An Elementary Pali Course - Selections for Translation

Passage 4: Sumanaadeviyaa Vatthu (Story of Sumanaadevi)

Source: Dhammapada-A.t.thakathaa, Yamaka Vagga

Saavatthiya~nhi devasika.m anaathapi.n.dikassa gehe dve bhikkhuusahassaani bhu~njanti, tathaa visaakhaaya mahaa-upaasikaaya.
in Saavatthi-indeed / daily / of Anaathapi.n.dika / in house / two / monk-thousands / eat / likewise / for Visaakhaa / for great lay woman
Indeed, in Saavatthi, in the house of Anaathapi.n.dika, two thousand monks lunch daily, likewise for the great lay woman Visaakhaa.

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Saavatthiya.m yo yo daana.m daatukaamo hoti, so so tesa.m ubhinna.m okaasa.m labhitvaava karoti.
in Saavatthi / whoever / offerings / wishing to give / is / he / of them / of both / permission / having obtained-so / does
In Saavatthi, whoever is wishing to make offerings, he obtains the permission of both of them and does (it).

Ki.m kaara.na?
what / reason
What is the reason?

"Tumhaaka.m daanagga.m anaathapi.n.diko vaa visaakhaa vaa aagataa"ti pucchitvaa, "naagataa"ti vutte satasahassa.m vissajjetvaa katadaanampi "ki.m daana.m naametan"ti garahanti.*
your / [to] alms-hall / Anaathapi.n.dika / or / Visaakhaa / or / come / having asked / not come / on being said / one hundred thousand / having spent / done-offering-even / what / offerings / indeed-this / blame
Having asked "Had Anaathapi.n.dika or Visaakhaa come to your alms-hall?", on "(They) had not come" being said, (the monks) discredit even an offering that has cost a hundred thousand and is done, "What offering is this indeed!".

Ubhopi hi te bhikkhusa`nghassa ruci~nca anucchavikakiccaani ca ativiya jaananti, tesu vicaarentesu bhikkhuu cittaruupa.m bhu~njanti.
both-on the other hand / indeed / they / of the community of monks / likings-and / proper services / and / very much / know / in those / in administering / monks / easily / eat
On the other hand, both (Anaathapi.n.dika and Visaakhaa) know very well indeed the likings of the community of monks and the proper procedures, the monks eat easily in those provisions.

Tasmaa sabbe daana.m daatukaamaa te gahetvaava gacchanti.
therefore / all / offering / wishing to give / them / having seized them-certainly / go
Therefore, all wishing to give offering (will) certainly get hold of them and go.

Iti te attano attano ghare bhikkhuu parivisitu.m na labhanti.
thus / they / their own / in house / monks / to serve / not obtain
Thus, they do not get to serve the monks in their own house.

Tato visaakhaa, "ko nu kho mama .thaane .thatvaa bhikkhusa`ngha.m parivisissatii"ti upadhaarentii puttassa dhiitara.m disvaa ta.m attano .thaane .thapesi.
thereupon / Visaakhaa / who / I wonder / really / my / in place / having stood / order of monks / will serve / reflecting / of son / daughter / having seen / her / own's / in place / placed
Thereupon, reflecting "I wonder who really will stand in my place and serve the order of monks?", Visaakhaa saw the daughter of (her) son and placed her in her role.

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Saa tassaa nivesane bhikkhusa`ngha.m parivisati.
she / her / in house / community of monks / serves
She waits upon the community of monks in her (i.e. Visaakhaa's) house.

Anaathapi.n.dikopi mahaasubhadda.m naama je.t.thadhiitara.m .thapesi.
Anaathapi.n.dika-on the other hand / Mahaasubhaddaa / by name / eldest daughter / placed
On the other hand, Anaathapi.n.dika places (his) eldest daughter, Mahaasubhaddaa by name.

Saa bhikkhuuna.m veyyaavacca.m karontii dhamma.m su.nantii sotaapannaa hutvaa patikula.m agamaasi.
she / to monks / service / doing / doctrine / hearing / stream-winner / having become / husband's family / went
Rendering service to the monks and listening to the teachings, she became a Stream-winner and returned to (her) husband's family.

Tato cuu.lasubhadda.m .thapesi.
afterwards / Cuu.lasubhaddaa / placed
(Anaathapi.n.dika) placed Cuu.lasubhaddaa afterwards.

