From thirst, grief is born. From thirst, fear is born.
One freed from thirst has no grief, whence fear?

taṇhāya  jāyatī       soko   taṇhāya     jāyatī     bhayaṃ
|                 |              |            |              |              |
N.f.     V.med.in.    N.m.     N.f.     V.med.in.     N.n.
Abl.Sg. 3.Sg.pres. Nom.Sg. Abl.Sg. 3.Sg.pres.  Nom.Sg.
|_________|               |            |________|              |
        |_____________|                    |____________|

List of Abbreviations

taṇhāya vippamuttassa    na      atthi        soko   kuto bhayaṃ
|                      |              |           |             |          |         |
N.f.           Adj.m.       neg.  V.act.in.     N.m.   Adv.   N.n.
Abl.Sg.      Gen.Sg.         |    3.Sg.pres. Nom.Sg.   |    Nom.Sg.
|____________|               |______|             |          |_____|
         |__________________|                    |________|
                       |_______________________|

taṇhāya: taṇhā-, N.f.: thirst. Abl.Sg. = taṇhāya.

jāyatī, V.: is born. The verb root is jan- (to be born). 3.Sg.med.in.pres. = jāyati. The form jāyatī is sometimes used in poetry.

soko: soka-, N.m.: grief, sorrow. Nom.Sg. = soko.

taṇhāya: see above.

jāyatī: see above.

bhayaṃ: bhaya-, N.n.: fear.

taṇhāya: see above.

List of Abbreviations

vippamuttassa: vippamutta-, Adj.: emancipated, freed, released. It is a p.p. of the verb muc- (to release) with the prefixes vi- (meaning separation) and pa- (strengthening). Gen.Sg.m. = vippamuttassa.

na, neg.: not.

atthi, V.: is. The verb root is as- (to be). 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = atthi.
Euphonic combination: na + atthi = natthi.

soko: see above.

kuto, Adv.: Whence? Where from?

bhayaṃ: see above.

List of Abbreviations

    This verse consists of three syntactically separate sentences. They are:
    1) taṇhāya jāyatī soko (from thirst, grief is born). The subject is the noun soko (grief, nominative singular). The verb is jāyatī (is born, 3^rd person, singular, medium, indicative, present tense). It has an attribute, the noun taṇhāya (from thirst, ablative singular).
    2) taṇhāya jāyatī bhayaṃ (from thirst, fear is born). The subject is the noun bhayaṃ (fear, nominative singular). The verb is jāyatī (is born, 3^rd person, singular, medium, indicative, present tense). It has an attribute, the noun taṇhāya (from thirst, ablative singular).
    3) taṇhāya vippamuttassa natthi soko kuto bhayaṃ (one freed from thirst has no grief, whence fear?). This can be further analysed into two segments:
    a) taṇhāya vippamuttassa natthi soko (one freed from thirst has no grief). The subject is the noun soko (grief, nominative singular). The verb is atthi (is, 3^rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense). It is negated by the negative particle na (not). The verb has an attribute, the past participle vippamuttassa (of the one who is freed, genitive singular). This word has also an attribute, the noun taṇhāya (from thirst, ablative singular).
    b) kuto bhayaṃ (whence fear?). The subject is the noun bhayaṃ (fear, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The adverb kuto (whence?) can be seen as an attribute to this verb.

    In Sāvatthi there lived a brahmin. He was not a follower of the Buddha. But because the Buddha knew he head the ability to attain the first stage of Awakenment, he went to the field where the brahmin was ploughing his field. The brahmin was very friendly and they talked many times. Every time the Buddha would visit him, the brahmin kept telling him he would offer him some rice after the harvest. The Buddha said nothing; because he knew this year the brahmin would get no harvest at all.
    One day there was a heavy rain and all the rice was destroyed. The brahmin was sad, because now he could not fulfill his promise. But the Buddha told him this verse, saying that only because of thirst and craving there is suffering and pain. The brahmin attained the first stage of Awakenment.

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

taṇhāya
jāyatī
soko
bhayaṃ
vippamuttassa
na
atthi
kuto