Re: gamanassādānaṃ devaputtāna ṃ

Dear Venerable,

Your wrote:



> For extremely brief (ati-ittaro hi) is the occurrence-moment 
> (pavattikkhaṇo) even of material phenomena (rūpadhammānampi); it is more 
> fleeting (sīghataro) even than the meeting of the razor blades bound 
> (baddhakhuradhārāsamāgamatopi) on the head and feet (sirasi pāde ca) of 
> the young gods who enjoy travel (gamanassādānaṃ devaputtānaṃ), as they 
> are running in opposite directions (paṭimukhaṃ dhāvantānaṃ), upward and 
> downward (heṭṭhupariyāyena).



I think I understand this sentence. This is a simile to demonstrate how 
brief the life-term of material phenomena is.

Let us visualize two deities running at full speed towards each other 
(paṭimukhaṃ dhāvantaṃ) in the sky. Being gods who enjoy travelling 
(gamanassādānaṃ devaputtānaṃ), they must be running at the light of speed. 
But they are not at the same level of height; one is above the other 
(heṭṭhupariyāyena = one above and one below). The one below has a razor 
blade on his head while the one above has one on his feet (sirasi-heṭṭhā, 
pāde-upari; note the sequence). As they run at full speed, they pass each 
other within a very short moment; then the razor blades on their head and 
feet, being very thin, must also pass each other within an even shorter 
moment. Even shorter than this extremely short moment is the 
occurrence-moment of material phenomena.

So I would like to render this sentence as follows:

" For extremely brief (ati-ittaro hi) is the occurrence-moment 
(pavattikkhaṇo) even of material phenomena (rūpadhammānampi); it is more 
fleeting (sīghataro) even than the meeting of the razor blades bound 
(baddhakhuradhārāsamāgamatopi) on the head and feet (sirasi pāde ca) of the 
young gods who enjoy travel (gamanassādānaṃ devaputtānaṃ), as they are 
running in opposite directions (paṭimukhaṃ dhāvantānaṃ), above and below 
(heṭṭhupariyāyena) (respectively).

(I think the reading "gamanassādīnaṃ" in the DN-ṭikā is only a corrupted 
reading.)

with metta and respect,

Ven. Pandita (Burma)


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