Ven Narada Thera - An Elementary Pali Course Lesson XXI

Exercise 21-A: Translate into English.

1. "Maa nivatta abhikkama."

do not / turn back / go forward

"Do not turn back, go forward."


nivattati = ni-vattati [Vf]

abhikkamati = abhi-k-kamati [Vf]


2. Puttadhiituuhi maataapitaro yathaasatti sa`nga.nhetabbaa.

sons and daughters / mothers and fathers / according to their abilities / should be treated

Parents should be treated by (their) sons and daughters according to their abilities.


puttadhiituuhi = puttehi ca dhiituuhi ca [D]

maataapitaro = maataro ca pitaro ca [D]

yathaasatti = yathaa-satti [A]


3. Idh'aagacchatha, bhikkhavo, yathaavu.d.dha.m* vandatha.

here-come / monks / according to seniority / pay respect

Come here, monks, pay (your) respect according to seniority.


yathaavu.d.dha.m = yathaa-vuddha [A]


4. Sace'pi dujjanaa yaavajiiva.m sujane bhajeyyu.m tesa.m koci'pi attho na bhaveyya.

if-even / evil ones / till life lasts / good men / should associate / to them / any-at all / good / should not be

Even if the evil ones should associate (with) the good men for life, (it) should not be (of) any good to them at all.


dujjana = du-j-jana [K]

yaavajiiva.m = yaava-jiiva [A]

sujana = su + jana [K]


5. Sudesita.m Buddhadhamma.m ugga.nhaami yathaabala.m.

well-preached / Buddha's doctrine / (I) learn / according to strength

I learn the well-preached doctrine of the Buddha according to my strength.


sudesita = su-desita [Vf]

Buddhadhamma.m = Buddhassa-dhamma.m [T]

yathaabala.m = yathaa-bala [A]


6. Sabbe devamanussaa manussaloke vaa devaloke vaa yathaakamma.m uppajjanti.

all / gods and men / human world or / heavenly world or / according to deeds / are born

All gods and men are born in the human world or the heavenly world according to deeds.


devamanussaa = devaa ca manussaa ca [D]

manussaloke = manussaana.m-loke [T]

devaloke = devassana.m-loke [T]

yathaakamma.m = yathaa-kamma [A]


7. **Taav'aaha.m Paa.libhaasa.m ugga.nhaami.

still-I / Pali language / learn

(I) still learn the Pali language.


Api ca kho pana*** tassa bhaasaaya pa.tilekhana.m likhitu.m vaayamaami.

nevertheless / his / in language / letter in reply / to write / strive

Nevertheless, (I) strive to write a letter in reply in his language.


pa.tilekhana = pa.ti-lekhana [K]


8. Tass'antevaasikaa gaamanigamesu vicaritvaa suriyodaye**** nagara.m sampaapu.ni.msu.

his-pupils / in villages and market towns / having wandered / at sunrise / [at] city / arrived

His pupils, having wandered in villages and hamlets, reached the city at sunrise.


antevaasikaa = ante-vaasikaa [T]

gaamanigamesu = gaamesu ca nigamesu ca [D]


9. Senaapatiputto anupubbena tassa ra.t.the senaapati ahosi.

general's son / in course of time / his / in country / general / became

In the course of time, the general's son became the general in his country.


senaapatiputto = senaapatissa-putto [T]

anupubba.m = anu-pubba [A]


10. "Iti h'eta.m vijaanaahi pa.thamo so paraabhavo."

thus / indeed-this / learn! / first / he / defeat

Thus, learn this indeed: it is the first failure!

Alt: "Know that to be so indeed: that is the first failure."


paraabhavo = paraa-bhavo [K]


11. Duranubodha.m abhidhamma.m yathaabala.m pa.n.ditaa-sotuuna.m desetu.m va.t.tati*.

difficult to understand / higher Doctrine / according to strength / to wise hearers / to preach / it is fit

It is fit to preach to the wise hearers according to (their) strength the higher Doctrine (which is) difficult to understand.


duranubodha.m = du-r-anubodha [Vf]

abhidhamma.m = abhi-dhamma [K]

yathaabala.m = yathaa-bala [A]


12. Uparaajaa pa.tiraajaana.m abhibhavitu.m upanagara.m gato.

viceroy / hostile kings / to overcome / [to] suburb / is gone

The viceroy is gone to the suburb to overcome the hostile kings.


uparaajaa = upa + raajaa [K]

pa.tiraajaa = pa.ti + raajaa [K]

upanagara.m = upa-nagara [A]


13. Sattasattaaha.m so niraahaaro'va vane vasi.

seven-seven-day / he / without food-so / in forest / lived

So he lived seven weeks in the forest without food.


niraahaara = ni-r-aahaara [B]


14. Mahaase.t.thino corabhayena yathaasukha.m na supi.msu.

multi-millionaires / with fear from thief / comfortably / did not sleep

Having fear of the thief, the multi-millionaires did not sleep comfortably.


mahaase.t.thino = mahaa + se.t.thino [K]

corabhayena = corasmaa-bhayena [T]

yathaasukha.m = yathaa-sukha [A]


15. "Attaa hi kira duddamo."

self / indeed / truly / difficult to tame

"Indeed self truly (is) difficult to tame."


duddama = du-d-dama [B]


* yathaavu.d.dha.m = yathaavuddha.m

** taava = still

*** api ca kho pana = nevertheless

**** See Lesson 24. Also compare Ex.12B-14.

***** va.t.tati = it is fit


[A]vyayiibhaava

[B]ahubbiihi

[D]vanda

[K]ammadhaaraya {[n]umerical}

[T]appurisa

[V]erbal Pre[f]ix


Exercise 21-B: Translate into Pali.

