Karaniya Metta Sutta Snp 1.8 | translation guide

Continuing my look at the Sutta Nipata, - which contains some of the oldest portion of the canon. This translation guide analyses the Mettā Sutta (Snp 1.8) which, is perhaps the most popular discourse for reciting. It is a poem on the virtues of mettā, loving-kindness. It is a brief set of ten verse which lays out the ethical foundations for good will, and shows how to develop it in meditation. The word “Metta” is derived from the Pali word “Mitta” meaning “friend”. In the English, it has been translated as kindness, loving kindness, love and goodwill.

Verse composition can throw up challenges to the amateur translator as it often employs alternate forms of words according to the needs of the metre. As such, we may find some unusual archaic endings in verse, or instances where words have been altered (vowel lengths, dropping of a niggahãta etc.) in order to meet the metre. And several examples of these can be found in the verses below.

The Sutta is found in two books of the Khuddaka Nikaya, (minor) discourses namely, the Sutta nipatha and the Khuddakapatha. Scholars have classified it under differing number schemes, e.g. KN 5.1.8 (KN 5.8) Snp 1.8 (Karaniya) Metta Sutta Sn vs.143-152 PTS: Sn pg.25,
and also
KN 1.9 Khp 9 Mettā (Karaniya Metta) Sutta PTS: Kh pg.8 For other translations see: SuttaCentral Snp 1.8
Access-to-Insight Snp 1.8 For metre see: Ancient-buddhist-texts Mettasuttaṁ You may find the following dictionaries useful: Pali English Dictionary
(See also PED lookup tool)
Critical Pali Dictionary
(Incomplete -but very useful)

Again please note, this attempt at translation is for illustration and as such it is very literal and endeavours to remain true to the underlying grammar.

You can find more of my sutta translation exercises here.

The Mettā Sutta - Good Will.

karaṇīya-m-attha¹-kusalena
fpp	ins
n	n
	sgl
ought to do	skillful in prosperity/matters

(This) ought to be done by the skillful in success

yanta²	santaṃ	padaṃ	abhisamecca³
acc	acc	acc	absol
n	n	n
sgl	sgl	sgl
he who	peace; calm;	path/state	having realised

who having realised that still path/state

sakko	ujū	ca	suhujū	ca
nom	nom	prt	nom	prt
m	m		m
sgl	pl		pl
capable	straight, upright	and	very upright

capable, upright & erect

suvaco	ca-assa⁴	mudu	anatimānī
nom	pr.opt.3rd	nom	nom
m		m	m
sgl	sgl	sgl	sgl
well spoken	and he should be	soft, mild	free from pride

& well-spoken, meek, free from pride, One should be

santussako	ca	subharo	ca
nom	prt	nom	prt
m		m
sgl		sgl
content, satisfied	and	easily supported

Satisfied & easily supported

appakicco	ca	sallahuka-vutti
nom	prt		nom
m			n
sgl			sgl
(with) few duties	and	of frugal living

[with] few obligations, & living lightly

santindriya	ca	nipako	ca
nom	prt	nom
m		m
sgl		sgl
faculties calmed	and	astute, wise

faculties calmed & astute

appagabbho	kulesv⁵ -ananugiddho
nom	loc	nom
m		m
sgl		sgl
courteous; respectful;	in family without desire

courteous; without desire for family/support

na	ca	khudda-m-ācare		kiñci
prt	prt		pr.opt.3rd	nom
				n
			sgl	sgl
				pn-indef
not	and	small	he should do	anything

& One should not do any small thing,

yena	viññū	pare	upavadeyyuṃ
ins	nom	nom	pr.opt.3rd
n	n	n
sgl	pl	pl	pl

by which	wise ones	others	may blame, criticize

by which other wise ones might find fault

sukhino	va	khemino	hontu
nom	prt	nom	pr.imp.3rd
m		m
pl		pl	pl
happy	and	safe, secure	may they be

may they be happy & secure

sabba-sattā		bhavantu	sukhita-attā
	nom	pr.imp.3rd		nom
	m			m
	pl	pl		pl



all beings		may they be	happy in self

may all beings be happy

ye	keci	pāṇabhūta-atthi
nom	nom		pr.3rd
m	m
pl	pl		pl
pn-rel	pn-indef
whatever,	any	breathing being	there are

Any, whatsoever, living beings there are

tasā	vā	thāvarā⁶	va-anavasesā
nom	prt	nom	prt	nom
m		m		m
pl		pl		pl
mobile	or	immobile	or	without any remainder

without exception, moving or stationary

dīghā	vā	ye	va	mahantā
nom		nom		nom
m		m		m
pl		pl		pl
		pn-rel
long	or	whichever	or	large, extensive

whether, long or large

majjhimā	rassakā	aṇuka-thūlā⁷
nom	nom	nom
m	m	m
pl	pl	pl
medium	short	subtle or coarse

medium (or) short, subtle or coarse

diṭṭhā	vā	ye	va	adiṭṭhā
nom		nom		nom
m		m		m
pl		pl		pl
		pn-rel
seen	or	whatever	or	unseen

Whether, seen or unseen

ye	va	dūre	vasanti	avidūre
nom	prt	adv	pr.3rd	adv
m
pl			pl	pl
pn-rel
whatever	or	far off	they live	near

or whether they live far off (or) near by

bhūtā	va	sambhavesī	va
nom	prt	nom	prt
m		m
pl		pl
become, grown	or	seeking to be,

