The community of disciples of the Blessed One has well followed [the teaching].
The community of disciples of the Blessed One has followed the straight [path].
The community of disciples of the Blessed One has followed the methodical [path].
The community of disciples of the Blessed One has followed the correct [conduct in life].
Namely [there are] the four pairs of people, eight human characters.
This is the community of disciples of the Blessed One.
It is worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of salutation.
It is the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

su+paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka+saṅgho
|           |               |             |          |
pref. Adj.m.      N.m.       N.m.   N.m.
|      Nom.Sg.  Gen.Sg.        |     Nom.Sg.
|______|               |             |______|
      |                    |___________|
      |_________________|
                    |_________________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

uju+paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka+saṅgho
|             |              |             |           |
Adj.  Adj.m.       N.m.      N.m.    N.m.
|      Nom.Sg.   Gen.Sg.        |      Nom.Sg.
|_______|              |              |______|
       |                    |___________|
       |_________________|
____________|________________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

ñāya+paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka+saṅgho
|               |               |            |           |
N.m.   Adj.m.        N.m.     N.m.    N.m.
|        Nom.Sg.     Gen.Sg.      |    Nom.Sg.
|________|               |             |______|
       |                       |___________|
       |___________________|
_____________|_______________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

sāmīci+paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka+saṅgho
|                 |               |             |           |
Adj.      Adj.m.        N.m.      N.m.    N.m.
|          Nom.Sg.     Gen.Sg.       |     Nom.Sg.
|_________|                |             |______|
        |                         |___________|
        |___________________|
______________|______________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

yadidaṃ cattāri purisa+yugāni     aṭṭha     purisa+puggalā
|                |          |          |             |            |            |
Adv.    Num.n.  N.m.    N.n.      Num.n.  N.m.     N.m.
|            Nom.      |     Nom.Pl.    Nom.       |       Nom.Pl.
|                |          |_____|              |            |_______|
|                |________|                   |__________|
|                       |_____________________|
|_______________________|
___________|_________________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

esa         bhagavato sāvaka+saṅgho
|                    |             |          |
Pron.         N.m.       N.m.   N.m.
Nom.Sg.  Gen.Sg.        |     Nom.Sg.
|                    |             |______|
|                    |__________|
|_________________|
___________|_________________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjali+karaṇiyo
|                     |                  |              |           |
Adj.m.      Adj.m.         Adj.m.       N.m.  Adj.m.
Nom.Sg.  Nom.Sg.      Nom.Sg.        |     Nom.Sg.
|                     |                  |              |______|
|____________|__________|__________|
_________________|___________________________________________

List of Abbreviations

an+uttaraṃ puñña+kkhettaṃ    lokassa   ti
|           |          |           |               |          |
neg.  Adj.n.  N.n.      N.n.         N.m.   part.
|     Nom.Sg.    |      Nom.Sg.   Gen.Sg.   |
|______|          |______|               |          |
     |____________|                     |          |
                |__________________|          |
__________________|_______________|

supaṭipanno: supaṭipanna-, Adj.: have well followed. The word paṭipanna (followed) is a p.p. of the verb pad- (to go) with the prefix paṭi- (towards). The prefix su- means "well".
Nom.Sg.m. of the compound = supaṭipanno.

bhagavato: bhagavant-, N.m.: Blessed One (epithet of the Buddha, possessive form of the word bhaga-, N.m.: good fortune, happiness, prosperity. Bhaga- is derived from the verb root bhaj-, to share. Thus bhagavant means literally "having good fortune").
Gen.Sg. = bhagavato: Of the Blessed One.

sāvakasaṅgho: sāvakasaṅgha-, N.m.: community of the disciples. A compound of:
    sāvaka-, N.m.: disciple. Derived form the verb su- (to listen, to hear).
    saṅgha-, N.m.: community. The community of the Buddha's followers. It is of two kinds: the saṅgha of lay followers and the saṅgha of monks and nuns.
Nom.Sg. of the compound = sāvakasaṅgho.

List of Abbreviations

ujupaṭipanno: ujupaṭipanna-, Adj.: have followed the straight [path]. A compound of:
    uju-, Adj.: straight.
    paṭipanna-, Adj.: see above.
Nom.Sg.m. of the compound = ujupaṭipanno.

