1.11. Daṇḍasutta The Stick (SN 56:33; V 439–40)

Question 1

seyyathāpi (= seyyathā + pi)

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, daṇḍo uparivehāsaṃ khitto sakimpi mūlena nipatati, sakimpi aggena nipatati, evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇā sattā taṇhāsaṃyojanā sandhāvantā saṃsarantā sakimpi asmā lokā paraṃ lokaṃ gacchanti, sakimpi parasmā lokā imaṃ lokaṃ āgacchanti.”

Answer 1

“just as, suppose”; an indeclinable used to introduce a simile or analogy, completed by evameva, which introduces the application of the simile to the message.

Question 2

uparivehāsaṃ

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, daṇḍo uparivehāsaṃ khitto sakimpi mūlena nipatati, sakimpi aggena nipatati, evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇā sattā taṇhāsaṃyojanā sandhāvantā saṃsarantā sakimpi asmā lokā paraṃ lokaṃ gacchanti, sakimpi parasmā lokā imaṃ lokaṃ āgacchanti.”

Answer 2

an adverbial compound composed of upari, “above, upward,” and vehāsa, “the air, the sky,” describing the manner in which the stick has been thrown. It is an indeclinable in the form of the accusative.

Question 3

sakiṃ

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, daṇḍo uparivehāsaṃ khitto sakimpi mūlena nipatati, sakimpi aggena nipatati, evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇā sattā taṇhāsaṃyojanā sandhāvantā saṃsarantā sakimpi asmā lokā paraṃ lokaṃ gacchanti, sakimpi parasmā lokā imaṃ lokaṃ āgacchanti.”

Answer 3

an indeclinable meaning “once”; followed by pi, -ṃ changes by sandhi to -m, the labial nasal corresponding to the labial consonant p-.

Question 4

mūlena, aggena

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, daṇḍo uparivehāsaṃ khitto sakimpi mūlena nipatati, sakimpi aggena nipatati, evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇā sattā taṇhāsaṃyojanā sandhāvantā saṃsarantā sakimpi asmā lokā paraṃ lokaṃ gacchanti, sakimpi parasmā lokā imaṃ lokaṃ āgacchanti.”

Answer 4

instrumentals of mūla and agga, “bottom” and “top.”

Question 5

avijjānīvaraṇā, taṇhāsaṃyojanā

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, daṇḍo uparivehāsaṃ khitto sakimpi mūlena nipatati, sakimpi aggena nipatati, evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇā sattā taṇhāsaṃyojanā sandhāvantā saṃsarantā sakimpi asmā lokā paraṃ lokaṃ gacchanti, sakimpi parasmā lokā imaṃ lokaṃ āgacchanti.”

Answer 5

“who have ignorance as a hindrance and craving as a fetter”; two bahubbīhi compounds describing sattā, “beings” (see pp. 41–42).

Question 6

sandhāvantā saṃsarantā

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, daṇḍo uparivehāsaṃ khitto sakimpi mūlena nipatati, sakimpi aggena nipatati, evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇā sattā taṇhāsaṃyojanā sandhāvantā saṃsarantā sakimpi asmā lokā paraṃ lokaṃ gacchanti, sakimpi parasmā lokā imaṃ lokaṃ āgacchanti.”

Answer 6

“running [and] roaming”; present participles from the verbs sandhāvati and saṃsarati, here plural nominatives describing sattā.

Question 7

asmā

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, daṇḍo uparivehāsaṃ khitto sakimpi mūlena nipatati, sakimpi aggena nipatati, evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇā sattā taṇhāsaṃyojanā sandhāvantā saṃsarantā sakimpi asmā lokā paraṃ lokaṃ gacchanti, sakimpi parasmā lokā imaṃ lokaṃ āgacchanti.”

Answer 7

“from this”; ablative of ayaṃ (Duroiselle §305; Perniola §41), qualifying lokā.

Question 8

parasmā

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, daṇḍo uparivehāsaṃ khitto sakimpi mūlena nipatati, sakimpi aggena nipatati, evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇā sattā taṇhāsaṃyojanā sandhāvantā saṃsarantā sakimpi asmā lokā paraṃ lokaṃ gacchanti, sakimpi parasmā lokā imaṃ lokaṃ āgacchanti.”

Answer 8

the ablative of para, “other, another, far,” a pronominal adjective declined like a pronoun (Duroiselle §353; Perniola §47).

Question 9

adiṭṭhattā

“Adiṭṭhattā, bhikkhave, catunnaṃ ariyasaccānaṃ.”

Answer 9

“because of not having seen.” The neuter suffix -tta (Skt -tva) is added to the past participle diṭṭha, “seen,” turning the participle into an abstract noun, diṭṭhatta, “seen-ness.” The prefix a- negates the noun. Adiṭṭhattā, the ablative, is here used in the causal sense (Duroiselle §600,xi; Perniola §257e).