Ven Narada Thera - An Elementary Pali Course Lesson XX

Exercise 20-A: Translate into English.

1. "Sabbadaana.m dhammadaana.m jinaati."

all gifts / gift of truth / surpasses

"The gift of truth surpasses all gifts."


sabbadaana.m = sabba.m + daana.m [K]

dhammadaana.m = dhammam'eva daana.m [K]


2. "Aha.m te saddhi.m puttadhiituuhi daasii bhavissaami."

I / with you / by sons and daughters / maid-servant / will become

"I, with you, will become a maid-servant, by/with sons and daughters."


puttadhiituuhi = puttehi ca dhiituuhi ca [D]


3. "Tisara.nena saddhi.m pa~ncasiila.m detha me bhante."

with three-fold refuge / five-fold precept / may give / to me / Rev. Sirs

"Rev. Sirs, may you give the five-fold precept with the three-fold refuge to me."


tisara.na.m = tayo-sara.naani [Kn]

pa~ncasiila.m = pa~nca-siilaani [Kn]


4. "Iti'pi so Bhagavaa araha.m, sammaa-sambuddho,... satthaa devamanussaana.m..."

indeed-just so / such / the Blessed One / exalted / Fully Enlightened One / teacher / of gods and men

"Indeed so, such (is) the Blessed One, exalted, the Fully Enlightened One,... teacher of gods and men..."


devamanussaana.m = devaana.m ca manussaana.m ca [D]


5. "Maataapitaa disaa pubbaa, aacariyaa dakkhi.naa disaa."

mother and father / direction / eastern / teachers / south / direction

"Mother and father: eastern direction, teachers: southern direction.


maataapitaa = maataa ca pitaa ca [D]


6. Paraloka.m gacchanta.m puttadhiitaro vaa bhaataro vaa hatthigavaassa.m vaa na anugacchanti (follow).

[to] the other world / going / sons and daughters or / brothers or / elephants, cattle and horses or / do not follow

Sons and daughters, or brothers, or elephants, cattle and horses, do not follow (one) going to the other world.


puttadhiitaro = puttaa ca dhiitaro ca [D]

hatthigavaassa.m = hatthi ca gavo ca assaa ca [D]


7. Eko taru.navejjo vejjakamma.m karonto gaamanagaresu vicarati.

certain / young doctor / medical work / doing / in villages and cities / wanders

A certain young doctor wanders in cities and villages performing medical work.


taru.navejjo = taru.no + vejjo [K]

vejjakamma.m = vejjassa-kamma.m [T]

gaamanagaresu = gaamesu ca nagaresu ca [D]


8. Daarakadaarikaayo tesa.m maataapitunna.m ovaade .thatvaa ki~nci'pi paapakamma.m na karonti.

boys and girls / their / parents' / advice(s) / having heeded / any-at all / evil deeds / do not do

The children heed their parents' advice and do not do any evil deeds at all.


daarakadaarikaayo = daarakaa ca daarikaayo ca [D]

maataapitunna.m = maatunna.m ca pitunna.m ca [D]

paapakamma.m = paapa.m + kamma.m [K]


9. Siitodaka.m vaa u.nhodaka.m vaa aahara.

either cold water / or hot water / bring!

Bring either cold water or hot water!


siitodaka.m = siita.m + udaka.m [K]

u.nhodaka.m = u.nha.m + udaka.m [K]


10. Amhaaka.m Buddho pana pubbe Sumedhapa.n.dito naama ahosi.

our / Buddha / but / in former life / Sumedha the wise / by name / was

Our Buddha was but (known as) Sumedha the wise in (his) former life.


Sumedhapa.n.dito = Sumedho + pa.n.dito [K]


11. Sattasu dhanesu saddhaadhana.m pana pa.thama.m;

siiladhana.m dutiya.m, pa~n~naadhana.m sattama.m.

among seven / among wealth(s) / wealth of faith / yet / first / wealth of virtue / second / wealth of knowledge / seventh

Among the seven wealth(s), the wealth of faith (is) yet the first, the wealth of virtue (is) second, the wealth of knowledge (is) seventh.


saddhaadhana.m = saddhaa'eva dhana.m [K]

siiladhana.m = siila'eva dhana.m [K]

pa~n~naadhana.m = pa~n~naa'eva dhana.m [K]


