Hi, Derek and everyone,

DC> 338. Mitte bhajassu kalyaa.ne pantañca sayanaasana.m
DC> vivitta.m appanigghosa.m mattaññuu hohi bhojane,

Keep companionship with good friends, and resort to solitary lodging,
secluded, quiet; be moderate in eating.

DC> mattaññuu = moderate (case???)

Probably poetical lengthening?

It is interesting to note that Buddha starts instruction from the
'outer circle' of social environment.

Skillful teacher won't start cooking instructions from 'put a teaspoon
of honey and 200 g of rice'. He would say first 'keep companionship
with good cooks, make the kitchen clean and orderly, be moderate in
eating what you cook'. Otherwise more exact instructions won't lead to
desired results.

So the third stanza:

"Having abandoned the five sense-pleasures,
delightful in form, pleasing the mind,
having gone forth from the house out of faith,
become one who makes an end to suffering.

corresponds to 'right view', 'right resolve' and 'four noble truths'
in informal rendering.

And the fourth stanza given above roughly corresponds to next logical
parts of the Path, 'right speech', 'right action', and 'right
livelihood'.

And what says the commentary?

341. Idaanissa aadito pabhuti va.t.tadukkhassa antakiriyaaya
pa.tipatti.m dassetu.m "mitte bhajassu kalyaa.ne"ti-aadimaaha.

idaanissa - now (Gen/Dat)
aadito - from the beginning,
Ablative of the aadi - starting point, beginning
pabhuti - since, after, subsequently
va.t.tadukkhassa - the suffering of the rebirth cycle (Genitive)
antakiriyaaya - putting an end to (Dative)
pa.tipatti.m - "way", method, conduct, practice (Accusative)
dassetu.m - to point out, exhibit, explain, intimate (Infinitive)
aadimaaha - aadi.m 'starting point' + aaha 'he said'

Beginning from this point to explain the way how to put an end to the
suffering of the rebirth cycle, he starts with 'keep companionship
with virtuous friends'.

Tattha siilaadiihi adhikaa kalyaa.namittaa naama, te bhajanto
himavanta.m nissaaya mahaasaalaa muulaadiihi viya siilaadiihi
va.d.dhati.

tattha - there, in this, for or about that
siila+aadiihi - beginning with moral precepts (Plural Inst/Abl)
adhikaa - exceeding, extraordinary, superior (Plural)
kalyaa.namittaa - virtuous friends (Plural)
naama - called, by name
te - those (Plural Nom/Acc)
bhajanto - one who keeps companionship with (Present participle)
himavanta.m - Himalaya, "snowy" (Acc)
nissaaya - among
mahaasaalaa - big hall
muula+aadiihi - beginning with the root, foot, bottom, foundation
viya - as, like
va.d.dhati - increases, prospers

In this connection, one who keeps companionship with those superiors
who have a basis in morality, called virtuous friends, develops
beginning with morality, like a big hall among Himalayas begins from
foundation.

Tenaaha- "mitte bhajassu kalyaa.ne"ti.

tena - so then, now the, therefore, thus (Instrumental of 'sa/ta.m')

Therefore he said: "Associate with virtuous friends".

Pantañca sayanaasana.m, vivitta.m appanigghosanti yañca sayanaasana.m
panta.m duura.m vivitta.m appaaki.n.na.m appanigghosa.m, yattha
migasuukaraadisaddena araññasaññaa uppajjati, tathaaruupa.m
sayanaasanañca bhajassu.

pantañca sayanaasana.m vivitta.m appanigghosanti -
'solitary lodging, secluded, quiet'
yañca - ya.m relative pronoun + ca
duura.m - distant, remote
appaaki.n.na.m - little or not crowded
yattha - where
miga - deer, antelope
suukara - hog, pig
aadi - etc.
sadda - sound, noise
migasuukaraadisaddena - Instrumental
araññasaññaa - the perception of forest
uppajjati - arises
tathaaruupa.m - such a, like this or that

'Solitary lodging, secluded, quiet' - resort to such solitary lodging,
remote, secluded, not crowded, quiet, where owing to the sounds of
deers, hogs, etc. there arises the perception of forest.

(to be continued)

On the 'perception of forest', see:

Majjhima Nikaya 121 Cuu.la-Suññata Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/majjhima/mn121.html

Mettacittena,
Dimitry