Excellent are tamed mules; and the thoroughbred horses from Sindh;
and all kinds of elephants. One who tamed himself is the best of all.

varam     assatarā    dantā   ājānīyā   ca   sindhavā
|                   |             |            |          |          |
Adj.n.       N.m.     Adj.m.   Adj.m.  conj.   N.m.
Nom.Sg. Nom.Pl. Nom.Pl. Nom.Pl.    |     Nom.Pl.
|                   |_______|             |_____|______|
|_______________|                            |___|

List of Abbreviations

kuñjarā   ca   mahā+nāgā     atta+danto      tato    varaṃ
|               |        |         |          |         |           |           |
N.m.     conj. Adj.    N.m.   N.m. Adj.m.   Adv.   Adj.n.
Nom.Pl.    |       |    Nom.Pl.    |    Nom.Sg.    |     Nom.Sg.
|                |       |_____|          |_____|           |______|
|_________|_______|                   |____________|
         |____|

varam: vara-, Adj.: best. Nom.Sg.n. = varam. The neuter singular form is always used in Pali (even though the noun is in the masculine plural).

assatarā: assatara-, N.m.: mule. Nom.Sg. = assatarā.

dantā: danta-, Adj.: restrained, tamed, controlled. It is a p.p. of the verb dam- (to restrain, to control, to tame). Nom.Pl.m. = dantā.

ājānīyā: ājānīya-, Adj.: of good birth, thoroughbred. It is derived from the verb root jan- (to be born). Nom.Pl.m. = ājānīyā.

ca, conj.: and.

sindhavā: sindhava-, N.m.: a Sindh horse. It is derived from the word sindhu-, N.m.: Sindh.
Nom.Pl. = sindhavā.

kuñjarā: kuñjara-, N.m.: elephant. Nom.Pl. = kuñjarā.

List of Abbreviations

ca: see above.

mahānāgā: mahānāga-, N.m.: a great elephant. It is a compound of:
    mahant-, Adj.: big, great. The compound form is mahā-.
    nāga-, N.m.: elephant.
Nom.Pl. = mahānāgā.

attadanto: attadanta-, Adj.: who tamed himself. It is a compound of:
    atta-, N.m.: it is the compound form of the word attan-, N.m.: self.
    danta-, Adj.: restrained, tamed, controlled. It is a p.p. of the verb dam- (to restrain, to control, to tame).
Nom.Sg.m. = attadanto.

tato, Adv.: than that.

varaṃ: see above.

List of Abbreviations

    This verse consist four syntactically separate sentences. They are:
    1) varam assatarā dantā (excellent are tamed mules). The subject is the noun assatarā (mules, nominative plural). It has an attribute, the past participle dantā (tamed, nominative plural). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the adjective varam (best, nominative singular).
    2) ājānīyā ca sindhavā (and the thoroughbred horses from Sindh). The subject is the noun sindhavā ([horses] of Sindh, nominative plural). It has an attribute, the adjective ājānīyā (thoroughbred, nominative plural). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the adjective varam from the previous sentence. The conjunction ca (and) connects this sentence to the previous one.
    3) kuñjarā ca mahānāgā (and all kinds of elephants). There are two subjects in this sentence, the nouns kuñjarā (elephants, nominative plural) and mahānāgā (great elephants, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the adjective varam from the first sentence. The conjunction ca (and) connects this sentence to the previous one.
    4) attadanto tato varaṃ (one who tamed himself is the best of all). The subject is the compound attadanto (self-tamed, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the adjective varam (best, nominative singular). It has an attribute, the adverb tato (than that).

    The story for this verse is identical with the one for the previous two verses (DhP 320 and DhP 321).
    People of all regions in all times always desired to own thoroughbred and tamed animals. In this verse we are told that someone who tamed himself is to be praised even more.

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

varam
assatarā
dantā
ājānīyā
ca
sindhavā
kuñjarā
mahānāgā
mahā
nāgā
attadanto
atta
danto
tato