ity evam uktaH sa tathaagatena
sarveShu bhuuteShv anukampakena
dhRShTaM gir" aantar-hRdayena siidaMs
tath" eti nandaH sugataM babhaaShe
= = - = = - - = - = -
= = - = = - - = - = -
= = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
5.33
Addressed thus by the One Thus Come,
In his compassion for all living beings,
Nanda while sinking inside said boldly
To the One Well Gone: "So be it!"
COMMENT:
Since the previous verse relates to the ultimate moment of going which is death, the use in this one verse of the two epithets tathaagata and sugata, causes me to reflect on some of the many possible meanings of gata (gone) or aagata (come) in tathaagata (the One Thus Come; the One So Gone; the One in whom it is So Present; the One in whom all is Thus Absent, et cetera, et cetera) and su-gata (the One Gone Well, the One Well & Truly Gone).
As an epic poem, Saundarananda is full of the sense of Nanda's progress, from his being caused to go forth in this Canto to his own gaining of a foothold on a path in Canto 12, through practice that is described in Canto 14 as stepping or marching out, and then his arrival at the goal in Canto 17, followed by his return from forest to city, in order to speak of liberation, in Canto 18.
So there is a constant sense of Nanda's going somewhere, his going on a path. Saundarananda, like the Heart Sutra, seems to have been written in praise of going:
gate, gate
Going! Going!
At the same time, with the epithets tathaagata (whether understood as tath"-aagata or tathaa-gata) and su-gata, the Buddha's condition is expressed not so much as going as having gone.
There may be a paralled in the teaching of FM Alexander who, while emphasizing that "there is no such thing as a right position, but there is a right direction," also described what he called "constructive conscious control" as primarily a plane to be reached rather than a method of reaching it.
Adam Nott, a veteran Alexander teacher, and a sly old man in the Gurdjieff tradition, explained this situation to me with a metaphor of a ladder -- the means-whereby is like a ladder that takes you up onto the plane of conscious control. Adam addred wryly that after a while on the higher plane, one is prone to slip down again without noticing... and this certainly rings true in my experience.
So if we understand this verse in those terms, the Buddha is being described as one who has already arrived on the plane of conscious control, and Nanda as one who is being helped, or even dragged, up the ladder.
EH Johnston:
Thus the Tathagata Who takes pity on all beings addressed him, and Nanda replied to the Blessed One, with bold voice but sinking heart, 'Very well.'
Linda Covill:
That was how the realized one in his compassion for all living beings spoke to him. "Yes," replied Nanda to the Sugata in a brave voice, but with despair in his innermost heart.
VOCABULARY:
ity evam: "...," thus
uktaH (nom. sg. m.): addressed, spoken to
sa (nom. sg. m.): he
tathaagatena (inst. sg. m.): mfn. being in such a state or condition , of such a quality or nature; " he who comes and goes in the same way [as the buddhas who preceded him]", gautama buddha
sarveShu (loc. pl. n.): all
bhuuteShu (loc. pl.): n. that which is or exists , any living being (divine , human , animal , and even vegetable)
anukampakena (inst. sg. m.): mfn. pitying, compassionate
dhRShTam: ind. boldly , courageously , fearlessly
giraa = inst. sg. gir: f. speech , speaking , language , voice , words
antar-hRdayena (inst. sg.): mfn. with his innermost heart
antar: ind. within , between , amongst , in the middle or interior; (sometimes compounded with a following word like an adjective , meaning interior , internal , intermediate)
hRdaya: n. the heart
siidan = nom. sg. m. pres. part. sad: to sit down ; to sink down , sink into despondency or distress , become faint or wearied or dejected or low-spirited , despond , despair , pine or waste away , perish
tathaa: ind. yes , so be it , so it shall be (particle of assent , agreement , or promise ; generally followed by iti)
iti: "....."
nandaH (nom. sg. m): Nanda
sugatam (acc. sg. m.): mfn. going well ; one who has fared well
babhaaShe = 3rd pers. sg. perfect bhaaSh: speak, say, tell
Monday, October 4, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
SAUNDARANANDA 5.32: Ultimate Fearlessness
aasthaaya yogaM parigamya tattvaM
na traasam aagacchati mRtyu-kaale
aabaddha-varmaa su-dhanuH kRt'-aastro
jigiiShayaa shuura iv' aahava-sthaH
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
5.32
Staying with practice and fully committed to reality,
At the hour of death he is not afraid --
Like a warrior-hero standing in battle, clad in armour,
With good bow, skill in archery, and the will to win."
COMMENT:
This is the kind of military metaphor, apparently befitting this style of epic Sanskrit poetry, which recurs through Saundarananda, and with which Canto 17 in particular is replete.
Notice that the final goal, at the final hour, is not here described by the Buddha as something (like for example the "enlightenment" that would later come to be glamorized in Chinese and Japanese Buddhist thought). The final goal is rather described as a bit of nothing, namely, absence of fear.
In writing this, I remember a memorable sting in the tail of 17.69, where Nanda describes the utmost quiet, to which he has come, as "like gaining, after famine, plentiful food."
The lesson I took from translating that particular verse -- along with the verses preceding it in which Ashvaghosha seemed to me to be confirming my idea that nirvana is not something but rather a lot of nothing -- is that whatever idea I might have about nirvana, the reality of nirvana is never that.
In light of that lesson, I have thought hard this morning about how to translate parigamya tattvam. The meaning of the phrase might literally be explained as going or walking (gam-ya) fully around or through (pari) the being (-tva) that (tat). At the same time, parigam means to get, attain or realize something. So parigamya tattvam might be translated as "realizing reality" -- but not by me, at least not today.
I wanted a phrase that was more suggestive of the practice of those ancestors who at the final moment did not (as I imagine their experience) get or realize something so much as they consciously gave up everything -- while using their bodies with such skill, and such clarity of intention, that they were able to breathe their last while standing or sitting upright.
EH Johnston:
By practising Yoga and arriving at the ultimate truth, a man remains unamazed in the hour of death, like a warrior who strives for victory in battle and who, girt with harness and having a good bow, is skilled in the use of arms.'
Linda Covill:
Just like the warrior wearing protective armor, armed with a good bow and skilled in weapons, standing ready for battle and hoping for victory, neither does the disciplined man who encompasses the truth fear the moment of death."
