Ven Narada Thera - An Elementary Pali Course Lesson X

Exercise 10-A: Translate into English.

1. "Dhammo have rakkhati Dhammacaarii."

truth / certainly / protects / he who acts righteously

"The truth certainly protects him who acts righteously."

Alt: "Dhamma indeed protects the Dhammafarer*."


2. "Na duggati.m gacchati dhammacaarii."

does not / [to] evil state / get / he who acts righteously

"He who act righteously does not get to the evil state."


3. Naraa ca naariyo ca pu~n~na.m katvaa sugatiisu uppajjissanti.

men and / women and / good / having done / in good states / will be born

Men and women will be born in good states after doing good.


4. Bhaginii tassaa saaminaa saddhi.m janani.m passitu.m sve gamissati.

sister / her / with husband / mother / to see / tomorrow / will go

The sister will go to see the mother with her husband tomorrow.


5. Paapakaarii, tumhe paapa.m katvaa duggatiisu uppajjissatha.

evil doers / you / evil / having done / in evil states / will be born

Evil doers, you having done evil will be born in evil states.


6. Idaani maya.m brahmacaarino homa.

now / we / celibates / are

We are celibates now.


7. Mahesiyo naariina.m pu~n~na.m kaatu.m dhana.m denti.

queens / to women / good / to do / wealth / give

The queens donate money to do good for the womenfolk.


8. Hatthino ca hatthiniyo ca a.taviisu ca pabbatesu ca vasanti.

male elephants and / female elephants and / in forests and / in mountains and / live

The male and female elephants live in the forests and mountains.


9. Mayha.m saamino jananii bhikkhuniina~n** ca upaasikaana~n ca phaasu.m sa`nga.nhi.***

my / husband's / mother / of nuns and / of female devotees and / comfort / treated

My husband's mother attended to the comfort of the nuns and female devotees.


10. Mahesi narapatinaa saddhi.m sve nagara.m paapu.nissati.

queen / with king / tomorrow / city / will arrive

The queen will arrive (in) the city with the king tomorrow.


11. Medhaavino ca medhaaviniyo ca appamaadena Dhamma.m ugga.nhitvaa mutti.m labhissanti.

wise men and / wise women and / with earnestness / Dhamma / having learnt / deliverance / will obtain

The wise men and women will learn the Dhamma with earnestness and obtain deliverance.


12. Pu~n~nakaarino brahmacaariihi saddhi.m vasitu.m icchanti.

well-doers / with celibates / to live / wish

The well-doers wish to live with the celibates.


13. Naariyo mahesi.m passitu.m nagara.m agami.msu.

women / queen / to see / [to] city / went

The women went to the city to see the queen.


14. Bhikkhuniyo gahapataaniina.m ovaada.m ada.msu.

nuns / to females householders / advice / gave

The nuns gave advice to the female householders.


15. "Appamaada~n ca medhaavii - dhana.m se.t.tha.m'va**** rakkhati."

and earnestness / wise man / wealth / like excellent / guards

"The wise man guards earnestness like an excellent treasure."


* carii can be translated literally as "one who goes" or as "one who lives by...". Dhammacarii = one who lives by Dharma, or more briefly, "Dharmafarer".


** Niggahita (.m) when followed by a group consonant is changed into the nasal of that particular group,

e.g. sa.m + gaho = sa`ngaho

sa.m + .thaana = sa.n.thaana

aha.m + pi = aham'pi

aha.m + ca = aha~n ca

ta.m + dhana.m + tandhana.m


*** Question has been modified from the original.


**** se.t.tha.m + iva


Exercise 10-B: Translate into Pali.

1. Those who act righteously will not do evil and be born in evil states.

dhammacaarii / akatvaa / paapa.m / na jaayissanti / duggatiisu

Dhammacaarii paapa.m akatvaa duggatiisu na jaayissanti.


2. The well-doers will obtain their deliverance.

pu~n~nakaarii / labhissanti / tesa.m* / mutti.m

Pu~n~nakaarii (tesa.m) mutti.m labhissanti.


3. My husband mounted the elephant and fell on the ground.

mayha.m / saamii / aaruhitvaa / hatthi.m / pati / bhuumiya.m

Mayha.m saamii hatthi.m aaruhitvaa bhuumiya.m pati.


4. She went to school with her sister.

saa / agami / paa.thasaala.m / tassaa* / bhaginiyaa saddhi.m

Saa (tassaa) bhaginiyaa saddhi.m paa.thasaala.m agami.

Alt: Saa sabhaginii paa.thasaala.m agami.**


5. The queen's mother is certainly a wise lady.

mahesiyaa / jananii / hoti / have / medhaavinii

Mahesiyaa jananii have medhaavinii hoti.


6. Boys and girls are studying with diligence to get presents from their mothers and fathers.

daarakaa ca / daarikaayo ca / ugga.nhanti / appamaadena / labhitu.m / pa.n.naakaare / tesa.m* / jananiihi ca / janakehi ca

Daarakaa ca daarikaayo ca (tesa.m) jananiihi ca janakehi ca pa.n.naakaare labhitu.m appamaadena ugga.nhanti.


7. Men and women go with flowers in their hands to the temple everyday.

naraa ca / naariyo ca / gacchanti / pupphehi / tesa.m* / hatthesu / aaraama.m / sabbadaa

Naraa ca naariyo ca tesa.m* hatthesu pupphehi sabbadaa aaraama.m gacchanti.

Alt: Naraa ca naariyo ca pupphahatthaa*** sabbadaa aaraama.m gacchanti.


8. My sister is protecting her mother as an excellent treasure.

mayha.m / bhaginii / rakkhati / tassaa* / janani.m / iva / se.t.tha.m / dhana.m

Mayha.m bhaginii settha.m dhana.m'va (tassaa) janani.m rakkhati.


9. Mother, I shall go to see my uncle and aunt tomorrow.

janani / aha.m / gamissaami / passitu.m / mayha.m / maatula.m ca / maatulaani.m ca / suve

Janani, aha.m suve (mayha.m) maatula.m ca maatulaani.m ca passitu.m gamissaami.


10. Amongst celibates**** there are wise men.

brahmacaariisu / honti / medhaavino

Medhaavino brahmacaariisu honti.


11. Having seen the elephant, the she-goats ran away through fear.

disvaa / hatthi.m / ajaayo / dhaavi.msu / bhayena

Hatthi.m disvaa ajaayo bhayena dhaavi.msu/palaayi.msu.


12. The king, accompanied by***** the queen, arrived in the city yesterday.

raajaa / raajiniyaa saddhi.m / paapu.ni / nagara.m / hiiyo

Raajaa****** raajiniyaa saddhi.m hiiyo nagara.m paapu.ni.

Alt: Narapati mahesiyaa saddhi.m hiiyo nagara.m paapu.ni.


* The possessive pronouns may be omitted from the Pali sentences when referring to "one's own".


** Please refer to Rett's writing in the archive: [1] [2].


*** pupphahatthaa = flower-handed.


**** Use the locative.


***** Use 'saddhi.m'.


****** Declined from rajan.