Ven Narada Thera - An Elementary Pali Course - Selections for Translation

Passage 1: Buddheniyaa Vatthu (Story of Buddheni)

Source: Rasavaahinii, Dhammaso.n.daka Vagga


[with detailed grammatical analysis: abbreviations]


Pali:


Jambudiipe kira pubbe paa.taliputtanagare sattaasiitiko.tinihitadhana.m eka.m se.t.thikula.m ahosi, tassa pana se.t.thino ekaayeva dhiitaa ahosi naamena buddheninaama, tassaa sattavassikakaale maataapitaro kaalamaka.msu, tasmi.m kule sabba.m saapateyya.m tassaayeva ahosi, saa kira abhiruupaa paasaadikaa paramaaya va.n.napokkharataaya samannaagataa devaccharapa.tibhaagaa piyaaca ahosi manaapaa, saddhaa pasannaa ratanattayamaamikaa pa.tivasati, tasmi.m pana nagare se.t.thisenaapati-uparaajaadayo ta.m attano paadaparikatta.m kaamayamaanaa manusse pesesu.m pa.n.naakaarehi saddhi.m, saa ta.m sutvaa cintesi, mayha.m maataapitaro sabba.m vibhava.m pahaaya mataa, mayaa'pi tathaa agantabba.m, ki.m me patikulena, kevala.m vittavinaasaaya bhavati, mayaa pan'ima.m dhana.m buddhasaasane-yeva nidahitu.m va.t.tatiiti cintesi, cintetvaa ca pana tesa.m na mayha.m patikulenatthoti pa.tikkhipi, saa tato pa.t.thaaya mahaadaana.m pavattentii sama.nabrahma.ne santappesi.


Detailed grammatical analysis:


Trilinear:


Jambudiipe kira pubbe paa.taliputtanagare sattaasiitiko.tinihitadhana.m eka.m se.t.thikula.m ahosi,

in ancient India / it is said / in the eastern / in the city of Paa.taliputta / deposited wealth of eighty-seven crore / one / wealthy family / there was

It is said, in the eastern city of Paa.taliputta in ancient India, there was a wealthy family (with) an accrued wealth of eighty-seven crore.


tassa pana se.t.thino ekaayeva dhiitaa ahosi naamena buddheninaama,

of this / further / of merchant / one (and) only / daughter / there was / with the name / name of Buddheni

Also, there was the one and only daughter of this merchant with the name called Buddheni.


tassaa sattavassikakaale maataapitaro kaalamaka.msu,

her / at the time of seven years old / mother and father / died

At the age of seven, her parents died.


tasmi.m kule sabba.m saapateyya.m tassaayeva ahosi,

in that / in family / all / property / just hers / became

All the property in that family entirely hers.


saa kira abhiruupaa paasaadikaa paramaaya va.n.napokkharataaya samannaagataa devaccharapa.tibhaagaa piyaaca ahosi manaapaa,

she / you know / beautiful / lovely / with the best / with beauty of complexion / endowed with / equal of a celestial nymph / and beloved / was / charming

You know, endowed with the best beauty of complexion, equal of a celestial nymph, she was beautiful, lovely, charming and beloved.


saddhaa pasannaa ratanattayamaamikaa pa.tivasati,

faithful / virtuous / devoted to the Triple Gem / lives

Faithful, virtuous and devoted to the Triple Gem (she) lives.


tasmi.m pana nagare se.t.thisenaapati-uparaajaadayo ta.m attano paadaparikatta.m kaamayamaanaa manusse pesesu.m pa.n.naakaarehi saddhi.m,

in that / however / in city / merchants, generals and viceroys upcoming / her / of own / state of wife / desiring / people / sent / with presents / with

However, in that city, upcoming merchants, generals and governors, desiring her to be their wife, sent people with gifts.


saa ta.m sutvaa cintesi,

she / that / having heard / thought

Having heard that, she thought:


mayha.m maataapitaro sabba.m vibhava.m pahaaya mataa,

my / mother and father / all / power / having renounced / are dead

"My parents, who have renounced all power, are dead.


mayaa'pi tathaa gantabba.m,

for me-too / likewise / it should be gone

Likewise, it should be gone for me too.