VOCABULARY:
aasthaaya = abs. aa- √ sthaa: to stand or remain on or by ; to resort to ; to act according to , follow ; to undertake , perform , do , carry out , practise , use
yogam (acc. sg.): m. the act of yoking ; practise
parigamya = abs. pari- √ gam: to go round or about or through , circumambulate , surround , inclose ; to come to any state or condition , get , attain (acc.)
tattvam (acc. sg.): n. true or real state , truth , reality ; the being that
na: not
traasam (acc. sg.): m. fear , terror , anxiety
aagacchati = 3rd pers. sg. pres. aa- √ gam: to come, arrive ; to fall into (any state of mind)
mRtyu-kaale (loc. sg.): at the hour of death
aabaddha-varmaa (nom. sg. m.): his armour bound on
aabaddha: mfn. tied on , bound
varman: n. " envelope " , defensive armour , a coat of mail
su-dhanuH (nom. sg. m.): with a good bow
su-: (laudatory prefix) good
dhanu: m. a bow
kRt'-aastraH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. one who has exercised himself in throwing arrows or other weapons , skilled in archery
kRta: mfn. done , made , accomplished ; well done, good ; cultivated
astra: n. a missile weapon , bolt , arrow ; (also) the art of throwing missiles
jigiiShayaa = inst. sg. jigiiShaa: f. (from desid. ji) desire of obtaining ; desire of conquering or being victorious , military ambition
shuuraH (nom. sg.): m. a strong or mighty or valiant man , warrior , champion , hero
iva: like
aahava-sthaH (nom. sg. m.): standing in battle
aahava: m. challenge , provoking ; war , battle
stha: mfn. standing
na traasam aagacchati mRtyu-kaale
aabaddha-varmaa su-dhanuH kRt'-aastro
jigiiShayaa shuura iv' aahava-sthaH
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
5.32
Staying with practice and fully committed to reality,
At the hour of death he is not afraid --
Like a warrior-hero standing in battle, clad in armour,
With good bow, skill in archery, and the will to win."
COMMENT:
This is the kind of military metaphor, apparently befitting this style of epic Sanskrit poetry, which recurs through Saundarananda, and with which Canto 17 in particular is replete.
Notice that the final goal, at the final hour, is not here described by the Buddha as something (like for example the "enlightenment" that would later come to be glamorized in Chinese and Japanese Buddhist thought). The final goal is rather described as a bit of nothing, namely, absence of fear.
In writing this, I remember a memorable sting in the tail of 17.69, where Nanda describes the utmost quiet, to which he has come, as "like gaining, after famine, plentiful food."
The lesson I took from translating that particular verse -- along with the verses preceding it in which Ashvaghosha seemed to me to be confirming my idea that nirvana is not something but rather a lot of nothing -- is that whatever idea I might have about nirvana, the reality of nirvana is never that.
In light of that lesson, I have thought hard this morning about how to translate parigamya tattvam. The meaning of the phrase might literally be explained as going or walking (gam-ya) fully around or through (pari) the being (-tva) that (tat). At the same time, parigam means to get, attain or realize something. So parigamya tattvam might be translated as "realizing reality" -- but not by me, at least not today.
I wanted a phrase that was more suggestive of the practice of those ancestors who at the final moment did not (as I imagine their experience) get or realize something so much as they consciously gave up everything -- while using their bodies with such skill, and such clarity of intention, that they were able to breathe their last while standing or sitting upright.
EH Johnston:
By practising Yoga and arriving at the ultimate truth, a man remains unamazed in the hour of death, like a warrior who strives for victory in battle and who, girt with harness and having a good bow, is skilled in the use of arms.'
Linda Covill:
Just like the warrior wearing protective armor, armed with a good bow and skilled in weapons, standing ready for battle and hoping for victory, neither does the disciplined man who encompasses the truth fear the moment of death."
VOCABULARY:
aasthaaya = abs. aa- √ sthaa: to stand or remain on or by ; to resort to ; to act according to , follow ; to undertake , perform , do , carry out , practise , use
yogam (acc. sg.): m. the act of yoking ; practise
parigamya = abs. pari- √ gam: to go round or about or through , circumambulate , surround , inclose ; to come to any state or condition , get , attain (acc.)
tattvam (acc. sg.): n. true or real state , truth , reality ; the being that
na: not
traasam (acc. sg.): m. fear , terror , anxiety
aagacchati = 3rd pers. sg. pres. aa- √ gam: to come, arrive ; to fall into (any state of mind)
mRtyu-kaale (loc. sg.): at the hour of death
aabaddha-varmaa (nom. sg. m.): his armour bound on
aabaddha: mfn. tied on , bound
varman: n. " envelope " , defensive armour , a coat of mail
su-dhanuH (nom. sg. m.): with a good bow
su-: (laudatory prefix) good
dhanu: m. a bow
kRt'-aastraH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. one who has exercised himself in throwing arrows or other weapons , skilled in archery
kRta: mfn. done , made , accomplished ; well done, good ; cultivated
astra: n. a missile weapon , bolt , arrow ; (also) the art of throwing missiles
jigiiShayaa = inst. sg. jigiiShaa: f. (from desid. ji) desire of obtaining ; desire of conquering or being victorious , military ambition
shuuraH (nom. sg.): m. a strong or mighty or valiant man , warrior , champion , hero
iva: like
aahava-sthaH (nom. sg. m.): standing in battle
aahava: m. challenge , provoking ; war , battle
stha: mfn. standing
SAUNDARANANDA 5.31: In Praise of Carelessness
yath" auShadhair hasta-gataiH sa-vidyo
na dashyate kash cana pannagena
tath" aan-apekSho jita-loka-moho
na dashyate shoka-bhujaMgamena
- = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = -
- = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = -
5.31
Just as a man of science, herbs in hand,
Is not bitten by any snake,
So a careless man,
having overcome the folly of the world,
Is not bitten by the snake of grief.
COMMENT:
The Alexander world and the Buddhist world alike, though the nominal aim in both arenas is freedom, are in fact chock full of so-called "mindfulness" -- for which read stilted carefulness.
Where does this tendency originate to try to arrange and organize that which cannot be arranged and organized? At the risk of banging endlessly on the same drum, I think that when we trace the tendency back to its origin, we generally come up against some idea that has yet to be given up.
