Re: Sabhc-d 1 (varavaadina.m) pt. 1

Dear members,

This is just a bit more of my translation and notes.

Saddatthabhedacintaa:

> 1.
> saddatthabhedavaadiina.m pavara.m varavaadina.m
> abhivaadiya saddatthabhedacintaa'bhidhiiyate.

Saddatthabhedacintaadiipanii:

> *varavaadinan* ti buddha.m. buddhoti vara.m nibbaana.m
> vadati siilenaati varavaadii. vuttanti asa`nkheyyaani
> naamaani. sagu.nena mahesinoti.

Text and translation:
_varavaadinan_ ti buddha.m.

"varavaadina.m" (the Speaker of the Excellent) refers to the Buddha.

Note:
"varavaadina.m" is in the accusative case and is the object (as with
"pavara.m") of the absolutive "abhivaadiya" (having saluted).

Text and translation:
buddhoti vara.m nibbaana.m vadati siilenaati varavaadii.

The Buddha thus is the Speaker of the Excellent because by habit he
speaks of the excellent nibbaana.

Notes:
1) I think "siilena" (by habit) relates to the primary suffix -ii
(.nii) in '-vaadii. See Kc 532 (tassiilaadiisu .niitvaavii ca).
'Tassiila' is 'tacchiila' (having such a habit) in Sanskrit which S.C.
Vasu explains in his translation of Paa.nini as meaning: 'the natural
inclination towards an action prompted by a contemplation of its fruit
or result'. --Vol. I, p.463
2) "vara.m nibbaana.m" could also be taken as two nouns instead of
adj+noun: "the Excellent, Nibbaana" ('vara.m' being a synonym for
'nibbaana.m').
3) In "silenaati varavadii", I have taken the 'ti' in the sense of
cause (hetu). Both the Saddaniiti, p.317 (with examples) and
Abh 1188 give 7 uses of the particle 'iti'. I'm not sure if 'hetu' is
the right one here.

Text and translation:
vuttanti asa`nkheyyaani naamaani sagu.nena mahesinoti.

It is said thus: "incalculable are the names of the Great Sage with
his qualities".

Notes:
1) This quote can be found in the commentaries such as at: Sv III 963;
Sv-p.t I 85, 522; Ud-a 337; As 391. p.t III 195 It is usually seen as
the first line of the following gaathaa:

asa"nkheyyaani naamaani sagu.nena mahesino,
gu.nena naama.m uddheyya.m api naamasahassato ti.

PTS Translations:
Incalculable are the names for the Great Rishi by way of his own
individual qualities, by way of those qualities, a name may well be
assigned by the thousand.
--P. Masefield, The Udaana Commentary, Vol. II, p.871.

' The names won by the virtues of the Sage
Cannot be numbered: thou shalt teach his names
By thousands, for his virtues manifold.'
--P.M. Tin, The Expositor, p.499

2) The first line is given at Sv III 963 to which Sv-p.t III 195
ascribes Dhammasenaapati (likely Saariputta) as the author.
3) Even though singular, the PTS translators take "sagu.nena"  in the
plural which I have followed but can't really justify it other than it
makes more sense that the Buddha would have more than one quality.

Best wishes, Jim


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com