Saapi tatheva karontii sotaapannaa hutvaa patikula.m gataa.
she-also / likewise / doing / stream-winner / having become / husband's family / gone
Doing likewise, she too has became a Stream-winner and returned to her husband's family.

Atha sumanadevi.m naama kani.t.thadhiitara.m .thapesi.
now / Sumanadevi / by name / youngest daughter / placed
Now, (Anaathapi.n.dika) placed (his) youngest daughter, Sumanadevi by name.

Saa pana dhamma.m sutvaa sakadaagaamiphala.m patvaa kumaarikaava hutvaa tathaaruupena aphaasukena aaturaa aahaarupaccheda.m katvaa pitara.m da.t.thukaamaa hutvaa pakkosaapesi.
she / but / doctrine / having heard / fruit of One-returner / having reached / girl-just / having being / with so great / with discomfort / ill / food-cutting off / having done / father / wishing to see / having been / sent for
She heard the teachings and reached the fruition of One-returner instead. Being just a girl, she (was) unwell with so great a discomfort (she) stopped having food, and wishing to see (her) father, she sent for (him).

So ekasmi.m daanagge tassaa saasana.m sutvaava aagantvaa, "ki.m, ammasumane"ti aaha.
he / in one / in alms-hall / her / message / having heard-so / having come / what / dear Sumana / said
He heard her message in one alms-hall, come and said, "What (is it), dear Sumana?"

Saapi na.m aaha - "ki.m, taata kani.t.thabhaatikaa" - ti?
she-also / that / said / what / dear / youngest brother
She too said that, "What (is it), dear little brother?"

---

"Vippalapasi ammaa"ti?
(you) talk confusedly / dear
"You are babbling, dear?"

"Na vippalapaami, kani.t.thabhaatikaa"ti.
not / (I) talk confusedly / youngest brother
"I am not babbling, little brother."

"Bhaayasi, ammaa"ti?
(you are) afraid / dear
"You are afraid, dear?"

"Na bhaayaami, kani.t.thabhaatikaa"ti.
not / (I am) afraid / youngest brother
"I am not afraid, little brother."

Ettaka.m vatvaayeva pana saa kaalamakaasi.
this much / having spoken-just / however / she / died
However, having spoken just this much, she died.

So sotaapannopi samaano se.t.thidhiitari uppannasoka.m adhivaasetu.m asakkonto dhiitu sariirakicca.m kaaretvaa rodanto satthusantika.m gantvaa,
he / Stream-winner-even / same / on merchant-daughter / arisen grief / to bear / being unable / of daughter / funeral ceremonies / having got done / lamenting / teacher's presence / having gone
Even he, a Stream-winner, is the same, being unable to bear the arisen grief regarding a merchant's (i.e. his) daughter, getting the daughter's funeral ceremonies done and lamenting, went to the presence of the teacher,

"ki.m, gahapati, dukkhii dummano assumukho rodamaano upagatosii"ti vutte,
what / householder / miserable / sorrowful / with tearful face / crying / undergone-you / on being said
on "Householder, miserable, sorrowful, with the tearful face and crying, what have you undergone?" being said,

"dhiitaa me, bhante, sumanadevii kaalakataa"ti aaha.
daughter / my / sir / Sumanaadevii / dead / said
said, "My daughter, sir, Sumanaadevii (is) dead."

"Atha kasmaa socasi, nanu sabbesa.m eka.msika.m mara.nan"ti?
then / why / grieve / surely / of all / certain / death
"Then, why grieve? Surely, death (is) certain of all."

"Jaanaameta.m, bhante.
(I) know-this / sir
"This I know, sir.

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Evaruupaa naama me hiri-ottappasampannaa dhiitaa, saa mara.nakaale sati.m paccupa.t.thaapetu.m asakkontii vippalamaanaa mataa, tena me anappaka.m domanassa.m uppajjatii"ti.
such / indeed / my / endowed with shame and remorse / daughter / who / at time of death / memory / to gather up / not able / talking confusedly / has died / by that / to me / much / grief / is born
Indeed, such (is) my daughter, endowed with shame and remorse, was not able to gather up (her) memory at the time of death, and was babbling, by that, much grief is born to me."