Such is the folly of the world (loka-moha) ... and I for one continue to be very much part of that folly. Hopefully I am one of the ones who is endeavoring to see the folly of the world as the folly of the world, and to care less about it.
As a protege of FM Alexander named Patrick Macdonald used to say: "If you are careful you will never get anywhere in this work. If you are careless, you might."
When I endeavoured to pass this teaching on to Pierre Turlur, Pierre, despite the fact that French rather than English is his first language, felt duty-bound to correct my choice of words... thus sort of confirming that he hadn't taken the point. "Not care-less," Pierre insisted, "Care-free."
Ha!
I say "Ha!" but at the same time I am making a serious point. To pay meticulous attention to something like the sewing of a kesa or the translation of an ancient Sanskrit text is relatively easy practice. What is infinitely more difficult is just to sit there and truly not give a shit.
There are cases of practitioners in the past who seemed by their practice of sitting-dhyana to have realized supreme indifference ... only for subsequent experience to show them that there were certain things they still cared deeply about. One such case is related in Shobogenzo chap.90. SHIZEN-BIKU, the Bhikshu in the Fourth Dhyana, or the Monk in the Fourth Stage of Sitting-Meditation.
In order to be bitten by the snake of grief, it is not necessary to fall in love with a woman, or to be swept up in sexual thirst for a woman, and burned up by passion for a woman -- as was the monk in the story of SHIZEN-BIKU. Witness the grief of parents to whom a handicapped child is born. What they grieve is not the death of their baby, for their baby is alive and kicking. What they grieve is the loss of the dream or idea of a normal child which they had but which they are now required to give up. Any idea that one holds dear will do the trick. And the deeper the idea runs, the more deeply the grief is felt.
EH Johnston:
Just as no knowledgeable man, who takes protective herbs in his hand, is bitten by a snake, so he who has attained indifference and conquered the illusion of the world is not bitten by the snake of grief.
Linda Covill:
Just as a snake never bites the wise man who holds herbs in his hand, so the serpent of grief does not bite the man with no preferences who has conquered his delusions about the world.
VOCABULARY:
yathaa: ind. just as
auShadhaiH (inst. pl.): n. herbs collectively , a herb
hasta-gataiH (inst. pl.): in his hands
sa-vidyaH (nom. sg. m.): one who has learned, one versed in science
na dashyate: is not bitten
√daMsh: to bite
kash cana pannagena (inst. sg.): by any snake
panna-ga: m. " creeping low " , a serpent or serpent-demon
tathaa: ind. likewise
an-apekShaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. regardless , careless ; indifferent ; impartial
jita-loka-mohaH (nom. sg. m.): one who has defeated the delusion of the world
jita: mfn. won , acquired , conquered , subdued
loka: m. the earth or world of human beings ; the inhabitants of the world , mankind
moha: m. loss of consciousness , bewilderment , perplexity , distraction , infatuation , delusion , error , folly ; (with Buddhists) ignorance (one of the three roots of vice )
na dashyate: is not bitten
shoka-bhujaMgamena (inst. sg.): by the serpent of grief
shoka: m. sorrow , affliction , anguish , pain , trouble , grief
bhujaM-gama: m. a serpent , serpent-demon
bhuja: mfn. a bending , curve , coil (of a serpent
na dashyate kash cana pannagena
tath" aan-apekSho jita-loka-moho
na dashyate shoka-bhujaMgamena
- = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = -
- = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = -
5.31
Just as a man of science, herbs in hand,
Is not bitten by any snake,
So a careless man,
having overcome the folly of the world,
Is not bitten by the snake of grief.
COMMENT:
The Alexander world and the Buddhist world alike, though the nominal aim in both arenas is freedom, are in fact chock full of so-called "mindfulness" -- for which read stilted carefulness.
Where does this tendency originate to try to arrange and organize that which cannot be arranged and organized? At the risk of banging endlessly on the same drum, I think that when we trace the tendency back to its origin, we generally come up against some idea that has yet to be given up.
Such is the folly of the world (loka-moha) ... and I for one continue to be very much part of that folly. Hopefully I am one of the ones who is endeavoring to see the folly of the world as the folly of the world, and to care less about it.
As a protege of FM Alexander named Patrick Macdonald used to say: "If you are careful you will never get anywhere in this work. If you are careless, you might."
When I endeavoured to pass this teaching on to Pierre Turlur, Pierre, despite the fact that French rather than English is his first language, felt duty-bound to correct my choice of words... thus sort of confirming that he hadn't taken the point. "Not care-less," Pierre insisted, "Care-free."
Ha!
I say "Ha!" but at the same time I am making a serious point. To pay meticulous attention to something like the sewing of a kesa or the translation of an ancient Sanskrit text is relatively easy practice. What is infinitely more difficult is just to sit there and truly not give a shit.
There are cases of practitioners in the past who seemed by their practice of sitting-dhyana to have realized supreme indifference ... only for subsequent experience to show them that there were certain things they still cared deeply about. One such case is related in Shobogenzo chap.90. SHIZEN-BIKU, the Bhikshu in the Fourth Dhyana, or the Monk in the Fourth Stage of Sitting-Meditation.
In order to be bitten by the snake of grief, it is not necessary to fall in love with a woman, or to be swept up in sexual thirst for a woman, and burned up by passion for a woman -- as was the monk in the story of SHIZEN-BIKU. Witness the grief of parents to whom a handicapped child is born. What they grieve is not the death of their baby, for their baby is alive and kicking. What they grieve is the loss of the dream or idea of a normal child which they had but which they are now required to give up. Any idea that one holds dear will do the trick. And the deeper the idea runs, the more deeply the grief is felt.
EH Johnston:
Just as no knowledgeable man, who takes protective herbs in his hand, is bitten by a snake, so he who has attained indifference and conquered the illusion of the world is not bitten by the snake of grief.
Linda Covill:
Just as a snake never bites the wise man who holds herbs in his hand, so the serpent of grief does not bite the man with no preferences who has conquered his delusions about the world.