(those) become or seeking to be

sabba-sattā		bhavantu	sukhita-attā
	nom	pr.imp.3rd		nom
	m			m
	pl	pl		pl



all beings		may they be	happy in self

may all [these] beings be happy

na	paro	paraṃ	nikubbetha
prt	nom	acc	pr.opt.3rd
	m	m	[rfx]
	sgl	sgl	sgl
not	other	another	deceives, cheats

One should not deceive another

nātimaññetha	katthaci	na'⁸	kañci
pr.opt.3rd	adv	prt	acc
[rfx]			m
pl			sgl
			pn-indef
do not despise	somewhere	him	anyone

nor despise him anyone anywhere

byārosanā	paṭighasaññā
inst	inst
f	f
sgl	sgl
via anger	via recognition of resentment

[though] infuriated, repulsed

nāñña-m-aññassa		dukkhama-iccheyya
prt	dat	adj	pr.opt.3rd
	m
	sgl		sgl
not for one another		hard to tolerate	he may wish

may One not wish intolerance for one to another

mātā	yathā	niyaṃ	puttaṃ
nom	adv	acc	acc
f		m	m
sgl		sgl	sgl
mother	just as	one's own	son, child

Just as a mother her own child

āyusā	eka-putta-m-anurakkhe
ins			pr.opt.3rd
n
sgl			sgl
life	single	son, child	protects, guards

would protect as an only child with (her) life

evaṃ-pi	sabba-bhūtesu
prt		loc
		m
		pl
so too	all beings

so too, towards all beings

mānasaṃ	bhāvaye	aparimāṇaṃ
acc	pr.opt.3rd	acc
n		n
sgl	sgl	sgl
intention	cultivate	limitless

one should cultivate [that] intention without-limit

mettaṃ-ca	sabba-lokasmi'⁹
acc		loc
f		m
sgl		sgl
goodwill	all	world

Goodwill towards the entire world

mānasaṃ	bhāvaye	aparimāṇaṃ
acc	pr.opt.3rd	acc
n		n
sgl	sgl	sgl
intention	cultivate	limitless

one should cultivate [that] intention without-limit

uddhaṃ	adho	ca	tiriyaṃ	ca
adv	adv	prt	adv	prt
upwards	downwards	and	sideways

upwards, downwards and across

asambādhaṃ	avera-m-asapattaṃ
acc		acc
n		n
sgl		sgl
unrestricted	free of ill-will & enmity

without barriers, ill-will or hostility

tiṭṭhaṃ	caraṃ	nisinno	va
nom	nom	nom	prt
m	m	m
sgl	sgl	sgl
pr.p.	pr.p.	p.p.
standing	walking	sat down	or

Standing, walking, sat or

sayāno	yāvatā-assa		vita-middho
nom		pr.opt.3rd		nom
m				n>m
sgl		sgl		sgl
pr.p.
lying down	as far as	he may be	un-drowsy

lying down, as long as One can be alert

etaṃ	satiṃ	adhiṭṭheyya
acc	acc	pr.opt.3rd
f	f
sgl	sgl	sgl
this	remembering, mindful	he should resolve

recalling this, One should be resolved

brahma-m-etaṃ		vihāra-m-idha-m-āhu¹⁰
	nom			perf.3rd
	m
	sgl			pl
brahma	this	abode/life	here	they said

this, is called, a (brahma abode) divine life, here (in this world)

diṭṭhiṃ-ca		anupaggamma
acc	prt	absol
f
sgl
dogma, theory, belief	and	having not approached

Avoiding dogma

sīlavā	dassanena	sampanno
nom	ins	nom
m	n	m
sgl	sgl	sgl
virtuous	insight	equipped, accomplished (in)

virtuous, endowed with insight

kāmesu	vinaya	gedhaṃ
loc	pr.imp.2nd	acc
m		m
pl	sgl	sgl
pleasures	dispels	greed

dispel yearning for pleasures

na hi	jātu-gabbha-seyya'¹¹		puna-r-eti 'ti
prt	emph	acc		pr.3rd
		f
		sgl		sgl
certainly not	surely-womb-lying		again-goes

[and] surely one [will] not return to lying in a womb

Notes:

1 attha has many meanings: gain, advantage, welfare, purpose, affair, matters. Sujato points out that atthakusala can be 'skilled in meaning', eg. 'those skilled in the meaning of scripture', ie. not yet trained in practice.

2 shortened for metre; yantaṃ = yaṃ+taṃ 'the one who' or 'that which'

3 some suggest taking this in an infinitive sense: 'in order to realise'

4 Here assa might be dat of ima, 'for him' or opt.3rd of atthi 'should be'

5 adjusted for metre: kulesu loc of kula

6 tasa: the movable (animal world) & thāvara: the immovable (vegetable world); sometimes trans. as 'trembling/frail & firm'

7 can also be taken as: 'tiny or massive'

8 shortened for metre: naṃ

9 shortened: sabbalokasmiṁ loc sgl 'in the entire world'

10 perf. expressing indefinite time, 'it is said that'

11 shortened gabbhaseyyaṁ acc

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