"Ki.m pana taaya kathita.m mahaase.t.thii"ti?
what / but / to you / was related / great merchant
"But, what was said to you, noble merchant?"

"Aha.m ta.m, bhante, 'amma, sumane'ti aamantesi.m.
I / her / sir / dear / Sumana / addressed
"Sir, I addressed her, 'Sumana dear.'

Atha ma.m aaha - 'ki.m, taata, kani.t.thabhaatikaa'ti?
then / [to] me / said / what / dear / youngest brother
Then, (she) said to me, 'What (is it), little brother dear?'

'Vippalapasi, ammaa'ti?
(you) talk confusedly / dear
'You are babbling, dear?'

'Na vippalapaami, kani.t.thabhaatikaa'ti.
not / (I) talk confusedly / youngest brother
'I am not babbling, little brother.'

'Bhaayasi, ammaa'ti?
(you are) afraid / dear
'You are afraid, dear?'

'Na bhaayaami kani.t.thabhaatikaa'ti.
not / (I am) afraid / youngest brother
'I am not afraid, little brother.'

---

Ettaka.m vatvaa kaalamakaasii"ti.
this much / having spoken / died
Having spoken this much, (she) died."

Atha na.m bhagavaa aaha - "na te mahaase.t.thi dhiitaa vippalapii"ti.
then / that / Bhagava / said / not / of yours / great merchant / daughter / talked confusedly
Then the Bhagava said that - "Noble merchant, your daughter did not babble."

"Atha kasmaa bhante evamaahaa"ti?
then / why / sir / thus-said
"Then, master, why said so?"

"Kani.t.thattaayeva.
lower attainment-so
"Lower achievement (it is) so.

Dhiitaa hi te, gahapati, maggaphaleni tayaa mahallikaa.
daughter / surely / of yours / householder / with path and fruition / from you / old woman
Householder, with (your attainment of) path and fruition, surely your daughter (is) a lady senior than you.

Tva~nhi sotaapanno, dhiitaa pana te sakadaagaaminii.
you / indeed / stream-winner / daughter / however / of yours / one-returner
You (are) a stream-winner indeed, your daughter (is) however an One-returner.

Saa maggaphalehi tayaa mahallikattaa ta.m evamaahaa"ti.
she / with path and fruition / from you / being old / that / thus-said
Being senior than you in (attainment of) path and fruition, she said that thus."

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"Eva.m, bhante"ti?
thus / master
"(It is) so, master?"

"Eva.m, gahapatii"ti.
thus / householder
"(It is) so, householder."

"Idaani kuhi.m nibbattaa, bhante"ti?
now / where / is reborn / sir
"Now, where is (she) reborn, sir?"

"Tusitabhavane, gahapatii"ti.
in Tusita world / householder
"In the Tusita world, householder."

"Bhante, mama dhiitaa idha ~naatakaana.m antare nandamaanaa vicaritvaa ito gantvaapi nandana.t.thaaneyeva nibbattaa"ti.
sir / my / daughter / in this world / of kinsmen / in between / rejoicing / having wandered / from here / having gone-also / in place of joy-so / is reborn
"Sir, rejoicing in the midst of kinsmen in this world, my daughter, having wandered and gone from here, is so reborn in a place of joy again."

Atha na.m satthaa "aama, gahapati, appamattaa naama gaha.t.thaa vaa pabbajitaa vaa idha loke ca paraloke ca nandantiyevaa"ti vatvaa ima.m gaathamaaha -
then / that / teacher / yes / householder / diligent / certainly / householders or / gone forth or / here / in world and / in another world and / rejoice-so / having spoken / this / stanza-said
"Yes, householder, the diligent, householders or (those who have) gone forth, certainly rejoice so in the world here and in another world," having spoken that, the teacher then said this stanza:

[Dhammapada 18]

Idha nandati pecca nandati, katapu~n~no ubhayattha nandati;
here / rejoices / having departed / rejoices / doer of good / in both places / rejoices
One rejoices here and after departing, the doer of good rejoices in both places;

pu~n~na.m me katanti nandati, bhiyyo nandati sugati.m gato.
merit / by me / done / rejoices / further / rejoices / to happy state / gone
"Merit is done by me" one rejoices, gone to a happy state one rejoices further.

* This sentence contains a clause. See Rett's explanation here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pali/message/8913