Dear Nina, Bryan and James,

thanks a lot for your inputs, clarifications and references. Allow me to consolidate and sum up the discussions. Thank you.

Ta.m sunakho vaa kaako vaa amanusso vaa upasa`nkamitu.m naasakkhi.
The dog or the crow or the non-human being was not able to approach him.

* naasakkhi = na + asakkhi. For asakkhi, see PED sakkoti.

"Nanu cassa neva maataa na pitaa na bhaatikaadiisu koci rakkhitaa naama atthi, ko ta.m rakkhati"ti?
"Surely, there is indeed some protector (who) shall neither be among (his) mother nor father nor brother and so on [i.e. other kinsmen, since none of these people are present], who/what protects him?"

* nanu (indec, affirmative) surely, certainly
* cassa = ca + assa; ca: and yet; assa: there may/shall be
* neva = na + eva; neva ... na: neither ... nor
* maataa na pitaa na bhaatikaadiisu = na maataa-pitaa-bhaatikaadiisu
* koci: someone, whoever
* rakkhitaa (nominative singular of rakkhitar, agent noun) guardian, protector. Here, the word rakkhitar is derived directly from the root rakkh-, with -i- inserted before the suffix -tar. Classical grammarians classify this as kitakanaama. For more information on agent nouns, see Warder Lesson 23. For declension paradigm, see the following:
(a) Pali Primer Lesson 28
(b) An Elementary Pali Course Lesson XVIII
(c) The New Pali Course Part 1 ¡ì25

Sunakhakaale pacceka-Buddhe sinehena pavattitabhukkara.na-mattameva ta.m rakkhati.
Only because of [his former existence as] the dog (which) went about barking with affection at the time of the Pacceka-Buddha, (this) protects him.

* matta (adv) because of
* eva (adv) only

Atheko ajapaalako anekasahassaa ajaa gocara.m nento susaanapassena gacchati.
Now, a certain goatherd, leading several thousand milk-goats to pasture, goes through the side of the cemetery.

* atheko = atha + eko
* ajaa (f) she-goat, milk-goat, nanny-goat


metta,
Yong Peng.

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Bryan Levman wrote:

Burlingame translates this as follows:

(She took the child laid him in the bushes, and stood at one side.) But neither dog nor crow nor demon dared to appraoch him. Pray, if he had neither mother nor father nor brother nor other knsman to protect him, what was it that did protect him? All that protected him was his howling for love of the Private Buddha in his former existence as a dog. Just then a goatherd passed on one side of the burning-ground, leading several thousand goats to pasture. (page 258).