ki.m me patikulena,

what / for me / with husband's clan

What (is) the husband's clan for me?


kevala.m vittavinaasaaya bhavati,

only / for the loss of property / it is

Only for the loss of property it is.


mayaa pan'ima.m dhana.m buddhasaasane-yeva nidahitu.m va.t.tatiiti cintesi,

by me / further-this / wealth / in the Buddhist order-just / to deposit / it is fit / thought

Besides, it is fit just to contribute this wealth to the Buddhist order by me," (she) thought.


cintetvaa ca pana tesa.m na mayha.m patikulenatthoti pa.tikkhipi,

having thought / but / to them / not / my / good with husband's clan / rejected

But having thought (so), (she) rejected them, "Not good to be my husband's clan."


saa tato pa.t.thaaya mahaadaana.m pavattentii sama.nabrahma.ne santappesi.

she / from that time / great offering / giving / samanas and brahmins / pleased

From that time, making great offerings, she pleased the samanas and brahmins.


English:


In ancient India, in the eastern city of Paa.taliputta, there was a rich merchant's family with an accrued wealth of eighty-seven crore. This merchant had only a daughter named Buddheni. At the age of seven, Buddheni's parents died. The entire property of the family became hers.


Endowed with great beauty, equal of a celestial nymph, Buddheni was a beautiful, lovely, charming and beloved girl. She lived a life faithful, virtuous and devoted to the Triple Gem.


However, desiring her to be their wife, upcoming merchants, generals and governors in that city sent people to her with gifts. Learning about it, she thought: "My parents, who have relinquished control, have passed away. Likewise, it should be done away for me too. What is a marriage life for me?"


"It is only for the loss of property. Besides, it is fit only to contribute this wealth to the Buddhist order by me," she thought.


Having thought so, she rejected them, "Not good to be my husband's clan."


From then, making great offerings, she pleased the samanas and brahmins.



Pali:


Athaaparabhaage eko assavaa.nijako assa-vaa.nijjaaya pubbantaaparanta.m gacchanto aagamma imasmi.m gehe nivaasa.m ga.nhi, atha so vaa.nijo ta.m disvaa dhiitusineha.m pati.t.thaapetvaa gandhamaalavatthaala`nkaaraadiihi tassaa upakaarako hutvaa gamanakaale amma etesu assesu tava ruccanaka.m assa.m ga.nhaahiiti aaha, saapi asse oloketvaa eka.m sindhavapotaka.m disvaa eta.m me dehiiti aaha, vaa.nijo amma eso sindhavapotako, appamattaa hutvaa pa.tijaggaahiiti vatvaa ta.m pa.tipaadetvaa agamaasi, saapi ta.m pa.tijaggamaanaa aakaasagaamibhaava.m ~natvaa sammaa pa.tijaggantii eva.m cintesi, pu~n~nakara.nassa me sahaayo laddhoti, agatapubbaaca me bhagavato sakala.m maarabala.m vidhametvaa buddhabhuutassa jayamahaabodhibhuumi, yannuunaaha.m tattha gantvaa bhagavato jayamahaabodhi.m vandeyyanti cintetvaa bahuu rajatasuva.n.namaalaadayo kaaraapetvaa ekadivasa.m assam'abhiruyha aakaasena gantvaa bodhimaalake .thatvaa aagacchantu-ayyaa suva.n.namaalaa puujetu.mti ugghosesi. tenettha.


Detailed grammatical analysis:


Trilinear:


Athaaparabhaage eko assavaa.nijako assa-vaa.nijjaaya pubbantaaparanta.m gacchanto aagamma imasmi.m gehe nivaasa.m ga.nhi,

and then-later on / one / trader of horses / for trade of horses / from East to West / going / having come / in this / in house / shelter / took

And later on, one horse trader travelling from East to West came and took shelter in this house.


atha so vaa.nijo ta.m disvaa dhiitusineha.m pati.t.thaapetvaa gandhamaalavatthaala`nkaaraadiihi tassaa upakaarako hutvaa gamanakaale amma etesu assesu tava ruccanaka.m assa.m ga.nhaahiiti aaha,

and then / that / trader / her / having seen / affection of daughter / having established / with perfume, garland, garment, ornament and so on / to her / one who helps / having been / at time of going / my lady / pleasing / horse / take / said