VOCABULARY:
yathaa: ind. just as
auShadhaiH (inst. pl.): n. herbs collectively , a herb
hasta-gataiH (inst. pl.): in his hands
sa-vidyaH (nom. sg. m.): one who has learned, one versed in science
na dashyate: is not bitten
√daMsh: to bite
kash cana pannagena (inst. sg.): by any snake
panna-ga: m. " creeping low " , a serpent or serpent-demon
tathaa: ind. likewise
an-apekShaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. regardless , careless ; indifferent ; impartial
jita-loka-mohaH (nom. sg. m.): one who has defeated the delusion of the world
jita: mfn. won , acquired , conquered , subdued
loka: m. the earth or world of human beings ; the inhabitants of the world , mankind
moha: m. loss of consciousness , bewilderment , perplexity , distraction , infatuation , delusion , error , folly ; (with Buddhists) ignorance (one of the three roots of vice )
na dashyate: is not bitten
shoka-bhujaMgamena (inst. sg.): by the serpent of grief
shoka: m. sorrow , affliction , anguish , pain , trouble , grief
bhujaM-gama: m. a serpent , serpent-demon
bhuja: mfn. a bending , curve , coil (of a serpent
Saturday, October 2, 2010
SAUNDARANANDA 5.30: Exhortation to Inhibit & Direct
prajNaa-mayaM varma badhaana tasmaan
no kShaanti-nighnasya hi shoka-baaNaaH
mahac ca dagdhuM bhava-kakSha-jaalaM
saMdhukShay' aalp'-aagnim iv' aatma-tejaH
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
5.30
So bind on the armour whose fabric is wisdom,
For the arrows of grief are as naught
to one steeped in patience;
And kindle the fire of your own energy
to burn up the great tangled web of becoming,
Just as you would kindle a small fire
to burn up undergrowth collected into a great heap.
COMMENT:
EHJ was not entirely happy with his rendering of the Sanskrit text in line 2. He noted that "The emendation of b is unsatisfactory."
In any event, the first half of the original clearly relates to the principle of prevention, or inhibition; and the second half relates to the principle of directing one's energy.
EH Johnston:
Gird on therefore the armour of wisdom, for the arrows of grief are powerless against the man endowed with patience ; and kindle your courage to put an end to existence, just as you would kindle a small fire to burn up a great heap of grass.
Linda Covill:
So put on armour made of wisdom, for the arrows of grief are nothing to a man ruled by patience. Just as you would light a small fire to burn up a great heap of straw, kindle your own courage to consume becoming, the cycle of rebirth.
VOCABULARY:
prajNaa-mayam (acc. sg. n.): made of wisdom
prajNaa: f. wisdom, intuitive wisdom
maya: (ifc.) made of
varma = (acc. sg.): n. " envelope " , defensive armour , a coat of mail
badhaana = 2nd pers. sg. imperative bandh: to bind round , put on
tasmaat: ind. therefore
no: ind. (fr. na + u) and not (in later language also = na)
na: (mfn) thin , spare ; vacant , empty
kShaanti-nighnasya (gen. sg.): for one filled with patience
kShaanti: f. patience , forbearance , endurance
nighna: (ifc.) dependent on , ruled by , devoted to , full of
hi: for
shoka-baaNaaH (nom. pl. m.): the arrows of grief
shoka: sorrow, grief
baaNa: m. a reed-shaft , shaft made of a reed , an arrow
mahat (acc. sg. n.): mfn. great
ca: and
dagdhum = infinitive √ dah: to burn , consume by fire
bhava-kakSha-jaalam (acc. sg. n.): the tangled web of becoming ; the reality of a heap of dry grass
bhava: m. becoming ; also = bhaava
bhaava: m. true condition or state , truth , reality (ibc.)
kakSha: m. ( √kaS) a lurking place ; a forest of dead trees , a dry wood , underwood (often the lair of wild beasts) ; grass , dry grass ; a spreading creeper , climbing plant
jaala: n. a net ; a cob-web ; (chiefly ifc.) collection, multitude
saMdhukShaya = 2nd pers. sg. causative imperative saM- √ dhukSh: to set on fire , light up , inflame , animate
alp'-aagnim (acc. sg.): a small fire
alpa: mfn. small
agni: fire
iva: like
aatma-tejaH (acc. sg. n.): your own fiery energy
aatman: m. self
tejas: n. (often pl.) the sharp edge (of a knife &c ) , point or top of a flame or ray , glow , glare , splendour , brilliance , light , fire ; fiery energy , ardour , vital power , spirit , efficacy , essence
no kShaanti-nighnasya hi shoka-baaNaaH
mahac ca dagdhuM bhava-kakSha-jaalaM
saMdhukShay' aalp'-aagnim iv' aatma-tejaH
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
5.30
So bind on the armour whose fabric is wisdom,
For the arrows of grief are as naught
to one steeped in patience;
And kindle the fire of your own energy
to burn up the great tangled web of becoming,
Just as you would kindle a small fire
to burn up undergrowth collected into a great heap.
COMMENT:
EHJ was not entirely happy with his rendering of the Sanskrit text in line 2. He noted that "The emendation of b is unsatisfactory."
In any event, the first half of the original clearly relates to the principle of prevention, or inhibition; and the second half relates to the principle of directing one's energy.
EH Johnston:
Gird on therefore the armour of wisdom, for the arrows of grief are powerless against the man endowed with patience ; and kindle your courage to put an end to existence, just as you would kindle a small fire to burn up a great heap of grass.
Linda Covill:
So put on armour made of wisdom, for the arrows of grief are nothing to a man ruled by patience. Just as you would light a small fire to burn up a great heap of straw, kindle your own courage to consume becoming, the cycle of rebirth.
