Nina wrote:

Hello Nina,

> The form cattaarimaani: I thought of -maani, pl neuter from maa
> (stem: mant), such as satimaa, having sati, with sati. Stem:
> satimant. Perhaps it only denotes that four is an attribute to
> wheels?

No. Cattaarimani cakkaani = cattaari + imaani cakkaani.
'These four wheels'.

'Cattaarimaani' is used in all the Suttas in the A`nguttara in
which the listed items are of neuter gender. If they are
masculine then 'cattaarome' (= cattaaro + ime) will be used. If
they are feminine then it will be 'catasso imaa'.

If one wants to speak of possession of a certain number, it is
not done with -maa, but by adding -ka to the pre-inflected form
of the cardinal numeral: ekaka, duka, tika, catukka ... &c.

> attasammaapa.nidhi: this is often translated as : perfect
> adjustment of oneself, or self control. The Commentary gives:
> aspiration or decision for all that is wholesome. So I chose
> rather aspiration.

Are you sure you are reading the right part of the Commentary? I
don't see anything in it about aspiration. The A`nguttara
Commentary to the Cakka Sutta explains the term as 'attano sammaa
.thapana.m' -- 'the right/perfect establishing of oneself'. It
then gives the example of a person who had formerly been without
faith but who then abandons faithlessness and establishes himself
in faith.

There are also more expansive definitions in the KhpA's and SnA's
commentaries to the Ma`ngala Sutta, which supply the additional
examples of a vicious person who (through association with noble
men) is caused to abandon vice and become established in virtue
(dussiila.m siile pati.t.thaapeti), and a miser who is caused to
abandon stinginess and become established in generosity
(macchari.m caagasampadaaya pati.t.thaapeti).

When the term is being defined according to the Abhidhamma
method, then the word 'attaa' is glossed as "one's own mental
continuum" (attano cittasantaana -- see the A`nguttara-.tiikaa)
or simply as 'citta', or as one's 'whole personality' (sakala
attabhaava -- see the KhpA on the Ma`ngala Sutta), and 'sammaa'
is glossed as 'yoniso'. But 'establishing' (.thapana) is either
retained, or replaced with pa.nidahana (variant: pa.nidhaana),
but this is not pa.nidahana in the sense of 'aspiration' but in
the sense of 'directing'.

> Patiruupe vase dese,
> If one lives in a suitable place
> ariya/mitta/karo siyaa;
> and has noble friendship;

I would translate:

"A man should live in a suitable place
And be a befriender of noble ones."


The word 'nara' is the subject of the entire verse and in English
would be best inserted right at the beginning.

'Vase' is optative 'vaseyya', shortened to fit the metre. Since
there is no 'if' in the verse, we should take verb's mood as
expressing either a strong recommendation (atisagge-sattamii) or
a mild imperative (pese-sattamii). Likewise with 'siyaa'.

(Thai translation: N?r?chon pheung y?u nai th?n th?i m?. / Pheung
tham aar?y?chon h?i pen m?t).

> sammaa/pa.nidhi/sampanno,
> and has right aspiration
> pubbe pu~n~nakato naro;
> and, as a hero, has formerly done meritorious deeds;

"Well-established in the right course,
Having formerly performed deeds of merit,"

Usually 'man' will suffice to translate 'nara'. 'Hero' is only
called for in reference to brahminical myths, or in verses of a
devotional character where the 'nara' is the Buddha or one of
his arahant disciples.

> dha~n~na.m dhana.m yaso kitti,
> grain, wealth, honour, fame,
> sukha~nceta.m adhivattatii>ti.
> and all this happiness will be theresult for him.

"Grain, wealth, honour, fame, and happiness
Come to him in abundance."

'Adhivattati' (to overwhelm) is a transitive verb. But the only
possible object of the verb is 'nara'. But since the earlier
occurrence of 'nara' is in the nominative, 'eta.m' (the masculine
accusative of eso) has been inserted to make the connection.

Best wishes,

Dhammanando