Re: attha.m gacchati

Hi, Jim and Ong Teng Kee:
In a few places in the Dhammapada, I see the use of
"attha.m gacchati", which is, for instance, used as follows:
attha.m gacchanti aasavaa, which is translated something like
"defilements have gone". My question is: Is the expression,
"attha.m gacchati", idiomatic? What does "attha" here mean?
Is the verb, "gacchati", fucntioning as a 'transtive' verb
(taking two 'arguments' (<- this is a linguistic technical term,
meaning the required/licensed phrases by a verb), that is,
"attha" and "aasavaa"?
tadao