Then, that trader saw her, established the affection of a daughter, became one who helped her with perfume, garland, garment, ornament and so on, and at the time of going, said, "My lady, take the pleasing horse."


saapi asse oloketvaa eka.m sindhavapotaka.m disvaa eta.m me dehiiti aaha,

she-just that many / horses / having examined / one / Sindh colt / having seen / this / to me / give / said

She examined just that many horses, and having seen one Sindh colt, said, "Give this to me."


vaa.nijo amma eso sindhavapotako, appamattaa hutvaa pa.tijaggaahiiti vatvaa ta.m pa.tipaadetvaa agamaasi,

trader / my lady / this / Sindh colt / careful / having been / take care of / having said / it / presented / went

"My lady, this (is) a Sindh colt. Be careful and take care of (it)," having said, the trader presented (it) and went (away).


saapi ta.m pa.tijaggamaanaa aakaasagaamibhaava.m ~natvaa sammaa pa.tijaggantii eva.m cintesi,

she-and also / it / looking after / ability to fly / having known / properly / taking care of / thus / thought

And also, looking after it, knowing (its) ability to fly and tending to (it) well, she thought:


pu~n~nakara.nassa me sahaayo laddhoti,

of doing good / my / friend / obtained

"My friend, obtained of doing good.


agatapubbaaca me bhagavato sakala.m maarabala.m vidhametvaa buddhabhuutassa jayamahaabodhibhuumi,

not gone before-and / by me / of the Blessed One / entire / Mara's force / having destroyed / of the one who become the Buddha / place of victory and great enlightenment

The place of victory and great enlightenment, of the one who destroyed the entire Mara's force and become the Buddha, of the Blessed One, and (is) not gone before by me.


yannuunaaha.m tattha gantvaa bhagavato jayamahaabodhi.m vandeyyanti

now then let me / there / having gone / of the Blessed One / great sacred Bodhi / should pay homage

Then, let me now go there and pay homage to the great sacred Bodhi (tree) of the Blessed One.",


cintetvaa bahuu rajatasuva.n.namaalaadayo kaaraapetvaa ekadivasa.m assam'abhiruyha aakaasena gantvaa bodhimaalake .thatvaa aagacchantu-ayyaa suva.n.namaalaa puujetu.mti ugghosesi.

having thought / many / garlands of silver, gold and others / having got made / one day / horse / having mounted / through sky / having gone / in the enclosure of the Bodhi tree / having stood / let ... come / noble ones / beautiful garlands / to offer / shouted

(she) thought, got many garlands of silver, gold and others made, mounted the horse and flew through the sky (for) one day, stood in the enclosure of the Bodhi tree, and shouted, "Let the noble ones come to offer beautiful garlands."


tenettha.

there / now

There and then.


English:


Later on, a horse trader travelling from East to West came and took shelter in her house. Seeing Buddheni, the trader established the affection of a daughter, and helped her with perfume, garland, garment, ornament and so on. At the time of departure, he said, "My lady, take the horse you like."


Buddheni examined his many horses, and having seen one Sindh colt, she said, "Give this to me."


"My lady, this is a Sindh colt. Be careful and take care of it," having said that, the trader presented the horse to her and went away.


While looking after the horse, she thought: "My friend, obtained of doing good. I have not gone to the place of the great sacred Bodhi tree before, where the Blessed One destroyed the entire Mara's force and become the Buddha"


And when knowing its ability to fly and tending to it well, "Then, let me now go there and pay homage to the great sacred Bodhi tree of the Blessed One," she thought.


She got many garlands of silver, gold and others made, mounted the horse and flew through the sky for one day, arrived at the enclosure of the Bodhi tree, and exclaimed, "Let the noble ones come to offer beautiful garlands."



Pali:


Yato pa.t.thaayaha.m buddha, saasane suddhamaanasaa;

pasannaa tena saccena, mamaanuggahabuddhiyaa.


Aagacchantu namassantu, bodhi.m puujentu saadhuka.m;

so.n.namaalaahi sambuddha, puttaa ariyasaavakaa.


