One is not to be called an Elder just because his head is gray.
Such a person is of mature age and is called "grown old in vain".

na     tena      thero        hoti           yena       assa      palitaṃ       siro
|           |            |              |                |             |              |             |
neg. Pron.n.   N.m.     V.act.in.  Rel.Pron.n. Pron.m.   Adj.n.      N.n.
|       Ins.Sg. Nom.Sg. 3.Sg.pres.    Ins.Sg.     Gen.Sg. Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg.
|______|_______|________|               |             |________|_______|
           |       |___|                              |                    |____|
           |_____|                                  |_____________|
                |____________________________|

List of Abbreviations

paripakko  vayo      tassa   mogha+jiṇṇo     ti      vuccati
|                   |            |           |          |         |           |
Adj.m.      N.m.    Pron.m.  Adj.   Adj.m. part.  V.pas.in.
Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg. Gen.Sg.     |    Nom.Sg.   |    3.Sg.pres.
|                   |_______|           |_____|          |           |
|______________|                       |________|           |
                                                         |__________|

na, neg.: not.

tena: tad-, Pron.: it. Ins.Sg.n. = tena (by it, because of it).

thero: thera-, N.m.: Elder, a senior monk. One becomes an Elder ten years after one's full ordination. Nom.Sg. = thero.

hoti, V. is. The verb root is bhū- (to be). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = bhavati or hoti.

yena: yad-, Rel.Pron.: that which. Ins.Sg.n. = yena.

assa: idam- Pron.: it. Gen.Sg.m. = assa (his).
Euphonic combination: yena + assa = yenassa.

palitaṃ: palita-, Adj.: gray. Nom.Sg.n. = palitaṃ.

siro: sira-, N.n.: head. Nom.Sg. = siro.

List of Abbreviations

paripakko: paripakka-, Adj.: ripe, mature. Nom.Sg.m. = paripakko.

vayo: vaya-, N.m.: life, age. Nom.Sg. = vayo.

tassa: tad-, Pron.: that. Gen.Sg.m. = tassa.

moghajiṇṇo: moghajiṇṇa-, Adj.: grown old in vain. It is a compound of:
    mogha-, Adj.: empty, vain, useless.
    jiṇṇa-, Adj.: old, worn out. It is a p.p. of the verb root ji- (to fade, to get old).
Nom.Sg.m. = moghajiṇṇo.

ti, part.: a particle, symbolizing the end of direct speech. In English this is expressed by quotation marks. Sometimes it is written as iti.

vuccati, V,: is called. It is a passive form of the verb root vac- (to say). 3.Sg.pas.in.pres. = vuccati.

List of Abbreviations

    This verse consists of three syntactically separate sentences. They are:
    1) na tena thero hoti yenassa palitaṃ siro (one is not to be called an Elder just because his head is gray). This can be further analysed into two segments:
    a) na tena thero hoti (one is not to be called an Elder). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is hoti (is, 3^rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The object is the noun thero (Elder, nominative singular). The pronoun tena (by that, instrumental singular) connects this segment to the following one.
    b) yenassa palitaṃ siro (just because his head is gray). The subject is the noun siro (head, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the pronoun assa (his, genitive singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the adjective palitaṃ (gray, nominative singular). The relative adverb yena (by which, because; instrumental singular) connects this segment to the previous one.
    2) paripakko vayo tassa (such a person is of mature age, lit. his age is mature). The subject is the noun vayo (age, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the pronoun tassa (his, genitive singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the adjective paripakko (mature, nominative singular).
    3) moghajiṇṇo ti vuccati (is called "grown old in vain"). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third person singular pronoun. The verb is vuccati (is called, 3^rd person, singular, passive, indicative, present tense). The object is the compound moghajiṇṇo (old in vain, nominative singular). It is modified by the particle ti (the quotation mark).

    A group of monks came to see the Buddha. Because he knew they were very close to attaining the Awakenment, he asked them if they had seen an Elder just entering the room. The monks replied they did not see an Elder, only a young novice. The Buddha replied that this monk was actually not a novice, but an Elder. He further told them this verse (and the following one, DhP 261).
    The monks all attained the Arahantship.

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

na
tena
thero
hoti
yena
assa
palitaṃ
siro
paripakko
vayo
tassa
moghajiṇṇo
mogha
jiṇṇo
ti
vuccati