ñāyapaṭipanno: ñāyapaṭipanna-, Adj.: have followed the method. A compound of:
    ñāya-, N.m.: method, way, logic.
    paṭipanna-, Adj.: see above.
Nom.Sg.m. of the compound = ñāyapaṭipanno.

sāmīcipaṭipanno: sāmīcipaṭipanna-, Adj.: correct in life.
    sāmīci-, Adj.: proper, right.
    paṭipanna-, Adj.: see above.
Nom.Sg.m. = sāmīcipaṭipanno.

List of Abbreviations

yadidaṃ, Adv.: that is, which is, as follows. A compound of:
    yad-, Rel.Pron.n.: that, which.
    idaṃ, Pron.n.: that.

cattāri: catur-, Num.: four. Nom.n.: cattāri.

purisayugāni: purisayuga-, N.n.: pair of people. A compound of:
    purisa-, N.m.: man, person.
    yuga-, N.n.: pair, couple.
Nom.Pl. = purisayugāni.

aṭṭha: aṭṭha-, Num.: eight. Nom.n.: aṭṭha.

List of Abbreviations

purisapuggalā: purisapuggala-, N.m.: human character. A compound of:
    purisa-, N.m.: person, man.
    puggala-, N.m.: person, character.
Nom.Pl. = purisapuggalā.

esa: etad-, Pron.: this. Nom.Sg.m. = eso (or sometimes, as here, esa).

bhagavato: see above.

sāvakasaṅgho: sāvakasaṅgha-, N.m.: see above.

āhuneyyo: āhuneyya-, Adj.: worthy of offerings. A ger. of the verb hu- (to offer, to sacrifice) with the prefix ā- (towards). Nom.Sg.m. = āhuneyyo.

List of Abbreviations

pāhuneyyo: pāhuneyya-, Adj.: worthy of hospitality. A ger. of the verb hu- (to ofer, to sacrifice) with the prefixes pa- (strengthening) and ā- (towards). The related noun pāhuna-, N.m.: guest.
Nom.Sg.m. = pāhunneyyo.

dakkhiṇeyyo: dakkhiṇeyya-, Adj.: worthy of gifts. A ger. of a verb dakkhiṇāti (to give gifts). This verb is derived from the word dakkhiṇā-, N.f.: gift, fee, donation.
Nom.Sg.m. = dakkhiṇeyyo.

añjalikaraṇiyo: añjalikaraṇiya-, Adj.: worthy of salutation. A compound of:
    añjali-, N.m.: reverence, salutation (denoting the palms of hands placed side by side and raised to the head).
    karaṇiya-, Adj.: should be done. A ger. of the verb kar- (to do).
Nom.Sg.m. = añjalikaraṇiyo.

List of Abbreviations

anuttaraṃ: anuttara-, Adj.: highest. Literally: "to which there is no higher". It is composed of the word uttara- (uttara-, Adj.: higher) which is preceded by the negative prefix an-.
Nom.Sg.n. = anuttaraṃ.

puññakkhettaṃ: puññakhetta-, N.n.: the field for [obtaining] merit. It is a compound of:
    puñña-, N.n.: merit, meritorious action.
    khetta-, N.n.: field, site, place.
Nom.Sg. = puññakhettaṃ.

lokassa: loka-, N.m.: world. Gen.Sg. = lokassa.

ti, part.: (sometimes written as iti) usually a particle, symbolizing the end of direct speech (in English that is expressed by quotation marks). The form that we see in the text (lokassā 'ti) is thanks to the euphonic combination (lokassa + iti or ti = lokassā 'ti).

List of Abbreviations

    From syntactical point of view, this gatha actually consists of several isolated sentences. First four of them are:

1) supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho (The community of disciples of the Blessed One has well followed [the teaching]),
2) ujupaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho (The community of disciples of the Blessed One has followed the straight [path]),
3) ñāyapaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho (The community of disciples of the Blessed One has followed the methodical [path]),
4) sāmīcipaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho (The community of disciples of the Blessed One has followed the correct [conduct in life]),

    As their structure is identical, we will deal with them at the same time. The subject is sāvakasaṅgho (The community of disciples). It is in nominative singular. The verb is omitted (the verb to be is implied). The subject has two attributes: bhagavato (of the Blessed One, genitive singular) is the main attribute and four different secondary attributes are attached to this phrase. They are supaṭipanno, supaṭipanno, ñāyapaṭipanno and sāmīcipaṭipanno respectively. They are in nominative singular.

    Next sentence is yadidaṃ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā. The sentence is introduced by the compound adverb yadidaṃ (namely). There are two subjects: purisayugāni (four pairs of people, nominative plural) and purisapuggalā (eight human characters, nominative plural). They both have a numeral cattāri (four) and aṭṭha (eight) as attributes respectively.