Sutvaa ta.m vacana.m ayyaa, bahuu siiha.lavaasino;

aagamma nabhasaa tattha, vandi.msu ca mahi.msu caati.


Detailed grammatical analysis:


Trilinear:


Yato pa.t.thaayaha.m buddha, saasane suddhamaanasaa;

from which time / having started out-I / of Buddha / in teaching / from purified mind

From the time which I have started out in the Buddha's teaching, from a purified mind;


pasannaa tena saccena, mamaanuggahabuddhiyaa.

pleased / with that / with truth / with wisdom and compassion for me

pleased with that truth, with wisdom and compassion for me.


Aagacchantu namassantu, bodhi.m puujentu saadhuka.m;

let ... come / let ... honour / Bodhi tree / let ... venerate / well

Let (them) come, honour and venerate well the Bodhi tree


so.n.namaalaahi sambuddha, puttaa ariyasaavakaa.

with golden garlands / of the self-enlightened one / sons / noble disciples

with golden garlands; sons, noble disciples of the self-enlightened one.


Sutvaa ta.m vacana.m ayyaa, bahuu siiha.lavaasino;

having heard / that / word / noble ones / many / people living in Ceylon

The noble ones, many are people living in Ceylon, having heard that word,


aagamma nabhasaa tattha, vandi.msu ca mahi.msu caati.

having come / of the clouds / there / paid homage / and / revered / and

came there of the clouds, paid homage and revered (it).


English:


From the time which I commenced, with a purified mind, in the Buddha's teaching,

I am pleased with that truth, with wisdom for me, with compassion for me.

Sons, noble disciples of the self-enlightened one, let them come,

to the Bodhi tree with golden garlands, honour and venerate well.

The noble ones, many are people living in Ceylon, heard the words,

came to the Bodhi tree through the clouds, paid homage and revered.



Pali:


Tato-ppabhuti saa kumaarikaa buddhasaasane atiiva pasannaa niccameva assamabhiruyha aagantvaa ariyehi saddhi.m mahaabodhi.m suva.n.namaalaahi puujetvaa gacchati, atha paa.taliputtanagaropavane vanacaraa tassaa abhi.nha.m gacchantiyaa ca aagacchantiyaa ca ruupasampatti.m disvaa ra~n~no kathesu.m. Mahaaraaja evaruupaa kumaarikaa assa mabhiruyha aagantvaa nibandha.m vanditvaa gacchati. Devassaanuruupaa aggamahesii bhavitunti,


Detailed grammatical analysis:


Trilinear:


Tato-ppabhuti saa kumaarikaa buddhasaasane atiiva pasannaa niccameva assamabhiruyha aagantvaa ariyehi saddhi.m mahaabodhi.m suva.n.namaalaahi puujetvaa gacchati,

from that time / that / girl / in teaching of the Buddha / very much / pleased / always-so / having mounted the horse / having come / with the nobles / with / great Bodhi / with beautiful garlands / having venerated / goes

From that time, that girl, very much pleased in the teaching of the Buddha, always so mounts the horse, comes with the nobles, venerates the great Bodhi with beautiful garlands, and goes.


atha paa.taliputtanagaropavane vanacaraa tassaa abhi.nha.m gacchantiyaa ca aagacchantiyaa ca ruupasampatti.m disvaa ra~n~no kathesu.m.

and then / in the wood near the city of Paataliputta / foresters / her / repeatedly / of going and / of coming and / beauty / having seen / to king / reported

And then, foresters, having seen (her) beauty of her going and coming repeatedly in the wood near the city of Paataliputta, reported to the king.


Mahaaraaja evaruupaa kumaarikaa assamabhiruyha aagantvaa nibandha.m vanditvaa gacchati.

great king / of such beauty / girl / having mounted the horse / having come / frequently / having paid homage / goes

"Great king, a girl of such beauty mounts the horse, comes and pays homage frequently, and goes.