12. Dvipadesu vaa catuppadesu vaa sadaa mettacittena vasitabba.m.

towards bipeds or / towards quadrupeds or / always / heart of loving kindness / (one) should live

One should always live with a heart of loving kindness towards bipeds and quadrupeds.


dvipadesu = dve-padesu [Kn]

catuppadesu = caturo-padesu [Kn]

mettacitta.m = mettam'eva citta.m [K]


13. Aha.m khii.naasave vaa na di.t.thapubbo, satthudhamma.m vaa na sutapubbo.

I / saints or / not seen before / teacher's doctrine or / not heard before

I have never before seen saints or heard the doctrine of the teacher.


khii.naasava = khii.na + aasava [B]

di.t.thapubba = di.t.tha + pubba [T]*

satthudhammo = satthussa-dhammo [T]

sutapubba = suta + pubba [T]*


14. Itthipurisaa sukhadukkha.m bhu~njamaanaa tibhave vicaranti.

men and womean / pain and pleasure / experiencing / three-fold existence / wander

Men and women experiencing pain and pleasure wander in the three-fold existence.


itthipurisaa = itthii ca purisaa ca [D]

sukhadukkha.m = sukha~n ca dukkha~n ca [D]

tibhava.m = tayo-bhavaa [Kn]


15. Amaccaputtaa raajabhayena mahaapaasaadato** nikkhami.msu.

minister's sons / with fear from king / from great palace / left

The minister's sons, fearing the king, left the great palace.


amaccaputtaa = amaccassa-puttaa [T]

raajabhayena = ra~n~naa-bhayena [T]

mahaapaasaado = mahataa + paasaadato [K]


16. Mayha.m antevaasikesu dve brahmacaarino saddhaacetasaa*** Buddhadesita.m dhamma.m sutvaa sama.nadhamma.m katvaa di.t.thadhammaa ahesu.m.

my / among pupils / two / ones who lead the holy life / with a heart of faith / preached by the Buddha / doctrine / having heard / duties of a monk / having done / ones who realised the truth / were

Two, among my students, leading a holy life with a heart of faith, having heard the doctrine preached by the Buddha and carried out the duties of a monk, had realised the truth.


antevaasikesu = ante-vaasikesu [T]

brahmacaarii = brahma + caarii [B]

saddhaacitta.m = saddhaa'eva citta.m [K]

Buddhadesita.m = Buddhena-desita.m [T]

sama.nadhamma.m = sama.nassa-dhamma.m [T]

di.t.thadhammo = di.t.tha + dhamma [B]


* See explanation by Ven. Dhammanando here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pali/message/7877


** 'To' is another suffix for forming the Ablative. See also Exercise 14-A.


*** cetasaa is the instrument form of ceta [declined like mana, see PED]


[A]vyayiibhaava

[B]ahubbiihi

[D]vanda

[K]ammadhaaraya {[n]umerical}

[T]appurisa


Exercise 20-B: Translate into Pali.

1. The boys and girls are studying diligently.

daarakadaarikaayo / ugga.nhanti / appamaadena

Daarakadaarikaayo appamaadena ugga.nhanti.


daarakadaarikaayo = daarakaa ca daarikaayo ca [D]


2. The monks and nuns heard the Teacher's Doctrine and gained their Deliverance.

bhikkhubhikkhuniyo / sutvaa / satthudhamma.m / labhi.msu / tesa.m / mutti.m

Bhikkhubhikkhuniyo satthudhamma.m sutvaa tesa.m mutti.m labhi.msu.


bhikkhubhikkhuniyo = bhikkhuu ca bhikkhuniyo ca [D]

satthudhamma.m =satthussa-dhamma.m [T]


3. Sons and daughters should respect their parents.

puttadhiitaro / puujeyyu.m / tesa.m / maataapitaro

Puttadhiitaro tesa.m maataapitaro puujeyyu.m.


puttadhiitaro = puttaa ca dhiitaro ca [D]

maataapitaro = maataro ca pitaro ca [D]


4. Little children wash their hands and feet with hot water.

taru.nadaarakaa / dhovanti / (tesa.m) / hatthapaade / u.nhodakena

Taru.nadaarakaa u.nhodakena hatthapaade dhovanti.


taru.nadaarakaa = taru.naa + daarakaa [K]

u.nhodakena = u.nhena + udakena [K]

hatthapaade = hatthe ca paade ca [D]


