Linguistic Analysis of A Pali Text
From the opening of the Dhammapada:
- Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā, manoseṭṭhā manomayā;
- Manasā ce paduṭṭhena, bhāsati vā karoti vā,
- Tato nam dukkhaṁ anveti, cakkaṁ'va vahato padaṁ.
Element for element gloss:
- Mano-pubbaṅ-gam=ā dhamm=ā, mano-seṭṭh=ā mano-may=ā;
- Mind-before-going=m.pl.nom. dharma=m.pl.nom., mind-foremost=m.pl.nom. mind-made=m.pl.nom.
- Manas=ā ce paduṭṭh=ena, bhāsa=ti vā karo=ti vā,
- Mind=n.sg.inst. if corrupted=n.sg.inst. speak=3.sg.pr. either act=3.sg.pr. or,
- Ta=to naṁ dukkhaṁ anv-e=ti, cakkaṁ 'va vahat=o pad=aṁ.
- That=from him suffering after-go=3.sg.pr., wheel as carrying(beast)=m.sg.gen. foot=n.sg.acc.
The three compounds in the first line literally mean:
- manopubbaṅgama "whose precursor is mind", "having mind as a fore-goer or leader"
- manoseṭṭha "whose foremost member is mind", "having mind as chief"
- manomaya "consisting of mind" or "made by mind"
The literal meaning is therefore: "The dharmas have mind as their leader, mind as their chief, are made of/by mind. If either speaks or acts with a corrupted mind, from that suffering goes after him, as the wheel the foot of a draught animal."
A slightly freer translation by Acharya Buddharakkhita
- Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought.
- If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him
- like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.
Read more about this topic: Pali
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