VOCABULARY:
prajNaa-mayam (acc. sg. n.): made of wisdom
prajNaa: f. wisdom, intuitive wisdom
maya: (ifc.) made of
varma = (acc. sg.): n. " envelope " , defensive armour , a coat of mail
badhaana = 2nd pers. sg. imperative bandh: to bind round , put on
tasmaat: ind. therefore
no: ind. (fr. na + u) and not (in later language also = na)
na: (mfn) thin , spare ; vacant , empty
kShaanti-nighnasya (gen. sg.): for one filled with patience
kShaanti: f. patience , forbearance , endurance
nighna: (ifc.) dependent on , ruled by , devoted to , full of
hi: for
shoka-baaNaaH (nom. pl. m.): the arrows of grief
shoka: sorrow, grief
baaNa: m. a reed-shaft , shaft made of a reed , an arrow
mahat (acc. sg. n.): mfn. great
ca: and
dagdhum = infinitive √ dah: to burn , consume by fire
bhava-kakSha-jaalam (acc. sg. n.): the tangled web of becoming ; the reality of a heap of dry grass
bhava: m. becoming ; also = bhaava
bhaava: m. true condition or state , truth , reality (ibc.)
kakSha: m. ( √kaS) a lurking place ; a forest of dead trees , a dry wood , underwood (often the lair of wild beasts) ; grass , dry grass ; a spreading creeper , climbing plant
jaala: n. a net ; a cob-web ; (chiefly ifc.) collection, multitude
saMdhukShaya = 2nd pers. sg. causative imperative saM- √ dhukSh: to set on fire , light up , inflame , animate
alp'-aagnim (acc. sg.): a small fire
alpa: mfn. small
agni: fire
iva: like
aatma-tejaH (acc. sg. n.): your own fiery energy
aatman: m. self
tejas: n. (often pl.) the sharp edge (of a knife &c ) , point or top of a flame or ray , glow , glare , splendour , brilliance , light , fire ; fiery energy , ardour , vital power , spirit , efficacy , essence
SAUNDARANANDA 5.29: Grief Causes Even Princes to Crumble
avashya-bhaavii priya-viprayogas
tasmaac ca shoko niyatam niShevyaH
shokena c' onmaadam upeyivaaMso
raaja'-rShayo 'nye 'py a-vashaa viceluH
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
5.29
Separation from loved ones is inevitable
On which account grief is bound to be experienced.
And it is through grief that other seers who were princes
Have gone mad and fallen helplessly apart.
COMMENT:
The Buddha's statement that separation from loved ones is inevitable on which account grief is bound to be experienced, is not the putting forward of an idea. Rather, as is clarified at length in Canto 15, the Buddha's statement is for the purpose of giving up an idea which is demonstrably untrue -- the idea as espoused in fairy stories, for example, that a prince and his princess can live happily ever after.
The Buddha refers to royal seers (raaja'-rShayaH) here and again in 5.38. In 5.38 the context is positive: the Buddha refers to royal seers who did not get stuck in base desires but rather spat out desires. In 7.25 - 7.45 Nanda himself, in the depths of despondency, lists various royal and non-royal seers, along with gods, who were brought down through their love of women. King Shantanu (7.41) and King Bhimaka (7.43) are among the royals cited as being crushed by grief following separation from their beloved.
These historical references, as I read them, demonstrate an attitude that I would characterize as irreligious.
The essence of religion, it seems to me, is to continue believing in an idea, irrespective of evidence to the contrary. The essence of irreligion is readiness to give up any idea, for example, if the idea proves to be unhelpful, or if the idea is tested as a hypothesis and demonstrated not to fit the facts.
My Zen teacher, Reverend Gudo Nishijima, in the nearly 30 years since I first met him, has proved himself, in this sense, to be a very religious man. Perhaps the clue was always there in the name.
The attitude of the Buddha as portrayed in Saundarananda is very different -- nay, totally opposed -- to such a religious outlook. I would call the Buddha's attitude irreligious.
When I first came to this translation I think that I unknowingly brought to the task a prejudice that the further one went back in time, the less scientific the outlook might be, even of buddha-ancestors like Ashvaghosha.
But this prejudice is turning out to have been just a false idea on my part.
When I met my Zen teacher at the age of 22, I endeavoured to throw away the education I had received before that time, and go to him with "an empty cup." Believing in the truth of his teaching, I gambled all my eggs in his basket, and listened endlessly to him droning on about idealism, materialism, realism, and balance of the autonomic nervous system.
Even after I could clearly see that certain aspects of his teaching were demonstrably false -- in particular I saw that my teacher's understanding in the matter of "correct posture" was demonstrably false -- I clung to the idea that he might be a true person, that he might come good in the end. It was as if I believed in the Christian idea of redemption. For years and years I struggled with the idea that my teacher might prove himself to be true even though his teaching was false. I struggled to cling to an idea, against the evidence, in just the manner of a religious zealot.
This translation work is helping me to see and to say that the fundamental teaching of the Buddha has to do not with maintaining but with giving up such religious ideas; that the fundamental teaching of the Buddha has got, in the Dalai Lama's words, "nothing to do with religion."
If this were a fairy story, it would end with Nanda the handsome prince and Sundari his beautiful princess -- after Nanda has redeemed himself by traversing moats, escaping from dungeons and slaying dragons -- living happily ever after. And if my life were a fairy story, I would in the end be able to manifest for my Zen teacher the kind of love and reverence that Dogen always manifested for his teacher Tendo Nyojo, whom Dogen always called KOBUTSU, "Old Buddha."
But this is not a fairy story.
And even though this has turned out not to be a fairy story, I have not gone mad with grief and have not fallen apart -- largely thanks to two teachers, Marjory Barlow and Ashvaghosha, who each in his or her own way transmitted to me so excellently the principle of giving up an idea.
EH Johnston:
It is certain that separation from one's dear ones must take place ; therefore grief is an inevitable experience, and the frenzy of grief made even other royal seers helplessly lose their self-control.
Linda Covill:
Separation from our loved ones is a certainty, therefore grief must inevitably be incurred; even certain king-seers lost control and faltered when they went mad with grief.
VOCABULARY:
avashya-bhaavii (nom. sg. m.): necessarily wont to be ; inevitable
avashya = in. comp. avashyam: ind. necessarily , inevitably , certainly
bhaavin: mfn. becoming , being , existing , wont to be (often ifc.)