5. O young men! You should not associate with evil friends.

taru.napurisaa / tumhe / na bhajeyyaatha / paapamittehi saddhi.m

Tumhe taru.napurisaa* paapamittehi saddhi.m na bhajeyyaatha.


taru.napurisaa = taru.naa + purisaa [K]

paapamittehi = paapehi + mittehi [K]


6. Sun and Moon shine in the sky.

candasuriyaa / dippanti / aakaase

Candasuriyaa aakaase dippanti.


candasuriyaa = cando ca suriyo ca [D]


7. My brother's son is a pupil in a village-school.

mayha.m / bhaatussa / putto / hoti / antevaasiko / gaamapaa.thasaalaaya.m

Mayha.m bhaatussa putto gaamapaa.thasaalaaya.m antevaasiko hoti.


gaamapaa.thasaalaaya.m = gaamassa-paa.thasaalaaya.m [T]

antevaasiko = ante-vaasiko [T]


8. Great beings are born amongst men for the good of the world.

mahaasattaa / uppajjanti / purisesu / atthaaya / lokassa

Mahaasattaa lokassa atthaaya purisesu uppajjanti.


mahaasattaa = mahantaa + sattaa [K]


9. In this vessel is well-water and in that is sea-water.

etasmi.m / gha.tasmi.m / atthi / kuupodaka.m / tasmi.m / atthi / samuddodaka.m

Etasmi.m gha.tasmi.m kuupodaka.m tasmi.m samuddodaka.m atthi.


kuupodaka.m = kuupassa-udaka.m [T]

samuddodaka.m =samuddassa-udaka.m [T]


10. The lion is the king of the quadrupeds.

siho / hoti / raajaa / catuppadaana.m

Siho catuppadaana.m raajaa hoti.


catuppadaana.m = caturo-padaana.m [Kn]


11. His pupils gave the three Refuges and the eight precepts to the male and female devotees.

tassa / antevaasikaa / ada.msu / tisara.na.m ca / a.t.thasiila.m ca / upaasakopaasikaana.m

Tassa antevaasikaa upaasakopaasikaana.m tisara.na.m ca a.t.thasiila.m ca ada.msu.


upaasakopaasikaana.m = upaasakaana.m ca upaasikaana.m ca [D]

tisara.na.m = tayo-sara.naani [Kn]

a.t.thasiila.m = a.t.tha-siilaani [Kn]


12. These chairs and beds were washed by the servants and maid-servants today.

etaani / ma~ncapii.thaani / dhovitaani / daasadaasiihi / ajja

Etaani ma~ncapii.thaani ajja daasadaasiihi dhovitaani.


ma~ncapii.thaani = ma~ncaa ca pii.thaani ca [D]

daasadaasiihi = daasehi ca daasiihi ca [D]


13. May I understand the four-fold Truth preached by the Buddha and be a Desireless One!

aha.m / bujjhitvaa / catusacca.m / desita.m / Buddhena / bhavaami / nitta.nho

(Aha.m) Buddhena desita.m catusacca.m bujjhitvaa nitta.nho bhavaami.


catusacca.m = cattaari-saccaani [Kn]

nitta.nho = ni + ta.nhaa [B]


14. These is no fear of death to the Saints.

na atthi / maccubhaya.m / arahantaana.m

Arahantaana.m maccubhaya.m na atthi.


maccubhaya.m = maccunaa-bhaya.m [T]


15. Never before have I seen white elephants or blue horses.

Lit: White elephants or blue horses are not seen before by me.

setahatthayo vaa / niilassaa vaa / na di.t.thapubbaa / mayaa

Setahatthayo vaa niilassaa vaa na mayaa di.t.thapubbaa.


setahatthayo = sete + hatthayo [K]

niilassaa = niile + assaa [K]

di.t.thapubba = di.t.tha + pubba [T]


16. By this gift of Truth may I be an all-knowing Buddha!

iminaa / Dhammadaanena / aha.m / bhavaami / Sabba~n~nubuddho

(Aha.m) iminaa Dhammadaanena Sabba~n~nubuddho bhavaami!


Dhammadaana = Dhammena'eva daanena [K]

Sabba~n~nubuddho = sabba~n~nuu Buddho [K]


* The vocative is used enclitically (i.e., cannot stand at the beginning of a sentence). See Warder p32.