1. The viceroy became the king in due course.

uparaajaa / bhavi / raajaa / anupubba.m

Uparaajaa yathaakkamena raajaa bhavi.


uparaajaa = upa + raajaa [K]

anupubba.m = anu-pubba [A]


2. You should sit according to seniority.

tumhe / nisiideyyaatha / yathaavu.d.dha.m

Tumhe yathaavu.d.dha.m nisiideyyaatha.


yathaavu.d.dha.m = yathaa-vu.d.dha [A]


3. Just when the sun had set they in due course arrived in the suburb.

suriyattha`ngatey'eva / te / anupubba.m / sampaapu.ni.msu / upanagara.m

Suriyattha`ngatey'eva anupubba.m te upanagara.m sampaapu.ni.msu.


suriyattha`ngate = suriya-attha`ngate [T]

anupubba.m = anu-pubba [A]

upanagara.m = upa-nagara [A]

sampaapu.ni.msu = sa.m-paapu.ni.msu [Vf]


4. Husbands should treat their wives and children according to their might.

bhattaro / sa`nga.nheyyu.m / (tesa.m) / daarakabhariyaayo ca / yathaasatti

Bhattaro daarakabhariyaayo yathaasatti sa`nga.nheyyu.m.

Alt: Bhattaro puttadaaraa* yathaasatti sa`nga.nheyyu.m.


daarakabhariyaayo = daarake ca bhariyaayo ca [D]

yathaasatti = yathaa-satti [A]


5. Good men and bad men do not always come together.

sujanaa ca / dujjanaa ca / sadaa / na samaagacchanti

Sadaa sujanaa ca dujjanaa ca na samaagacchanti.


sujana = su-jana [K]

dujjana = du-j-jana [K]

samaagacchati = sam-aagacchati [Vf]


6. I shall try to be a celibate as long as I live.

aha.m / vaayameyyaami / bhavitu.m / brahmacaarii / yaavajiiva.m

Aha.m yaavajiiva.m brahmacaarii bhavitu.m vaayameyyaami.


yaavajiiva.m = yaava-jiiva [A]


7. It is not right to sleep after meals as one wishes.

na va.t.tati / sottu.m / pacchaabhatta.m / yaavadattha.m

Yaavadattha.m pacchaabhatta.m sottu.m na va.t.tati.


yaavadattha.m = yaava-attha [A]

pacchaabhatta.m = pacchaa-bhatta [A]


8. He is yet studying the Higher Doctrine.

so / taava / ugga.nhati / abhidhamma.m

Taava so abhidhamma.m ugga.nhati.


Nevertheless he will try to teach it according to his strength.

api ca kho pana / so / vaayamissati / ugga.nhaapetu.m / ta.m / yathaabala.m

Api ca kho pana, (so) yathaabala.m (ta.m) ugga.nhaapetu.m vaayamissati.


abhidhamma = abhi-dhamma [K]

yathaabala.m = yathaa-bala [A]


9. Boys, I shall question you now.

daarakaa / aha.m / pucchaami / tumhe / idaani

Aha.m daarakaa idaani tumhe pucchaami.


You must give answers according to order.

tumhe / pa.tivadeyyaatha / yathaakkama.m

Tumhe yathaakkama.m pa.tivadeyyaatha.


yathaakkama.m = yathaa-kama [A]

pa.tivadati = pa.ti-vadati [Vf]


10. Pupils follow their teachers according to their ability.

antevaasikaa / anugacchanti / (tesa.m) / satthaaro / yathaasatti

Antevaasikaa yathaasatti satthaaro anugacchanti.


antevaasiko = ante-vaasiko [T]

yathaasatti = yathaa-satti [A]

anugacchati = anu-gacchati [Vf]


11. Take as much as you require and go away from this home.

gahetvaa / yaavadattha.m / nikkhamaahi / imamhaa / gharamhaa

(Tva.m) yaavadattha.m gahetvaa imamhaa gharamhaa nikkhamaahi.


yaavadattha.m = yaava-attha [A]


12. It is not right for good men to look down upon bad men and women.

na va.t.tati / sujanaa / avama~n~nitu.m / asaadhuu / naranaariyo

Sujanaa asaadhuu naranaariyo avama~n~nitu.m na va.t.tati.


sujana = su-jana [K]

naranaariyo = naraa ca naariyo ca [D]

avama~n~nati = ava-ma~n~nati [Vf]


13. The mind is indeed difficult to tame.**

mano / kira / hi / duddamo

Mano*** hi kira duddamo.

Alt: Mana.m*** hi kira duddamo.


The wise nevertheless overcome it by degrees.

pa.n.ditaa / api ca kho pana / atigacchanti / (ta.m) / anupubba.m

Api ca kho pana pa.n.ditaa anupubba.m atigacchanti.


duddama = du-d-dama [B]

anupubba.m = anu-pubba [A]

atigacchati = ati-gacchati [Vf]


14. When the moon arises darkness disappears.

candodaye**** / tamo / antaradhaayati

Candodaye tamo antaradhaayati.


candodaya = canda + udaya [T]


15. Healthy people do not eat and sleep as much as they like.

niirogaa / na bhu~njanti / na supanti / yaavadattha.m

Niirogaa yaavadattha.m na bhu~njanti yaavadattha.m na supanti.


niiroga = nii-roga [B]

yaavadattha.m = yaava-d-attha [A]


* Puttadaara = wife and children (family); puttadaaraa = families [see PED putta]

** Compare Ex21A-15.

*** Mana can be either masculine or neuter. If masculine: Mano hi... If neuter: Mana.m hi...

**** Compare Ex21A-8.