Could somebody explain to me the series of puns that are said to be
in this verse of the Dhammapada?
Assaddho akatannuu ca, sandhicchedo ca yo naro;
hataavakaaso vantaaso, sa ve uttamaporiso.
Acharya Buddharakkhita's translation is without the puns:
The man who is without blind faith, who knows the Uncreated, who has
severed all links, destroyed all causes (for karma, good and evil),
and thrown out all desires he, truly, is the most excellent of
men.
With a footnote:
In the Pali this verse presents a series of puns, and if
the "underside" of each pun were to be translated, the verse would
read thus: "The man who is faithless, ungrateful, a burglar, who
destroys opportunities and eats vomit he truly is the most
excellent of men."
Thanissaro Bhikkhu's translations includes the puns, side by side:
The man
faithless / beyond conviction
ungrateful / knowing the Unmade
a burglar / who has severed connections
who's destroyed
his chances / conditions
who eats vomit: / has disgorged expectations:
the ultimate person.
Even with the explanations I find myself pretty bewildered!