Who speaks smooth, informative and true words,
by which he does not offend anyone - him do I call a Brahmin.

akakkasaṃ viññāpaniṃ giraṃ  saccam   udīraye
|                        |             |           |             |
Adj.f.            Adj.f        N.f.     Adj.f.  V.act.opt.
Acc.Sg.        Acc.Sg.   Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. 3.Sg.caus.
|_____________|________|______|             |
                               |____|                         |
                                   |________________|
                                                   |_____________________________

List of Abbreviations

yāya           na    abhisaje    kañci     tam      ahaṃ        brūmi  brāhmaṇaṃ
|                   |          |              |           |            |                |              |
Rel.Pron.f. neg. V.act.opt. Pron.m. Pron.m.  Pron.      V.act.in.     N.m.
Ins.Sg.          |      3.Sg.      Acc.Sg. Acc.Sg. Nom.Sg.  1.Sg.pres.  Acc.Sg.
|                   |______|              |           |            |                |              |
|                         |___________|           |            |                |              |
|___________________|                      |            |                |              |
__________|                                       |            |                |              |
         |___________________________|           |                |              |
                                   |___________________|_________|________|
                                                                      |       |_____|
                                                                      |_______|

akakkasaṃ: akakkasa-, Adj.: smooth, not harsh. It is the word kakkasa-, Adj.: harsh, rough, negated by the negative prefix a-. Acc.Sg.f. = akakkasaṃ.

viññāpaniṃ: viññāpana-, Adj.: instructive, making clear, informing. It is derived from the causative form viññāpeti (to make known, to teach, to instruct). The verb root is ñā- (to know) with the prefix vi- (intensifying sense). Acc.Sg.f. = viññāpaniṃ.

giraṃ: girā-, N.f.: speech, words, utterance. Acc.Sg. = giraṃ.

saccam: sacca-, Adj.: real, true. Acc.Sg.f. = saccam.

udīraye, V.: should utter, pronounce, speak, say. The verb root is īr- (to move) with the prefix ud- (up). 3.Sg.act.caus.opt. = udīraye.

yāya: yad-, Rel.Pron.: that which. Ins.Sg. Ins.Sg.f. = yāya.

List of Abbreviations

na, neg.: not.

abhisaje, V.: should curse, make angry. The verb root is saj- (to hang) with the prefix abhi- (to, on to). 3.Sg.act.opt. = abhisaje.
Euphonic combination: na + abhisaje = nābhisaje.

kañci: kiñci-, Pron.: whatever. Acc.Sg.m. = kañci.

tam: tad-, Pron.: it. Masculine form: so-, he. Acc.Sg. = tam (him).

ahaṃ, Pron.: I. Nom.Sg. = ahaṃ.

brūmi, V.: [I] say, proclaim. The verb root is brū-. 1.Sg.act.in.pres. = brūmi.

brāhmaṇaṃ: brāhmaṇa-, N.m.: Brahmin, a holy man. Acc.Sg. = brāhmaṇaṃ.

List of Abbreviations

    This verse consists of two related sentences. They are:
    1) akakkasaṃ viññāpaniṃ giraṃ saccam udīraye yāya nābhisaje kañci (who speaks smooth, informative and true words, by which he does not offend anyone). This can be further analyzed into the main sentence a) and the clause b):
    a) akakkasaṃ viññāpaniṃ giraṃ saccam udīraye (who speaks smooth, informative and true words). The subject is omitted, the verb implying the third person singular pronoun. The verb is udīraye (should [one] utter, 3^rd person, singular, active, optative). The object is the noun giraṃ (speech, accusative singular). It has three attributes, the adjectives akakkasaṃ (smooth, accusative singular), viññāpaniṃ (informative, accusative singular) and saccam (true, accusative singular).
    b) yāya nābhisaje kañci (by which he does not offend anyone). The subject is omitted, the verb implying the third person singular pronoun. The verb is abhisaje (would curse, 3^rd person, singular, active, optative). It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The object is the pronoun kañci (whomever, accusative singular). The relative pronoun yāya (by which, instrumental singular) connects the clause to the main sentence.
    2) tam ahaṃ brūmi brāhmaṇaṃ (him do I call a Brahmin). The subject is the pronoun ahaṃ (I, nominative singular). The verb is brūmi ([I] say, 1^st person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). The object is the noun brāhmaṇaṃ (Brahmin, accusative singular). It has an attribute, the pronoun tam (him, accusative singular).

    There was a monk named Pilinda Vaccha, who always addressed people in a offensive manner, as if he was somewhat superior. Other monks complained to the Buddha about it and he told them that Pilinda Vaccha had been born as a Brahmin for many past existences. Therefore, the way he addressed others was not meant as an offense (for Vaccha was an Arahant), but he did it simply out of force of habit. The Buddha then spoke this verse, saying that Arahants have no intention of harming others even with their speech.

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

akakkasaṃ
viññāpaniṃ
giraṃ
saccam
udīraye
yāya
na
abhisaje
kañci
tam
ahaṃ
brūmi
brāhmaṇaṃ