Gāthā | Sentence Translation | Sentence Structure |
Vocabulary&Grammar | Commentary | Pronunciation |
A tamed elephant is led into the assembly. The king mounts
a tamed elephant.
The tamed one, who endures abuses, is the best amongst
people.
dantaṃ
nayanti samitiṃ dantaṃ
rājā
abhirūhati
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Adj.m. V.act.in. N.f.
Adj.m. N.m. V.act.in.
Acc.Sg. 3.Pl.pres. Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. Nom.Sg. 3.Sg.pres.
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List of Abbreviations
danto seṭṭho
manussesu yo ativākyaṃ
titikkhati
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Adj.m. Adj.m.
N.m. Rel.pron.m. N.n.
V.act.in.
Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg. Loc.Pl. Nom.Sg.
Acc.Sg. 3.Sg.pres.
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dantaṃ: danta-, Adj.: restrained, tamed, controlled. It is a p.p. of the verb dam- (to restrain, to control, to tame). Acc.Sg.m. = dantaṃ.
nayanti, V.: lead. The verb root is nī-. 3.Pl.act.in.pres. = nayanti.
samitiṃ: samiti-, N.f.: assembly. Acc.Sg. = samitiṃ.
dantaṃ: see above.
rājā: rājan-, N.m.: king. Nom.Sg. = rājā.
abhirūhati,
V.: mounts, ascends, climbs. The verb is ruh- (to grow) with the
prefix abhi- (up, over). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = abhirūhati.
Euphonic combination: rājā
+ abhirūhati = rājābhirūhati.
List of Abbreviations
danto: danta-, Adj.: restrained, tamed, controlled. It is a p.p. of the verb dam- (to restrain, to control, to tame). Nom.Sg.m. = danto.
seṭṭho: seṭṭha-, Adj.: best. Nom.Sg.m. = seṭṭho.
manussesu: manussa-, N.m.: human, person, man. Loc.Pl. = manussesu.
yo: yad-, Rel.Pron.: that which. Nom.Sg.m. = yo.
ativākyaṃ:
ativākya-, N.n.: abuse, blame, reproach.
It is derived from the verb root vac- (to speak) with the prefix
ati- (extremely, in excess). Acc.Sg. = ativākyaṃ.
Euphonic combination: yo + ativākyaṃ
= yo'tivākyaṃ.
titikkhati, V.: endures, bears, tolerates. The verb root is tij- (to sharpen). The desiderative form (expressing a desire to do an action) is titikkhati. 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = titikkhati.
List of Abbreviations
This verse consists of three syntactically
separate sentences. They are:
1) dantaṃ
nayanti samitiṃ (a tamed elephant is led
into the assembly). The subject is omitted; the verb implies the third
person plural pronoun. The verb is nayanti ([they] lead, 3rd
person, plural, active, indicative, present tense). It has an attribute,
the noun samitiṃ (to the assembly,
accusative singular). The object is the past participle dantaṃ
(a tamed [elephant], accusative singular).
2) dantaṃ
rājābhirūhati
(the king mounts a tamed elephant). The subject is the noun rājā
(king, nominative singular). The verb is abhirūhati
(mounts, 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense).
The object is the past participle dantaṃ
(a tamed [elephant], accusative singular).
3) danto seṭṭho
manussesu yotivākyaṃ
titikkhati (the tamed one, who endures abuses, is the best amongst
people). This can be further analysed into the main sentence a) and the
dependent clause b):
a) danto seṭṭho
manussesu (the tamed one is the best amongst people). The subject is
the past participle danto (a tamed [elephant], nominative singular).
The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". It has an attribute, the
noun manussesu (amongst people, locative plural). The object is
the adjective seṭṭho (best, nominative
singular).
b) yotivākyaṃ
titikkhati (who endures abuses). The subject is the relative pronoun
yo (who, nominative singular). It also connects the clause to the
subject of the main sentence. The verb is titikkhati (endures, 3rd
person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). The object is the
noun ativākyaṃ
(abuse, accusative singular).
The story for this verse is identical
with the one for the previous verse (DhP 320) and the following one (DhP
322).
A tamed elephant is very valuable:
it is an important symbol of the king. The king is driven all around the
city on a tamed elephant. The tamed elephant is the best of all elephants.
In the same way, one who "tamed" oneself
is always the best of people. From the self-control begins the way to the
Awakenment. Therefore, to show constraint when being abused is a very good
training for those aspiring to the highest goal.
Word pronunciation:
dantaṃ
nayanti
samitiṃ
rājā
abhirūhati
danto
seṭṭho
manussesu
yo
ativākyaṃ
titikkhati