priya-viprayogaH (nom. sg. m.): separation from loved ones
priya: mfn. beloved
viprayoga: m. disjunction , dissociation , separation from
tasmaat: ind. from that, therefore
ca: and
shokaH (nom. sg. m.): m. sorrow , affliction , anguish , pain , trouble , grief
niyatam ind. always , constantly , decidedly , inevitably , surely
niShevyaH (nom. sg. m. from gerundive niShev): mfn. to be incurred
niShev: to stay in, abide with; to frequent , inhabit , visit , serve , attend , honour , worship , follow , approach , enjoy (also sexually) , incur
shokena (inst. sg.): because of grief
ca: and
unmaadam (acc. sg.): m. insanity , madness
upeyivaaMsaH = nom. pl. m. upeyivant: mfn. (past active participle from upa- √i): having arrived at [madness]; gone [mad]
upa- √i: to arrive at, enter into any state
raaja'-rShayaH (nom. pl. m.): royal seers
raajan: m. a king , sovereign , prince
RShi: m. a singer of sacred hymns , an inspired poet or sage ; the RiShis were regarded by later generations as patriarchal sages or saints , occupying the same position in India history as the heroes and patriarchs of other countries , and constitute a peculiar class of beings in the early mythical system , as distinct from gods , men , asuras , &c ; they are the authors or rather seers of the Vedic hymns ; a saint or sanctified sage in general , an ascetic
anye (nom. pl. m.): other
api: also, even
a-vashaaH (nom. pl. m.): mfn. unsubmissive to another's will , independent , unrestrained , free ; not having one's own free will , doing something against one's desire or unwillingly
vicelur = 3rd pers. pl. perfect vi- √ cal: to move about , shake , waver ; to fall off or down ; to go astray , fail , be agitated or disturbed or destroyed
tasmaac ca shoko niyatam niShevyaH
shokena c' onmaadam upeyivaaMso
raaja'-rShayo 'nye 'py a-vashaa viceluH
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
5.29
Separation from loved ones is inevitable
On which account grief is bound to be experienced.
And it is through grief that other seers who were princes
Have gone mad and fallen helplessly apart.
COMMENT:
The Buddha's statement that separation from loved ones is inevitable on which account grief is bound to be experienced, is not the putting forward of an idea. Rather, as is clarified at length in Canto 15, the Buddha's statement is for the purpose of giving up an idea which is demonstrably untrue -- the idea as espoused in fairy stories, for example, that a prince and his princess can live happily ever after.
The Buddha refers to royal seers (raaja'-rShayaH) here and again in 5.38. In 5.38 the context is positive: the Buddha refers to royal seers who did not get stuck in base desires but rather spat out desires. In 7.25 - 7.45 Nanda himself, in the depths of despondency, lists various royal and non-royal seers, along with gods, who were brought down through their love of women. King Shantanu (7.41) and King Bhimaka (7.43) are among the royals cited as being crushed by grief following separation from their beloved.
These historical references, as I read them, demonstrate an attitude that I would characterize as irreligious.
The essence of religion, it seems to me, is to continue believing in an idea, irrespective of evidence to the contrary. The essence of irreligion is readiness to give up any idea, for example, if the idea proves to be unhelpful, or if the idea is tested as a hypothesis and demonstrated not to fit the facts.
My Zen teacher, Reverend Gudo Nishijima, in the nearly 30 years since I first met him, has proved himself, in this sense, to be a very religious man. Perhaps the clue was always there in the name.
The attitude of the Buddha as portrayed in Saundarananda is very different -- nay, totally opposed -- to such a religious outlook. I would call the Buddha's attitude irreligious.
When I first came to this translation I think that I unknowingly brought to the task a prejudice that the further one went back in time, the less scientific the outlook might be, even of buddha-ancestors like Ashvaghosha.
But this prejudice is turning out to have been just a false idea on my part.
When I met my Zen teacher at the age of 22, I endeavoured to throw away the education I had received before that time, and go to him with "an empty cup." Believing in the truth of his teaching, I gambled all my eggs in his basket, and listened endlessly to him droning on about idealism, materialism, realism, and balance of the autonomic nervous system.
Even after I could clearly see that certain aspects of his teaching were demonstrably false -- in particular I saw that my teacher's understanding in the matter of "correct posture" was demonstrably false -- I clung to the idea that he might be a true person, that he might come good in the end. It was as if I believed in the Christian idea of redemption. For years and years I struggled with the idea that my teacher might prove himself to be true even though his teaching was false. I struggled to cling to an idea, against the evidence, in just the manner of a religious zealot.
This translation work is helping me to see and to say that the fundamental teaching of the Buddha has to do not with maintaining but with giving up such religious ideas; that the fundamental teaching of the Buddha has got, in the Dalai Lama's words, "nothing to do with religion."
If this were a fairy story, it would end with Nanda the handsome prince and Sundari his beautiful princess -- after Nanda has redeemed himself by traversing moats, escaping from dungeons and slaying dragons -- living happily ever after. And if my life were a fairy story, I would in the end be able to manifest for my Zen teacher the kind of love and reverence that Dogen always manifested for his teacher Tendo Nyojo, whom Dogen always called KOBUTSU, "Old Buddha."
But this is not a fairy story.
And even though this has turned out not to be a fairy story, I have not gone mad with grief and have not fallen apart -- largely thanks to two teachers, Marjory Barlow and Ashvaghosha, who each in his or her own way transmitted to me so excellently the principle of giving up an idea.
EH Johnston:
It is certain that separation from one's dear ones must take place ; therefore grief is an inevitable experience, and the frenzy of grief made even other royal seers helplessly lose their self-control.
Linda Covill:
Separation from our loved ones is a certainty, therefore grief must inevitably be incurred; even certain king-seers lost control and faltered when they went mad with grief.
VOCABULARY:
avashya-bhaavii (nom. sg. m.): necessarily wont to be ; inevitable
avashya = in. comp. avashyam: ind. necessarily , inevitably , certainly
bhaavin: mfn. becoming , being , existing , wont to be (often ifc.)