Devassaa nuruupaa aggamahesii bhavitunti,

one suitable to king / queen consort / to be

(She is) the one suitable to be the queen consort for the king."


raajaa ta.m sutvaa tenahi bha.ne ga.nhatha na.m kumaari.m,

king / that / having heard / with that-indeed / people / seize / that / girl

Having heard that, the king hired the men, "With that, people, seize that girl.


mama aggamahesi.m karomiiti purise payojesi,

my / queen consort / let ... make / men / employed

Let me make (her) my queen consort."


tena payuttaa purisaa bodhipuuja.m katvaa aagacchanti.m ga.nhaamaati tattha niliinaa gaha.nasajjaa a.t.tha.msu,

with that / employed / men / veneration of the Bodhi tree / having done / coming / let ... seize / there / hidden / ready for seizing / stood

With that, the enlisted men stood there, hidden and ready to seize (Buddheni), "Let's seize (her) coming, having done the veneration of the Bodhi tree."


tadaa saa kumaarikaa assamabhiruyha mahaabodhima.n.da.m gantvaa viitaraagehi saddhi.m pupphapuuja.m katvaa vanditvaa nivatti,

then / that / girl / horse-having mounted / [to] best part of the great Bodhi tree / having gone / with the passionless ones / with / offering of flowers / having done / having paid homage / turned back

Then, that girl mounted the horse, went to the best part of the great Bodhi tree, made offering of flowers with the saints, paid homage, and turned back.


atha tesu eko dhammarakkhitatthero naama tassaa evamaaha,

now / among them / one / Elder Dhammarakkhita / by name / to her / thus / spoke

Now, among them (is) one, Elder Dhammarakkhita by name, (who) spoke to her thus:


bhagini tva.m antaraamagge coraa ga.nhitukaamaa .thitaa,

sister / you / on the way / thieves / wishing to seize / stood

"Sister, thieves stood wishing to seize you on the way.


asuka.t.thaana.m patvaa appamattaa siigha.m gacchaati,

such a place / having reached / careful / quickly / go

Having reached such a place, be careful and go quickly."


saa pi gacchantii ta.m .thaana.m patvaa corehi anubandhitaa assassa pa.nhiyaa sa~n~na.m datvaa pakkaami,

she / now / going / that / place / having reached / by thieves / pursued / to horse / with the heel / gesture / having given / went on

Now, going, she reached that place, being pursued by the thieves, gave gesture to the horse with the heel, and went on.


coraa pacchato pacchato anubandhi.msu.

thieves / close behind / pursued

The thieves pursued closely behind.


Asso vega.m janetvaa aakaasamulla`nghi,

horse / speed / having caused to produce / [to] sky / rose

The horse picked up speed and rose to the sky.


kumaarikaa vega.m sandhaaretu.m asakkontii assassa pi.t.thito parigalitvaa patantii mayaa katuupakaara.m sara puttaati aaha,

girl / speed / to bear / being unable to / of horse / from the back / having glided off / falling / by me / given favour / remember / son / said

Being unable to bear the speed, the girl, gliding off from the back of the horse and falling, said, "Son, remember the favour given by me."


so patanti.m disvaa vegenaa gantvaa pi.t.thiya.m nisiidaapetvaa aakaasato netvaa saka.t.thaane yeva pati.t.thaapesi.

it / falling / having seen / quickly / having gone / on the back / having got seated / from sky / having carried away / in own position / just / established

It saw (the girl) falling, went quickly, got (her) seated on (its) back, carried (her) away from the sky, and stabilised in its position.


tasmaa.

therefore

Therefore:


English:


From that time, Buddheni, who is very much pleased with the Buddha's teaching, always ride the horse, and come and goes with the nobles to venerate the great Bodhi tree with beautiful garlands. Now, the foresters saw her coming and leaving repeatedly in the wood near the city of Paataliputta, and reported to the king about her beauty.


"Great king, a girl of such beauty, comes and goes frequently, riding a horse and paying homage. She is the one suitable to be the queen consort for the king."


After hearing that, the king hired the men, "On that account, people, seize that girl. Let me make (her) my queen consort." With that, the enlisted men stood there, hidden and ready to capture Buddheni, "Let's seize her coming, after the veneration of the Bodhi tree."


