Re: Dhp 23

Dear Phra Yuttadhammo,

Thanks for raising questions about the translations. In posting these
translations, I'm by no means endorsing them. Just giving examples of
a very early translation and a fairly recent one by respected
scholars. Also, I'm not yet looking at the commentary. I hope to
follow up with a critical examination of the words in the Dhammapada
text, and getting a sense of the intepretation in the word-by-word
commentary, and then to take a closer look at the translations. As you
know, I have only just begun to do this with Dhp 1 and so it will be a
long time before I take up Dhp 23.

I'm not very familiar with the two terms "daḷhaparakkamā" and
"yogakkhemaṃ" and can't say much until I've done the research. For
"rest from exertion", Norman refers to his notes in The Elders' Verses
I, p. 128. There he gives "peace from bondage" as an alternative
translation. He starts with the Skt. dvandva compound "yoga-k.sema",
the components of which go back to the .Rgveda, and tries to show how
it might have evolved into a Pali tappurisa compound.

I think "peace from bondage" is closer to the commentarial
interpretation but I would add that "yoga" is taken in the plural.
Peace from the bonds or fetters would be better. The four yogas or
fetters are similar to the 4 aasavas.

> khema comes from khetta (?) = field, or maybe dwelling place (ie
> refuge)? The sense accepted by the commentery seems to fit here
> much better, hence "freedom (maybe safety) from bondage".

For the etymology of "khema" (khii + man) Kc 627 has: khiiyanti
upaddavaa etthaati khemo. According to Mmd on the same, the root
meaning of khii is khaye (to destroy), hence "the misfortunes are
destroyed here, thus, khemo. So, khema here would be a place where the
4 yogas are destroyed (= nibbaana). Not sure how this relates to
"khetta" which I think may derive from a different khii.

Best wishes,
Jim