priya-viprayogaH (nom. sg. m.): separation from loved ones
priya: mfn. beloved
viprayoga: m. disjunction , dissociation , separation from
tasmaat: ind. from that, therefore
ca: and
shokaH (nom. sg. m.): m. sorrow , affliction , anguish , pain , trouble , grief
niyatam ind. always , constantly , decidedly , inevitably , surely
niShevyaH (nom. sg. m. from gerundive niShev): mfn. to be incurred
niShev: to stay in, abide with; to frequent , inhabit , visit , serve , attend , honour , worship , follow , approach , enjoy (also sexually) , incur
shokena (inst. sg.): because of grief
ca: and
unmaadam (acc. sg.): m. insanity , madness
upeyivaaMsaH = nom. pl. m. upeyivant: mfn. (past active participle from upa- √i): having arrived at [madness]; gone [mad]
upa- √i: to arrive at, enter into any state
raaja'-rShayaH (nom. pl. m.): royal seers
raajan: m. a king , sovereign , prince
RShi: m. a singer of sacred hymns , an inspired poet or sage ; the RiShis were regarded by later generations as patriarchal sages or saints , occupying the same position in India history as the heroes and patriarchs of other countries , and constitute a peculiar class of beings in the early mythical system , as distinct from gods , men , asuras , &c ; they are the authors or rather seers of the Vedic hymns ; a saint or sanctified sage in general , an ascetic
anye (nom. pl. m.): other
api: also, even
a-vashaaH (nom. pl. m.): mfn. unsubmissive to another's will , independent , unrestrained , free ; not having one's own free will , doing something against one's desire or unwillingly
vicelur = 3rd pers. pl. perfect vi- √ cal: to move about , shake , waver ; to fall off or down ; to go astray , fail , be agitated or disturbed or destroyed
Friday, October 1, 2010
SAUNDARANANDA 5.28: Three Desirious Barriers to Happiness
snehena kash cin na samo 'sti paashaH
sroto na tRShNaa-samam asti haari
raag'-aagninaa n' aasti samas tath" aagnis
tac cet trayam n' aasti sukhaM ca te' sti
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = -
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = -
5.28
There is no fetter like love,
No torrent that carries one away like thirst,
And likewise no fire like the fire of passion.
If not for these three, happiness would be yours.
COMMENT:
Love, thirst, passion... the three great barriers to the possession of happiness, the Buddha is telling Nanda, are not out there.
But this teaching is not a blanket negation of desire. Implicit in this teaching is the constructive desire to be rid of unconstructive desires.
One's own possession of happiness might sound like a selfish desire ... but without first wanting it and possessing it in himself, how is Nanda going to be able to give to anyone else the greatest gift, which is confidence in a means-whereby that truly and universally works?
In pursuit of this desire, the idea of having no idea seems to me, at time of writing, the obvious place to start. In general it is just the germ of an idea that lets loose all the fetters, torrents, and fires from whose influence we desire to be free.
This is the essence of what Marjory Barlow taught me: if you truly desire freedom, desire it, and give up the idea that is putting you wrong. It is also what Ashvaghosha records the Buddha teaching Nanda in Canto 15, whose title is "Giving Up an Idea."
So one of the things each of us is called upon to investigate, at deeper and deeper levels of his or her being, is what actually happens when an idea is given up.
EH Johnston:
There is no bond equal to affection, no destructive stream equal to desire, no fire equal to the fire of love ; if these three did not exist, happiness would be yours.
Linda Covill:
There is no fetter like affection, no torrent like desire for sweeping one away, and no fire like the fire of passion. If these three did not exist, bliss would be yours.
VOCABULARY:
snehena (inst. sg.): oiliness; blandness , tenderness , love , attachment to , fondness or affection
kash cit (nom. sg. m.): any
na ... asti : there is not
samaH (nom. sg. m.): same , equal , similar , like , equivalent , like to or identical or homogeneous with (instr.)
paashaH (nom. sg. m.): m. a snare , trap , noose , tie , bond , cord , chain , fetter (lit. and fig.)
srotaH (nom. sg.): n. the current or bed of a river , a river , stream , torrent
na ... asti : there is not
tRShNaa-samam (nom. sg. n.): equal to thirsting
tRShNaa: f. thirst, desire, avidity
haari = nom. sg. n. haarin: mfn. taking , carrying , carrying away , stealing
raag'-aagninaa (inst. sg.): the fire of passion
raaga: colour , hue , tint , dye , (esp.) red colour , redness; any feeling of passion
agni: m. fire
n' aasti: there is not
samaH (nom. sg. m.): equal to (with inst.)
tathaa: ind. likewise
agniH (nom. sg.): m . fire
tat (nom. sg. n.): this
ced: if, when
trayam (nom. sg.): n. triad, threesome
n' aasti: there is not
sukham (nom. sg.): n. ease, comfort, happiness
ca: and
te (gen. sg.): yours
asti: there is
sroto na tRShNaa-samam asti haari
raag'-aagninaa n' aasti samas tath" aagnis
tac cet trayam n' aasti sukhaM ca te' sti
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = -
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = -
5.28
There is no fetter like love,
No torrent that carries one away like thirst,
And likewise no fire like the fire of passion.
If not for these three, happiness would be yours.
COMMENT:
Love, thirst, passion... the three great barriers to the possession of happiness, the Buddha is telling Nanda, are not out there.
But this teaching is not a blanket negation of desire. Implicit in this teaching is the constructive desire to be rid of unconstructive desires.
One's own possession of happiness might sound like a selfish desire ... but without first wanting it and possessing it in himself, how is Nanda going to be able to give to anyone else the greatest gift, which is confidence in a means-whereby that truly and universally works?
In pursuit of this desire, the idea of having no idea seems to me, at time of writing, the obvious place to start. In general it is just the germ of an idea that lets loose all the fetters, torrents, and fires from whose influence we desire to be free.
This is the essence of what Marjory Barlow taught me: if you truly desire freedom, desire it, and give up the idea that is putting you wrong. It is also what Ashvaghosha records the Buddha teaching Nanda in Canto 15, whose title is "Giving Up an Idea."
So one of the things each of us is called upon to investigate, at deeper and deeper levels of his or her being, is what actually happens when an idea is given up.
EH Johnston:
There is no bond equal to affection, no destructive stream equal to desire, no fire equal to the fire of love ; if these three did not exist, happiness would be yours.
Linda Covill:
There is no fetter like affection, no torrent like desire for sweeping one away, and no fire like the fire of passion. If these three did not exist, bliss would be yours.
