Sutta Translation

"Ta.m ki.m maññatha, bhikkhave katama.m nu kho vara.m – ya.m balavaa puriso da.lhaaya vaalarajjuyaa ubho ja'nghaa ve.thetvaa gha.mseyya – saa chavi.m chindeyya chavi.m chetvaa camma.m chindeyya camma.m chetvaa ma.msa.m chindeyya ma.msa.m chetvaa nhaaru.m chindeyya nhaaru.m chetvaa a.t.thi.m chindeyya a.t.thi.m chetvaa a.t.thimiñja.m aahacca ti.t.theyya, ya.m vaa khattiyamahaasaalaana.m vaa braahma.namahaasaalaana.m vaa gahapatimahaasaalaana.m vaa abhivaadana.m saadiyeyyaa"ti? "Etadeva, bhante, vara.m – ya.m khattiyamahaasaalaana.m vaa braahma.namahaasaalaana.m vaa gahapatimahaasaalaana.m vaa abhivaadana.m saadiyeyya, dukkhañheta.m, bhante, ya.m balavaa puriso da.lhaaya vaalarajjuyaa …pe… a.t.thimiñja.m aahacca ti.t.theyyaa"ti.

"Ta.m ki.m maññatha, bhikkhave katama.m nu kho vara.m –
it / what / (you) think / monks / which / now / now / better
"What do you think, monks? Which is better?

ya.m balavaa puriso da.lhaaya vaala-rajjuyaa ubho ja'nghaa ve.thetvaa gha.mseyya –
whether / strong / man / firm / with horse-hair rope / both / calves / having twisted around / (if) would rub
If a strong man, having twisted a firm horse-hair rope around both calves, were to rub,

  • balavantu (adj.) powerful.
  • purisa (m.) man, person.
  • da.lha (adj.) firm; strong; steady.
  • vaalarajju (f.) vaala+rajju : rope made from hair of horse tail.
  • ubho (numeral) both.
  • ja'nghaa (f.) calf of the leg.
  • ve.thetvaa (gerund of ve.theti) having wrapped; twisted around.
  • gha.mseyya (optative of gha.mseti) if he would rub, knock against.

saa chavi.m chindeyya chavi.m chetvaa camma.m chindeyya camma.m chetvaa ma.msa.m chindeyya
that (the rope) / outer skin / would cut / outer skin / having cut off / under-skin / would cut / under-skin / having cut off / flesh / would cut
(so that) the rope cut the skin, and having cut the skin it cut the under-skin, and having cut the under-skin it cut the flesh,

  • saa (dem. pronoun) that.
  • chavi (f.) the outer skin.
  • chindeyya (optative of chindati) if it would cut.
  • chetvaa (gerund of chindati) having cut off.
  • camma (n.) skin; hide; leather.
  • ma.msa (n.) flesh.

ma.msa.m chetvaa nhaaru.m chindeyya nhaaru.m chetvaa a.t.thi.m chindeyya a.t.thi.m chetvaa a.t.thimiñja.m aahacca ti.t.theyya,
flesh / having cut off / sinew / would cut / sinew / having cut off / bone / would cut / bone / having cut off / marrow / removable / if remains
and having cut the flesh it cut the sinew, and having cut the sinew it cut the bone, and having cut the bone it left the marrow exposed?

  • nhaaru [also nahaaru] (m.) sinew, tendon.
  • a.t.thi (n.) bone.
  • a.t.thimiñjaa (f.) marrow of the bone.
  • aahacca (adj.) removable.
  • ti.t.theyya (optative of ti.t.thati) if it remains.

ya.m vaa khattiya-mahaasaalaana.m vaa braahma.na-mahaasaalaana.m vaa gahapati-mahaasaalaana.m vaa abhivaadana.m saadiyeyyaa"ti?
that / or / from rich kshatriyas / or / from rich brahmins / or / from rich householders / or / homage / would enjoy / (end-quote)
Or, to derive enjoyment from the homage of rich kshatriyas, or rich brahmins, or rich householders?”

  • mahaasaala (adj.) having immense wealth.
  • abhivaadana (n.) homage, salutation.
  • saadiyeyyaa (optative of saadiyati) if he would accept; enjoy.

"Etadeva, bhante, vara.m –
this / venerable Sir / better
“This, venerable Sir, is surely better:

ya.m khattiya-mahaasaalaana.m vaa braahma.na-mahaasaalaana.m vaa gahapati-mahaasaalaana.m vaa abhivaadana.m saadiyeyya,
that / from rich kshatriyas / or / from rich brahmins / or / from rich householders / or / homage / would enjoy
To derive enjoyment from the homage of rich kshatriyas, or rich brahmins, or rich householders.

dukkhañheta.m, bhante, ya.m balavaa puriso da.lhaaya vaala-rajjuyaa …pe… a.t.thimiñja.m aahacca ti.t.theyyaa"ti.
for it would be painful / venerable Sir / that which / strong / man / firm / with horse-hair rope / …and so on… / marrow / removable / if remains / (end-quote)
For it would be painful, venerable Sir, that a strong man, with a firm hair-rope …… having the marrow exposed."

"What do you think, monks? Which is better? If a strong man, having twisted a firm horse-hair rope around both calves, were to rub, (so that) the rope cut the skin, and having cut the skin it cut the under-skin, and having cut the under-skin it cut the flesh, and having cut the flesh it cut the sinew, and having cut the sinew it cut the bone, and having cut the bone it left the marrow exposed? Or, to derive enjoyment from the homage of rich kshatriyas, or rich brahmins, or rich householders?” “This, venerable Sir, is surely better: To derive enjoyment from the homage of rich kshatriyas, or rich brahmins, or rich householders. For it would be painful, venerable Sir, that a strong man, with a firm hair-rope …… having the marrow exposed."

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contributed by the good folks at the Pali discussion group
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