[Buddha-l] A Pali Translation Request

[Franz Metcalf]

Gang,

I'm researching a book that will deal with matters in and out of the 
sangha during the life of the Buddha. Much of my research can be done 
in English, but there are a few bits of further information that remain 
locked away from me in the mysteries of Pāli, never having been 
translated.

In case anyone has an ability and an interest, I'd love to ask if she 
or he could take a look at the following passage and translate a bit 
for me. This is taken from Buddhaghosa's Vinaya commentary where he's 
dealing with Saṅghādisesa 12, in which Elder Channa is uppity and 
difficult to talk to. From Horner's comments in her translation of the 
Vinaya passage, Buddhaghosa gives an interesting slant on Channa's 
words as he explains his superiority to normal bhikkhus. I would love 
to get a sense of Channa's feelings here.

424. Tena samayena buddho bhagavāti dubbacasikkhāpadaṃ. Tattha anācāraṃ 
ācaratīti anekappakāraṃ kāyavacīdvāravītikkamaṃ karoti. Kiṃ nu kho 
nāmāti vambhanavacanametaṃ. Ahaṃ kho nāmāti ukkaṃsavacanaṃ. Tumhe 
vadeyyanti “idaṃ karotha, idaṃ mā karothā”ti ahaṃ tumhe vattuṃ 
arahāmīti dasseti. Kasmāti ce? Yasmā amhākaṃ buddho bhagavā kaṇṭakaṃ 
āruyha mayā saddhiṃ nikkhamitvā pabbajitoti-evamādimatthaṃ sandhāyāha. 
“Amhākaṃ dhammo”ti vatvā pana attano santakabhāve yuttiṃ dassento 
“amhākaṃ ayyaputtena dhammo abhisamito”ti āha. Yasmā amhākaṃ 
ayyaputtena catusaccadhammo paṭividdho, tasmā dhammopi amhākanti vuttaṃ 
hoti. Saṅghaṃ pana attano veripakkhe ṭhitaṃ maññamāno amhākaṃ saṅghoti 
na vadati. Upamaṃ pana vatvā saṅghaṃ apasādetukāmo “seyyathāpi 
nāmā”ti-ādimāha. Tiṇakaṭṭhapaṇṇasaṭanti tattha tattha patitaṃ 
tiṇakaṭṭhapaṇṇaṃ. Atha vā tiṇañca nissārakaṃ lahukaṃ kaṭṭhañca 
tiṇakaṭṭhaṃ. Paṇṇasaṭanti purāṇapaṇṇaṃ. Ussāreyyāti rāsiṃ kareyya.
<http://www.tipitaka.org/roman/vin01a/vin01a-135.html>

Thanks for any insight you can give me.

Franz

Ps. In case it's helpful, the Saṅghādisesa passage commented on runs 
thus:

424. Tena samayena buddho bhagavā kosambiyaṃ viharati ghositārāme. Tena 
kho pana samayena āyasmā channo anācaraṃ ācarati. Bhikkhū evamāhaṃsu– 
“māvuso, channa, evarūpaṃ akāsi. Netaṃ kappatī”ti. So evaṃ vadeti– “kiṃ 
nu kho nāma tumhe, āvuso, maṃ vattabbaṃ maññatha? Ahaṃ kho nāma tumhe 
vadeyyaṃ. Amhākaṃ buddho amhākaṃ dhammo amhākaṃ ayyaputtena dhammo 
abhisamito. Seyyathāpi nāma mahāvāto vāyanto tiṇakaṭṭhapaṇṇasaṭaṃ 
[tiṇakaṭṭhapaṇṇakasaṭaṃ (ka.)] ekato ussāreyya, seyyathā vā pana nadī 
pabbateyyā saṅkhasevālapaṇakaṃ ekato ussāreyya, evameva tumhe nānānāmā 
nānāgottā nānājaccā nānākulā pabbajitā ekato ussaritā. Kiṃ nu kho nāma 
tumhe, āvuso, maṃ vattabbaṃ maññatha? Ahaṃ kho nāma tumhe vadeyyaṃ! 
Amhākaṃ buddho amhākaṃ dhammo amhākaṃ ayyaputtena dhammo abhisamito”ti. 
Ye te bhikkhū appicchā…pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti– “kathañhi 
nāma āyasmā channo bhikkhūhi sahadhammikaṃ vuccamāno attānaṃ avacanīyaṃ 
karissatī”ti! Atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṃ channaṃ anekapariyāyena 
vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ…pe… “saccaṃ kira tvaṃ, 
channa, bhikkhūhi sahadhammikaṃ vuccamāno attānaṃ avacanīyaṃ karosī”ti? 
“Saccaṃ bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā…pe… “kathañhi nāma tvaṃ, 
moghapurisa, bhikkhūhi sahadhammikaṃ vuccamāno attānaṃ avacanīyaṃ 
karissasi! Netaṃ, moghapurisa appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya…pe… evañca pana, 
bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha–
<http://www.tipitaka.org/roman/vin01m/vin01m-50.html>