On Wed, 12 May 2004 05:56:10 -0700 (PDT),
John Kelly <palistudent@...> wrote:

> Seyyathaapi bhikkhave yaani kaanici rukkhajaataana.m
> phandano tesa.m aggamakkhaayati, yadida.m mudutaaya
> ceva kammaññataaya ca. Evameva kho aha.m bhikkhave na
> añña.m ekadhammampi samanupassaami, ya.m eva.m
> bhaavita.m bahuliikata.m mudu ca hoti kammaññañca
> yathayida.m citta.m. Citta.m bhikkhave bhaavita.m
> bahuliikata.m mudu ca hoti kammaññañcaati.
>
> I've currently translated this as:
> Just as, monks, of all the trees that grow(?) the
> phandana(?) is declared to be the softest and most
> pliable; in the same way, monks, no other thing do I
> know that is so soft and pliable as a developed and
> cultivated mind. A developed and cultivated mind is
> truly soft and pliable.

The translation "of all the trees..." would be correct if the
Pali said "yesa.m kesaci". Instead it gives the unexpected
nominative plural "yaani kaanici". The Commentary explains that
this is because rukkhajaataana.m is a case of "paccatte
saamivacana.m", i.e. of a genitive form having a nominative
meaning. So we should translate "all the trees", rather than "of
all the trees".

> My questions are - is "trees that grow" a suitable
> translation for "rukkhajaata",

The ending -jaata, doesn't mean "that grow". Very literally it
means born or arisen as something. In practice, after a noun it
usually means a group, family or category of whatever the noun
happens to be. Often it is unnecessary to translate it:

pupphajaatani: [things] born as flowers = the flower family
= flowers.

gandhajaataani: [things] arisen as perfumes = types of perfume
= perfumes.

To judge from the Commentaries, the same applies in the
present case:

Rukkhajaataanan ti paccatte saamivacana.m, rukkhajaataanii ti
attho. Rukkhaanameta.m adhivacana.m.

"The phrase 'of members of the tree family' is a genitive form
used as a nominative; 'members of the tree family' is the
meaning. This is just a designation for trees."

Sub-commentary:

Ettha jaatasaddena padava.d.dhanameva kata.m.

"Here the syllable 'jaata' is merely an augment to the word."

> and what is a good translation for "phandana"? I couldn't find
> this word in the PED.

Phandana is the Ceylon oak (Schleichera trijuga), but this is a
very hard wood used for ship-building and tool handles.

It would be better to follow the variant reading 'candana',
'sandalwood', since this is indeed a rather pliable timber.

So, I would translate:

"Monks, just as, the sandalwood is declared superior to all trees
with regard to softness and pliability, even so, monks, I do not
discern even one other thing so soft and pliable as a mind developed
and much worked on. A mind developed and much worked on
is truly soft and pliable."

Best wishes,

Dhammanando



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