One is called "a Brahmin" because he keeps away from evil.
One is called "a recluse" because he lives in tranquility.
If one has renounced one's own impurities, then one is called "a monk".

bāhita+pāpo      ti brāhmaṇo sama+cariyā    samaṇo     ti     vuccati
|              |         |         |            |         |             |           |           |
Adj.   Adj.m.  part.   N.m.     N.m.   N.f.       N.m.    part.  V.pas.in.
|       Nom.Sg.    |   Nom.Sg.      |   Nom.Sg. Nom.Sg.    |     3.Sg.pres.
|________|         |_____|            |_____|             |______|           |
        |____________|                      |                       |_________|
                                                     |__________________|

List of Abbreviations

pabbajayam attano  malaṃ   tasmā  pabbajito    ti     vuccati
|                      |           |           |            |           |           |
Adj.m.         N.m.     N.n.     Pron.   Adj.m.   part.  V.pas.in.
Nom.Sg.    Gen.Sg. Acc.Sg. Abl.Sg. Nom.Sg.    |     3.Sg.pres.
|                      |______|            |           |______|            |
|________________|                 |                |__________|
               |                               |_______________|
               |_________________________|

bāhitapāpo: bāhitapāpa-, Adj.: one who has kept away from evil. It is a compound of:
    bāhita-, Adj.: kept away, warded off, kept outside. It is a p.p. of the verb bāheti (to keep away from). This verb is derived from the word bahi, Adv.: outside.
    pāpa-, N.n.: evil, wrong doing.
Nom.Sg.m. = bāhitapāpo.

ti, part.: a particle, symbolizing the end of direct speech. In English this is expressed by quotation marks. Sometimes it is written as iti.

brāhmaṇo: brāhmaṇa-, N.m.: Brahmin, a holy man. Nom.Sg. = brāhmaṇo.

List of Abbreviations

samacariyā: samacariyā-, N.f.: living in tranquility. It is a compound of:
    sama-, N.m.: calmness, tranquility. It is derived from the verb root sam- (to quiet)
    cariyā-, N.f.: living, wandering. It is derived from the verb car- (to move, to wander about).
Nom.Sg. = samacariyā.

samaṇo: samaṇa-, N.m.: a recluse, a wandering ascetic, a monk (not only a Buddhist monk).
Nom.Sg. = samaṇo.

ti: see above.

vuccati, V,: is called. It is a passive form of the verb root vac- (to say). 3.Sg.pas.in.pres. = vuccati.

pabbajayam: pabbajayant-, Adj.: renouncing, giving up. It is an a.pr.p. of the verb pabbajati (to go forth). Nom.Sg.m. = pabbajayam.

List of Abbreviations

attano: attan-, N.m./Pron.: self, oneself. Gen.Sg. = attano.

malaṃ: mala-, N.n.: impurity, stain, dirt. Nom.Sg. = malaṃ.

tasmā: tad-, Pron.: that. Abl.Sg. = tasmā (therefore, lit. "from that").

pabbajito: pabbajita-, Adj.: One who has "gone forth" from home and became a monk. It is a p.p. of the verb pabbajati (to go forth). Nom.Sg.m. = pabbajito.

ti: see above.

vuccati: see above.

List of Abbreviations

    This verse consists of three syntactically separate sentences. They are:
    1) bāhitapāpo ti brāhmaṇo (one is called a Brahmin because he keeps away from evil). The subject is the compound bāhitapāpo (who is keeping away from evil, nominative singular). The verb is omitted, implying the verb "to be". The object is the noun brāhmaṇo (Brahmin, nominative singular). It is modified by the particle ti (end of the direct speech).
    2) samacariyā samaṇo ti vuccati (one is called a recluse because he lives in tranquility). The subject is the compound samacariyā (living in tranquility, nominative singular). The verb is vuccati (is called, 3^rd person, singular, passive, indicative, present tense). The object is the noun samaṇo (recluse, nominative singular). It is modified by the particle ti (end of the direct speech).
    3) pabbajayam attano malaṃ tasmā pabbajito ti vuccati (if one has renounced one's own impurities, then one is called a monk). This can be further analysed into two segments:
    a) pabbajayam attano malaṃ (renouncing one's own impurities). The subject is omitted. The verb is in the active present participle, pabbajayam (renouncing, nominative singular). The object is the noun malaṃ (impurity, accusative singular). It has an attribute, the noun/pronoun attano (one's own, genitive singular).
    b) tasmā pabbajito ti vuccati (then one is called a monk). The verb is vuccati (is called, 3^rd person, singular, passive, indicative, present tense). The object is the past participle pabbajito (one who has gone forth, monk, nominative singular). It is modified by the particle ti (end of the direct speech). The pronoun tasmā (therefore, from that, ablative singular) connects this part of the sentence to the previous one.

    Once a certain ascetic came to see the Buddha and asked him, if he (the Brahmin) could also be called "a monk" (pabbajita). The Buddha replied with this verse, saying that in order to be called "a monk" one has to discard all evil and impurities of mind.

Sentence pronunciation

Word pronunciation:

bāhitapāpo
bāhita
pāpo
ti
brāhmaṇo
samacariyā
sama
cariyā
samaṇo
vuccati
pabbajayam
attano
malaṃ
tasmā
pabbajito