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Word Order in the Translation Sutta
The beginning of the Mahāpadānasutta (Great Discourse of the Lineage)
contains the same expression as of the other Suttas. “Evaṃ me sutaṃ” (Thus / by
me / heard / (Thus I have heard) that was Venerable Ānanda’s saying, is used to
begin the Sutta. For the syntactic word order, it is noticeable that sentences are
usually formed as “adjective modifier+subject+verb.” Further study and
understanding, the learners are encouraged to study Pāli grammar in detail. In this
chapter, only the fundamental explanation related to the translation project that
focuses on finding the meaning of Pāli vocabulary word-by-word is involved.
Concerning word order used in disquisition in general, no matter how long
sentences will be, the word order is the same. That is, modifiers that are either
adjective or adverb is put in front of the modified noun. Below is the cited example:
Romanized Pāli:
“Ekaṃ samayaṃ khagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa
ārāme karerikuṭikāyaaṃ.”
English Translation:
“One / time / the Fortunate One / at Sāvatthi / stayed / in Jetavana / of
Anāthapiṇḍika / in the monastery / (named) Kareri hut./”
From the above cited expression, the adjective “ekaṃ” (one) is put in front of
“samayaṃ” (time). “Bhagavā” functions as the subject of the sentence.
“Sāvatthiyaṃ” is the adverb that modifies the verb “viharati,” etc.
The style of building the disquisition in this Sutta is done by presenting the
word order of prose. Only some parts of the explanation use “Gāthā” (verse or
poetry). The word order in form of Gāthā can be cited from what Brahma God
“Mahābrahma” begged Vipassī Buddha to give disquisition when Vipassī Buddha
considered whether or not to proclaim His Teaching:
Romanized Pāli:
“Kicchena me adhigata halandāni pakāsituṃ,
Rāgadosaparetehi nāyaṃ dhammo susambudho.”
English Translation:
“By difficulty / by me understood/ why should now / to express,/
Lust, hatred afflicted/ with not this / dhamma/ well understood/”
