Pāli Primer – Lesson 30
Lesson 30
1. Declension of Adjectives ending in -vantu and -mantu
Attributive adjectives ending in -vantu and -mantu can be declined in all three genders.
They agree with the nouns they qualify in gender, number and case.
Masculine Gender
Guṇavantu – virtuous
| Singular | Plural | |
| Nom. | guṇavā, guṇavanto | guṇavanto, guṇavantā |
| Voc. | guṇavā, guṇava, guṇavanta | guṇavanto, guṇavantā |
| Acc. | guṇavantaṃ | guṇavanto, guṇavante |
| Ins. | guṇavatā, guṇavantena | guṇavantehi (guṇavantebhi) |
| Abl. | guṇavatā, guṇavantamhā, guṇavantasmā | guṇavantehi (guṇavantebhi) |
| Dat. | guṇavato, guṇavantassa | guṇavataṃ, guṇavantānaṃ |
| Gen. | guṇavato, guṇavantassa | guṇavataṃ, guṇavantānaṃ |
| Loc. | guṇavati, guṇavante, guṇavantamhi, guṇavantasmiṃ | guṇavantesu |
NB: Note the similarities of this declension to the declension of the present participle masculine gender ending in -nta.
Adjectives ending in -mantu are declined as cakkhumā, cakkhumanto etc.
Neuter Gender
Ojavantu – nourishing
| Singular | Plural | |
| Nom. | ojavantaṃ | ojavantāni |
| Acc. | ojavantaṃ | ojavantāni |
The rest is similar to the declension of masculine adjectives ending in -vantu and -mantu.
Feminine Gender
Guṇavatī / guṇavantī and cakkhumatī / cakkhumantī are the feminine forms of the adjectives ending in -vantu and -mantu. They are declined like kumārī, i.e. feminine nouns ending in -ī.
2. Adjectives ending in -vantu and -mantu
| dhanavantu | – rich |
| Bhagavantu | – the Fortunate one, the Buddha |
| yasavantu | – famous |
| kulavantu | – of good family |
| sotavantu | – attentive, having ears |
| sīlavantu | – virtuous |
| saddhāvantu | – devoted |
| satimantu | – mindful |
| cakkhumantu | – having eyes |
| balavantu | – powerful |
| paññavantu | – wise |
| puññavantu | – fortunate, meritorious |
| phalavantu | – fruitful |
| himavantu | – Himalayas, possessor of snow |
| vaṇṇavantu | – colourful |
| bhānumantu | – sun, radiant |
| buddhimantu | – intelligent |
| bandhumantu | – having relations |
Exercise 30
3. Translate into English:
1. Balavantehi bhūpatīhi arayo parājitā honti.
2. Mayaṃ cakkhūhi bhānumantassa suriyassa rasmiyo oloketuṃ na sakkoma.
3. Bhikkhavo Bhagavatā desitaṃ dhammaṃ sutvā satimantā bhavituṃ vāyamiṃsu.
4. Sīlavantā upāsakā Bhagavantaṃ vanditvā dhammaṃ sutvā satimantā bhavituṃ vāyamiṃsu.
5. Paññavantehi icchitaṃ patthitaṃ samijjhissati.
6. Kulavato bhātā Bhagavatā saha mantento bhūmiyaṃ pattharitāya kilañjāyaṃ (mat) nisinno ahosi.
7. Phalavantesu tarūsu nisinnā pakkhino phalāni khāditvā aṭṭhīni bhūmiyaṃ pātesuṃ.
8. Himavati bahū (many) pasavo ca pakkhī ca uragā (reptiles) ca vasanti.
9. Sīlavantā dhammaṃ sutvā cakkhumantā bhavituṃ ussahissanti.
10. Guṇavato bandhu sīlavatiṃ pañhaṃ pucchi.
11. Guṇavatī yuvati sīlaṃ rakkhantī mātaraṃ posesi.
12. Yasavatiyā bandhavo balavanto pabhuno abhaviṃsu.
13. Dhanavantassa sappurisassa bhariyā puññavatī ahosi.
14. Sīlavantesu vasantā asappurisā pi guṇavantā bhaveyyuṃ.
15. Silavatiyo mātaro putte guṇavante kātuṃ ussahanti.
16. Buddhimā puriso pāpaṃ karonte putte anusāsituṃ paññavantaṃ bhikkhuṃ pakkosi.
17. Kulavato nattā sīlavatā bhikkhunā dhammaṃ sutvā pasīditvā gehaṃ pahāya bhikkhūsu pabbaji.
18. Balavantā pabhuno guṇavanto bhavantu.
19. Dhanavantā balavantā kadāci karahaci (seldom) guṇavantā bhavanti.
20. Himavantasmā āgato paññavā isi sīlavatiyā mātuyā uyyāne atithi ahosi.
21. Dubbalaṃ (weak) sīlavatiṃ itthiṃ disvā anukampamānā dhanavatī taṃ (her) posesi.
22. Himavati phalavantā taravo na chinditabbā honti.
23. Dhammassa viññātāro yasavantā bhavituṃ na ussahanti.
24. Bandhumā balavā hoti, dhanavā bandhumā hoti.
25. Sīlavatī rājinī guṇavatīhi itthīhi saddhiṃ sālāyaṃ nisīditvā yasavatiyā kaññāya kathaṃ suṇi.
26. Guṇavā puriso rukkhamhā ojavantāni phalāni ocinitvā vihāre vasantānaṃ silavantānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ vibhaji.
27. Balavatiyā rājiniyā amaccā dhammena dīpe manusse pālesuṃ.
28. Yasavantīnaṃ nārīnaṃ dhītaro pi yasavantiyo bhavissanti.
29. Paññavantiyā yuvatiyā puṭṭho dhanavā pañhaṃ vyākātuṃ asakkonto sabhāyaṃ nisīdi.
30. Bhānumā suriyo manussānaṃ ālokaṃ deti.
4. Translate into Pāli:
1. Sages living in the Himalaya sometimes (kadāci) come to towns.
2. Mindful monks preached the doctrine to wise lay devotees.
3. Fortunate people have virtuous friends and relations.
4. Rich merchants go from village to village selling goods.
5. The virtuous girl was the wife of the rich teacher.
6. The intelligent monk answered the question asked by the powerful eminent person.
7. There are garlands in the hand of the virtuous girl.
8. The rich are famous, the wise are virtuous.
9. You (pl.) do not avoid virtuous and wise men.
10. The Fortunate One is living in the famous island ruled by the powerful king.
11. If a wise monk lives in the village, people will become virtuous.
12. May men of good families become virtuous and wise.
13. People will follow the rich and powerful.
14. The famous king defeated the powerful enemy who has many relations.
15. People with eyes see the radiant sun.
-ooOoo-
