What is the case and gender of abhibhuṃ in Sabhiya Sutta?

Explore the ancient language of the Tipitaka and Theravāda commentaries
Post Reply
User avatar
sma
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2017 6:30 am
Location: China

What is the case and gender of abhibhuṃ in Sabhiya Sutta?

Post by sma »

Abhibhuṃ akathaṃkathiṃ vimuttaṃ,
Anighaṃ sabbadhimāhu sottiyoti.
Ajahn Sujato’s translation:
One who is a winner, doubtless, free,
Untroubled in every respect, is a “scholar”.
According to my understanding, since the noun “sottiyo” is masculine and nominative, the noun “abhibhuṃ” here should be also nominative, and it must be neuter, right?
But I can only find “abhibhū” with the long ū in the dictionary. The nominative form of “abhibhū” is certainly not “abhibhuṃ”.
kiṃ pattinamāhu sottiyaṃ (iti sabbhiyo)
Why “sottiya” is accusative here? Shouldn’t it be nominative?
Can anybody kindly explain this for me?
Thank you.
:namaste:
User avatar
Assaji
Posts: 2106
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:24 pm

Re: What is the case and gender of abhibhuṃ in Sabhiya Sutta?

Post by Assaji »

Hi sma,
sma wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 4:40 pm
Abhibhuṃ akathaṃkathiṃ vimuttaṃ,
Anighaṃ sabbadhimāhu sottiyoti.
Ajahn Sujato’s translation:
One who is a winner, doubtless, free,
Untroubled in every respect, is a “scholar”.
If you are looking for more precise and literal rendering, you can read the translation by Ven. Thanissaro:
having conquered, free of doubt, released everywhere,
everywhere without trouble, one is said to be learned.
https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/KN/StNp/StNp3_6.html

Or even better, the translation by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi:
a conqueror, rid of perplexity, liberated,
untroubled everywhere: they call him 'a learned scholar'.
As you can see, there's no "is" in these translations. There's "is said" and "they call him". And indeed,
āhu, pf. 2 sg., and 3 pl. of āha (q. v.) = vadasi and vadanti.
https://cpd.uni-koeln.de/search?article_id=14335

Now I will take a liberty to transpose the words:
him - a conqueror, rid of perplexity, liberated,
untroubled everywhere: they call 'a learned scholar'.
Here you can see why masculine “abhibhū” is here in an accusative case.
kiṃ pattinamāhu sottiyaṃ (iti sabbhiyo)
Why “sottiya” is accusative here?
In Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation:
"Having attained what do they call one a learned scholar?" (said Sabhiya).
“Sottiya” here is an object of the same verb "āhu".

:namaste:
User avatar
sma
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2017 6:30 am
Location: China

Re: What is the case and gender of abhibhuṃ in Sabhiya Sutta?

Post by sma »

Assaji wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 8:17 pm
"Having attained what do they call one a learned scholar?" (said Sabhiya).
“Sottiya” here is an object of the same verb "āhu".
:namaste:
Abhibhuṃ akathaṃkathiṃ vimuttaṃ,
Anighaṃ sabbadhimāhu sottiyoti.
Hi, Assaji, thank you for your response.
Why the same word "sottiya" is nominative in the following verse.
Isn't it also an object of the verb "āhu"?
Abhibhuṃ akathaṃkathiṃ vimuttaṃ,
Anighaṃ sabbadhimāhu sottiyoti.
Here you can see why masculine “abhibhū” is here in an accusative case.
Do you mean "abhibhuṃ" (accusative) needs not to agree with "sottiyo" (nominative)?
User avatar
Assaji
Posts: 2106
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:24 pm

Re: What is the case and gender of abhibhuṃ in Sabhiya Sutta?

Post by Assaji »

sma wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:16 pm
Abhibhuṃ akathaṃkathiṃ vimuttaṃ,
Anighaṃ sabbadhimāhu sottiyoti.
Hi, Assaji, thank you for your response.
Why the same word "sottiya" is nominative in the following verse.
Isn't it also an object of the verb "āhu"?
Because it's quoted, as can be seen from the quotation particle "iti" at the end of it.
sma wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:16 pm
Abhibhuṃ akathaṃkathiṃ vimuttaṃ,
Anighaṃ sabbadhimāhu sottiyoti.
Here you can see why masculine “abhibhū” is here in an accusative case.
Do you mean "abhibhuṃ" (accusative) needs not to agree with "sottiyo" (nominative)?
Yes, since "sottiyo" is quoted.
User avatar
sma
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2017 6:30 am
Location: China

Re: What is the case and gender of abhibhuṃ in Sabhiya Sutta?

Post by sma »

Assaji wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 4:39 am
Abhibhuṃ akathaṃkathiṃ vimuttaṃ,
Anighaṃ sabbadhimāhu sottiyoti.
Yes, since "sottiyo" is quoted.
Now I understand, only "sottiyo" is quoted by the quotation mark "ti". Thank you very much.
:namaste:
Post Reply