How to translate the first sentence in Netti?

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sma
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How to translate the first sentence in Netti?

Post by sma »

Yaṃ loko pūjayate, salokapālo sadā namassati ca;
Tasseta sāsanavaraṃ, vidūhi ñeyyaṃ naravarassa.
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What do the following words refer to?
"yaṃ"(who), "salokapālo"*(world protector), "vidū"(wise man) and "naravara"(the best man)

Do they all refer to the Buddha?
I have consulted Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli's translation, but I cannot catch the exact meaning.
------
Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli's translation:
Whom the world and world-protectors
Ever honour and revere.
Glorious of the Glorious Man,
Wise men can know the Dispensation.
--------
Can anybody kindly offer a clear and easy English translation? Thank you!
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Assaji
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Re: How to translate the first sentence in Netti?

Post by Assaji »

sma wrote: Wed Sep 05, 2018 12:22 pm Yaṃ loko pūjayate, salokapālo sadā namassati ca;
Tasseta sāsanavaraṃ, vidūhi ñeyyaṃ naravarassa.
-------
What do the following words refer to?
"yaṃ"(who), "salokapālo"*(world protector), "vidū"(wise man) and "naravara"(the best man)

Do they all refer to the Buddha?
No.
sma wrote: Wed Sep 05, 2018 12:22 pm I have consulted Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli's translation, but I cannot catch the exact meaning.
------
Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli's translation:
Whom the world and world-protectors
Ever honour and revere.
Glorious of the Glorious Man,
Wise men can know the Dispensation.
--------
Can anybody kindly offer a clear and easy English translation? Thank you!
In your quote the order of lines is changed. The translation in its original form:
Wise men can know the Dispensation
Glorious of the Glorious Man,
Whom the world and world-protectors
Ever honour and revere.
http://realtruthlife.blogspot.com/2011/ ... guide.html

is quite clear. First "glorious" adjective refers to Dispensation of the Buddha.
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sma
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Re: How to translate the first sentence in Netti?

Post by sma »

Thank you.
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Volo
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Re: How to translate the first sentence in Netti?

Post by Volo »

sma wrote: Wed Sep 05, 2018 12:22 pm Yaṃ loko pūjayate, salokapālo sadā namassati ca;
Tasseta sāsanavaraṃ, vidūhi ñeyyaṃ naravarassa.
That is how I would translate the stanza (I don't agree with Ñāņamoli):

Yaṃ = which
loko = nom, "world"
pūjayate: probably = pūjeti (aya is a long form of e), middle voice, present "honor"
salokapālo = nom, singular "world's protector". I don't know what "sa" here suppose mean.
sadā = always
namassati = venerates
ca = and.

Tasseta = tassa (gen/dat of so) "of him" + eta "this"
sāsanavaraṃ = best dispensation
vidūhi = (inst. plural of vidū) "by the wise men"
ñeyyaṃ = fut. part. of ñāti. "Should be known"
naravarassa = gen/dat, "the best man's", relating probably back to tassa, and coupled with it ("that best man's").

So, it would be: "Which the world honors and the world's protector always venerates, that best man's (this) dispensation: [that] by the wise men should be known."

In other words: The Dhamma, which Buddha and the world honor, [that Dhamma] the wise men should understand. I would also expect a taṃ before vidūhi ["that", which would couple with yaṃ], but may be it is omitted because of metre.

Ñāņamoli translated salokapālo as plural "protectors", probably having in mind 4 great kings, since singular didn't make sence in his version. But it is clearly singular, and world's protector is epithet of the Buddha, and the only thing the Buddha venerates is Dhamma.

Any comments on that?
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