    Sixth sentence is esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho. The subject here is esa (this, nominative singular). It has as a predicate the word sāvakasaṅgho (The community of disciples, nominative singular), which has the word bhagavato (of the Blessed One, genitive singular) as an attribute.

    Next is a collection of four attributes -- āhuneyyo (worthy of offerings), pāhuneyyo (worthy of hospitality), dakkhiṇeyyo (worthy of gifts) and añjalikaraṇiyo (worthy of salutation) -- without a subject or a verb. They can be seen as attributes to the word sāvakasaṅgho (The community of disciples) from the previous sentence. They agree with it (they are in nominative singular).

    Last sentence is anuttaraṃ puññakkhettaṃ lokassa. Here the subject is again the word sāvakasaṅgho (The community of disciples) from the sixth sentence. The verb to be is omitted. The predicate is puññakkhettaṃ (field of merit), in nominative singular. It has an attribute anuttaraṃ (highest), which agrees with it in case, gender and number. The word lokassa (of the world) then constitutes an attribute to this predicate. It is in genitive singular.

    The particle ti marks the end of the list of attributes.

    Here we find enumerated the qualities of the Sangha, the community of Buddha's disciples. This is the final one of the "Three Gems", or "Three refuges" of the Buddhism.

    The community has well followed the path to the deliverance that was taught by the Buddha (supaṭipanno).

    The community is following the straight path (ujupaṭipanno). This path leads directly to the goal, it is not a labyrinth, it is clearly pointed out. There are no dead ends or bends.

    The community is on a methodical (or logical) path (ñāyapaṭipanno). Each step on this path is well explained, there is a method and internal logic in every and each of the sections on this way.

    The community is correct in conduct (sāmīcipaṭipanno). The rules for the followers have been laid down in the Vinaya, the Code of Conduct, and every Buddha's follower is expected to live up to high standard of this treatise.

    In the Sangha, there are " four pairs of people" (cattāri purisayugāni) and "eight individual human characters" (aṭṭha purisapuggalā). By four pairs of people the text means the followers who have reached one of the four stages on the way to the awakenment. First is sotāpatti (entering the stream), the first glimpse of Nirvana and breaking of some fetters binding us to the round of rebirth. Then comes sakadāgāmitā (the state of a "once-returner"), next stage on the path -- those who have reached this stage will be born only once in this world. Next is anāgāmitā (the state of a "non-returner"), after reaching this stage the practitioner will not be born again in this world, but will (if not reaching the goal in this life) be born in some higher world, finishing his practice there and reaching the goal. Last is arahatta (the state of an arahant), the final goal of Buddhism, purification of mind and breaking of the round of rebirth. So these are the four stages on the path and the practitioners are divided into those, who are on the path to one of them or those who have reached the fruit of them. So there are four pairs of people (on the path to sotāpatti + reaching the fruit of it etc.). Or, in other words, these are eight individual human characters.

    Such is the Community of Buddha's disciples.

    It is worthy of offerings (āhuneyyo), because of its qualities. The offerings (mainly food and medicine) given to the Sangha are meritorious deeds.

    It is also worthy of hospitality (pāhuneyyo). Giving shelter and caring in sickness for monks and nuns is a good practice of generosity.

    It is worthy of gifts (dakkhiṇeyyo). Again, giving any gifts (allowed in Vinaya) -- food, drinks, shelter, clothes, medicine etc. -- does not only bring merit to the giver, but also serves as a practice of generosity.

    It is worthy of salutation (añjalikaraṇiyo). Because of all these qualities, the Sangha is a good object of veneration, a good example to follow. To pay homage to the Sangha is also paying homage to the Buddha and his teaching, the Dhamma.

    It is the unsurpassed field of merit for the world (anuttaraṃ puññakkhettaṃ lokassa). The merit obtained by caring for needs of the community of Buddha's disciples is the highest and unsurpassed merit in the world. If anyone wants to "reap" rewards for his actions, the Sangha is always the best "field" to come to.

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

supaṭipanno
bhagavato
sāvakasaṅgho
ujupaṭipanno
ñāyapaṭipanno
sāmīcipaṭipanno
yadidaṃ
cattāri
purisayugāni
aṭṭha
purisapuggalā
esa
āhuneyyo
pāhuneyyo
dakkhiṇeyyo
añjalikaraṇiyo
anuttaraṃ
puññakkhettaṃ
lokassa
ti