Verses¶
The Three Characteristics
Ti-lakkhaṇā
[Dhp 277]
sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā'ti, yadā paññāya passati.
atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā.
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| sabbe | adj | masc.nom.pl | all; every; whole; entire |
| saṅkhārā | noun | masc.nom.pl | conditioned things, constructions, fabrications formations |
| aniccā | adj | masc.nom.pl | not stable; impermanent |
| iti | ind | thus, ” | |
| yadā | ind | adv | whenever; when |
| paññāya | verb | abs | knowing, understanding (or) noun f.ins.s with understanding |
| passati | verb | pr.3.sg | he sees |
all conditioned things are impermanent' - when he sees it with understanding
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| atha | ind | adv | then; and also |
| nibbindati | verb | pr.3.sg | gets wearied of; is disgusted with |
| dukkhe | noun | nt.loc.sg | in (regard to) suffering; pain; misery |
| esa | pron | masc.nom.sg | that, he |
| maggo | noun | masc.nom.sg | path, way |
| visuddhiyā | noun | fem.dat.sg | to purity or purification |
then he becomes disgusted with misery, this is the path to purity.
[Dhp 278]
sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā'ti, yadā paññāya passati.
atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā.
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| sabbe | adj | masc.nom.pl | all; every; whole; entire |
| saṅkhārā | noun | masc.nom.pl | conditioned things, constructions, fabrications formations |
| dukkhā | adj | masc.nom.pl | uncomfortable, painful, unpleasant causing misery, unsatisfactory |
all conditioned things are unsatisfactory' - when he sees it with understanding
then he becomes disgusted with misery, this is the path to purity.
[Dhp 279]
sabbe dhammā anattā'ti, yadā paññāya passati.
atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā.
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| sabbe | adj | masc.nom.pl | all; every; whole; entire |
| dhammā | noun | masc.nom.pl | things, mental phenomena |
| anattā | adj | masc.nom.sg | impersonal; not oneself; non-subjective; not suitable to identify with; coreless; essenceless |
everything is void of self' - when he sees it with understanding
then he becomes disgusted with misery, this is the path to purity
[Dhp 85]
appakā te manussesu – ye janā pāra-gāmino
athāyaṃ itarā pajā – tīram-evānudhāvati
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| appakā | noun | masc.nom.pl | few things, few people, small amount |
| te | pron | masc.nom.pl | they, those |
| manussesu | noun | masc.loc.pl | in (among) people |
| ye | pron | masc.nom.pl | those who |
| janā | noun | masc.nom.pl | the people |
| pāragāmino | noun | masc.nom.pl | who going beyond, cross over, to the other shore |
| atha- | ind | then; and also, but | |
| ayaṃ | pron | fem.nom.sg | this, the |
| itarā | pron | fem.nom.sg | rest, common, ordinary |
| pajā | noun | fem.nom.sg | people, population, generation, mankind |
| tīram- | noun | nt | shore, bank |
| eva- | ind | only, even, just | |
| anudhāvati | verb | pr.3.sg | run along, run up and down, run back and forth |
Few are those among people, who are going to the other shore, but the rest of the people are just running along (this) shore.
[Dhp 86]
ye ca kho sammad-akkhāte – dhamme dhammānuvattino
te janā pāram-essanti – maccu-dheyyaṃ sud'uttaraṃ
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ye | pron | masc.nom.pl | those who, whoever |
| ca | ind | and | |
| kho | ind | indeed; really; surely | |
| sammadakkhāte | adj | masc.loc.sg | in well preached , well-taught |
| dhamme | noun | masc.loc.sg | in Dhamma, |
| dhammānuvattino | noun | masc.nom.pl | following the Dhamma, acting according to the teaching |
| te | pron | masc.nom.pl | those |
| janā | noun | masc.nom.pl | men, people, population |
| pāram- | ind | beyond, on the other side (of) | |
| essanti | verb | fut.3.pl | they will go (to), will come (to), will reach |
| maccudheyyaṃ | noun | masc.acc.sg | realm of death, sphere of death, power of death |
| sud'uttaraṃ | adj | masc.acc.sg | extremely difficult to cross, very hard to escape |
And those who in the well-taught Dharma acting according to the Teaching, those people will go beyond the realm of Death, so difficult to cross.
[Dhp 87]
kaṇhaṃ dhammaṃ vippahāya – sukkaṃ bhāvetha paṇḍito
okā anokam-āgamma – viveke yattha dūramaṃ
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| kaṇhaṃ | adj | masc.acc.sg | dark, black, evil |
| dhammaṃ | noun | masc.acc.sg | state of mind |
| vippahāya | verb | ger | completely abandoning, totally renouncing |
| sukkaṃ | adj | masc.acc.sg | pure, bright, good |
| bhāvetha | verb | opt.refl.3.sg | should cultivate, could develop |
| paṇḍito | noun | masc.nom.sg | sage, intelligent person, wise man |
| okā | noun | nt.abl.sg | from home, abode |
| anokam- | noun | nt.acc.sg | homelessness; independence |
| āgamma | verb | ger | coming (to), arriving (at), meeting (with) |
| viveke | noun | masc.loc.sg | in seclusion, solitude |
| yattha | ind | wherever, where | |
| dūramaṃ | adj | nt.acc.sg | difficult to delight (in), hard to enjoy |
Abandoning the bad states, a wise man should develop the good states. Coming from home into homelessness, into solitude, where it is difficult to (find) delight.
[Dhp 88]
tatr'ābhiratim'iccheyya – hitvā kāme akiñcano
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| tatra- | ind | there, in that place | |
| abhiratim- | noun | fem.acc.sg | pleasure, delight, contentment, happiness |
| iccheyya | verb | opt.3.sg | should wish, want, desire |
| hitvā | verb | abs | having left, having left behind, having abandoned |
| kāme | noun | masc.acc.pl | pleasures, sensual pleasures |
| akiñcano | adj | masc.nom.sg | with nothing, is nothing, having no, possession- less |
One who has nothing should wish for delight there, having abandoned sensual pleasures.