Then, that girl mounted the horse, went to the best part of the great Bodhi tree, made offering of flowers with the saints, paid homage, and turned back. Now, among them is one Elder Dhammarakkhita, who spoke to her thus: "Sister, thieves stood wishing to capture you on the way. After reaching such and such a place, be careful and go quickly."


Now, on the way, she reached that place, was pursued by the thieves, made gesture to the horse with the heel, and moved on. The thieves pursued closely behind. The horse picked up speed and rose to the sky. Being unable to bear the speed, the girl, gliding off from the back of the horse and falling, said, "Son, remember the favour given by me."


The horse saw the girl falling, went to her quickly, got her seated on its back, carried her away from the sky, and stabilised in its position.



Pali:


Tiracchaanagataa peva.m, sarantaa upakaaraka.m;

na jahantiiti mantvaana, kata~n~nuu hontu paa.ninoti.


Detailed grammatical analysis:


Trilinear:


Tiracchaanagataa peva.m, sarantaa upakaaraka.m;

animals / also-thus / remembering / the one helping

Thus, animals too, remembering (their) benefactor,


na jahantiiti mantvaana, kata~n~nuu hontu paa.ninoti.

not / abandon / having thought / grateful / are / living beings

thinking "(they) do not abandon (us)", living beings are grateful.



Pali:


Tato saa kumaarikaa sattaa siitiko.tidhana.m buddhasaasane yeva vapitvaa yaavajiiva.m siila.m rakkhitvaa uposathakamma.m katvaa tato cutaa sutta ppabuddho viya devaloke nibbattiiti.


Detailed grammatical analysis:


Trilinear:


Tato saa kumaarikaa sattaasiitiko.tidhana.m buddhasaasane yeva vapitvaa yaavajiiva.m siila.m rakkhitvaa uposathakamma.m katvaa tato cutaa suttappabuddho viya devaloke nibbattiiti.

from that / that / girl / wealth of eighty-seven crore / in the order of the Buddha / just / having shaved / till life lasts / precepts / having observed / observance of Uposatha / having done / hereafter / passed away / awaken from sleep / as if / in the heavenly world / was born

From that (point), that girl, with a wealth of eighty-seven crore, simply shaved in the order of the Buddha, observed the precepts till life lasts, made observance of the Uposatha, passed away hereafter, and was born in the heavenly world as if awaken from sleep.



Pali:


Atitaru.navayaa bho maatugaamaapi eva.m,

vividhakusalakamma.m katvaa sagga.m vajanti;

kusalaphalamahanta.m ma~n~namaanaa bhavantaa,

bhavatha katha mupekkhaa daanamaanaadikamme.


Detailed grammatical analysis:


Trilinear:


Atitaru.navayaa bho maatugaamaapi eva.m,

beyond young age / friend / women-also / thus

Thus, friend, mature women, too,


vividhakusalakamma.m katvaa sagga.m vajanti;

deeds full of merits / having done / heaven / get to

having done deeds full of merits, get to heaven;


kusalaphalamahanta.m ma~n~namaanaa bhavantaa,

great meritorious fruit / considering / becoming

considering the great meritorious fruit and becoming,


bhavatha kathamupekkhaa daanamaanaadikamme.

may you become / advice-equanimity / deeds of charity, honour and so on

may you become. Advice: equanimity, deeds of charity, honour and so on.



Abbreviations:


1st first person

2nd second person

3rd third person


I first conjugation

I* first conjugation, but root vowels not strengthened (Warder's pg 16)

III third conjugation

V fifth conjugation

VI sixth conjugation

VII seventh conjugation


D Dvanda compound

K Kammadhaaraya compound

T Tappurisa compound


abl ablative case

acc accusative case

act active voice

adj adjective

adv adverb

aor aorist tense

conj conjunction

dat dative case

dem demonstrative

enc enclitic

f, f-ar feminine noun

gen gentive case

ger gerund

indec indeclinable

inf infinitive

ins instrumental case

interr interrogative

loc locative case

m, m-a, m-an, m-ar, m-i masculine noun

n, n-a neuter noun

neg negative

nom nominative case

num numeral

pers personal

pl plural

pp past participle

ppot potential participle

ppr present participle

pres present tense

pron pronoun

rel relative

sg singular

voc vocative case