VOCABULARY:
snehena (inst. sg.): oiliness; blandness , tenderness , love , attachment to , fondness or affection
kash cit (nom. sg. m.): any
na ... asti : there is not
samaH (nom. sg. m.): same , equal , similar , like , equivalent , like to or identical or homogeneous with (instr.)
paashaH (nom. sg. m.): m. a snare , trap , noose , tie , bond , cord , chain , fetter (lit. and fig.)
srotaH (nom. sg.): n. the current or bed of a river , a river , stream , torrent
na ... asti : there is not
tRShNaa-samam (nom. sg. n.): equal to thirsting
tRShNaa: f. thirst, desire, avidity
haari = nom. sg. n. haarin: mfn. taking , carrying , carrying away , stealing
raag'-aagninaa (inst. sg.): the fire of passion
raaga: colour , hue , tint , dye , (esp.) red colour , redness; any feeling of passion
agni: m. fire
n' aasti: there is not
samaH (nom. sg. m.): equal to (with inst.)
tathaa: ind. likewise
agniH (nom. sg.): m . fire
tat (nom. sg. n.): this
ced: if, when
trayam (nom. sg.): n. triad, threesome
n' aasti: there is not
sukham (nom. sg.): n. ease, comfort, happiness
ca: and
te (gen. sg.): yours
asti: there is
SAUNDARANANDA 5.27: Three Tyrannical Tormentors
jaraa-samaa n'aasty amRjaa prajaanaaM
vyaadheH samo n'aasti jagaty an-arthaH
mRtyoH samaM n'aasti bhayaM pRthivyaam
etat trayaM khalv avashena sevyaM
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
5.27
Nothing takes away people's beauty like aging,
There is no misfortune in the world like sickness,
And no terror on earth like death.
Yet these three, inevitably, shall be obeyed.
EH Johnston:
Old age has no equal in taking men's beauty, no calamity in the world equals disease, no danger on earth equals death ; yet you must undergo these three whether you would or no.
Linda Covill:
Nothing befouls mankind so much as old age, no misfortune in the world can equal sickness, no danger on earth compares with death. Yet one must submit to this triad, however unwillingly.
VOCABULARY:
jaraa-samaa (nom. sg. f.): equal to aging
jaraa: f. the act of becoming old , old age
sama: mfn. same , equal , similar , like , equivalent ; like in or with regard to anything (comp.)
n'aasti: there is not
a-mRjaa (nom. sg. f.): im-purification ; non-embellishment
mRjaa: f. wiping , cleansing , washing , purification , ablution ; purity , cleanliness
mRj: to wipe , rub , cleanse , polish , clean , purify , embellish , adorn
prajaanaam (gen. pl.): f. procreation ; a creature , animal , man , mankind
vyaadheH = gen. sg. vyaadhi: m. disorder , disease , ailment , sickness
samaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. same , equal , similar , like , equivalent ; like in or with regard to anything (comp.)
n'aasti: there is not
jagati = loc. sg. jagat: n. the world , esp. this world , earth
an-arthaH (nom. sg. m.): m. non-value , a worthless or useless object ; disappointing occurrence , reverse , evil
mRtyoH = gen. sg. mRtyu: m. death, dying
samam (nom. sg. n.): mfn. same , equal , similar , like , equivalent ; like in or with regard to anything (comp.)
n'aasti: there is not
bhayam (nom. sg.): n. fear; sg. and pl. terror , dismay , danger , peril , distress
pRthivyaam = loc. sg. pRthivii: f. the earth or wide world
etat (nom. sg. n.): this , this here , here (especially as pointing to what is nearest to the speaker)
trayam (nom. sg. n.): triad, threesome
khalu: ind. (as a particle of asseveration) indeed , verily , certainly , truly
avashena = inst. sg. a-vasha: mfn. unsubmissive to another's will , independent , unrestrained , free ; not having one's own free will , doing something against one's desire or unwillingly
sevyam (nom. sg. n.): mfn. (from gerundive sev) to be resorted to ; to be followed (as a path) ; to be waited upon or served or obeyed
sev: to remain or stay at , live in , frequent , haunt , inhabit , resort to (acc.) ; to serve , wait or attend upon , honour , obey ; to exist or be found in anything (acc.)
vyaadheH samo n'aasti jagaty an-arthaH
mRtyoH samaM n'aasti bhayaM pRthivyaam
etat trayaM khalv avashena sevyaM
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
5.27
Nothing takes away people's beauty like aging,
There is no misfortune in the world like sickness,
And no terror on earth like death.
Yet these three, inevitably, shall be obeyed.
EH Johnston:
Old age has no equal in taking men's beauty, no calamity in the world equals disease, no danger on earth equals death ; yet you must undergo these three whether you would or no.
Linda Covill:
Nothing befouls mankind so much as old age, no misfortune in the world can equal sickness, no danger on earth compares with death. Yet one must submit to this triad, however unwillingly.
VOCABULARY:
jaraa-samaa (nom. sg. f.): equal to aging
jaraa: f. the act of becoming old , old age
sama: mfn. same , equal , similar , like , equivalent ; like in or with regard to anything (comp.)
n'aasti: there is not
a-mRjaa (nom. sg. f.): im-purification ; non-embellishment
mRjaa: f. wiping , cleansing , washing , purification , ablution ; purity , cleanliness
mRj: to wipe , rub , cleanse , polish , clean , purify , embellish , adorn
prajaanaam (gen. pl.): f. procreation ; a creature , animal , man , mankind
vyaadheH = gen. sg. vyaadhi: m. disorder , disease , ailment , sickness
samaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. same , equal , similar , like , equivalent ; like in or with regard to anything (comp.)
n'aasti: there is not
jagati = loc. sg. jagat: n. the world , esp. this world , earth
an-arthaH (nom. sg. m.): m. non-value , a worthless or useless object ; disappointing occurrence , reverse , evil
mRtyoH = gen. sg. mRtyu: m. death, dying
samam (nom. sg. n.): mfn. same , equal , similar , like , equivalent ; like in or with regard to anything (comp.)
n'aasti: there is not
bhayam (nom. sg.): n. fear; sg. and pl. terror , dismay , danger , peril , distress
pRthivyaam = loc. sg. pRthivii: f. the earth or wide world
etat (nom. sg. n.): this , this here , here (especially as pointing to what is nearest to the speaker)
trayam (nom. sg. n.): triad, threesome
khalu: ind. (as a particle of asseveration) indeed , verily , certainly , truly
avashena = inst. sg. a-vasha: mfn. unsubmissive to another's will , independent , unrestrained , free ; not having one's own free will , doing something against one's desire or unwillingly
sevyam (nom. sg. n.): mfn. (from gerundive sev) to be resorted to ; to be followed (as a path) ; to be waited upon or served or obeyed
sev: to remain or stay at , live in , frequent , haunt , inhabit , resort to (acc.) ; to serve , wait or attend upon , honour , obey ; to exist or be found in anything (acc.)
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