstacles on the way to this final goal.

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

kayirā
ce
kayirātha
enaṃ
daḷham
etaṃ
parakkame
sithilo
hi
paribbājo
bhiyyo
ākirate
rajaṃ