Three related texts
Kaccāyana, its thirteenth-century recast and its fourteenth-century primer, translated in one consistent style, with every later rule linked to the Kaccāyana sutta it is.
𑀓𑀘𑁆𑀘𑀸𑀬𑀦 (Kaccāyana)
Modern English translations of three classical Pāli grammars, Kaccāyana, the earliest that survives, Buddhappiya's Padarūpasiddhi and Dhammakitti's Bālāvatāra, by Chris Tham (chris@christham.net).
Kaccāyana is the earliest surviving Pāli grammar, traditionally ascribed to the Buddha’s disciple Mahākaccāyana and compiled around the sixth or seventh century CE. Two later works of its school are translated alongside it: Buddhappiya’s Padarūpasiddhi (thirteenth century), which recasts its rules in a teaching order with full paradigms and the derivation of every form, and Dhammakitti’s Bālāvatāra (fourteenth century), the primer for beginners that abridges both. The three texts are translated in one style and cross-referenced rule by rule, so that a Kaccāyana sutta, Buddhappiya’s treatment of it and Dhammakitti’s abridgement are always a click apart.
Features
Section titled “Features”Modern terminology
The grammar is described in its own terms, in modern natural English: inflection forms ①…⑦ with ⨀ singular and ⨂ plural rather than Latin cases and declensions, and every technical term kept in Pāli and explained.
Optionality as the tradition read it
Every vā, kvaci, navā and vibhāsā is analysed after Aleix Ruiz-Falqués’ account of the two levels of optionality: an open option, or one restricted to a stated domain.
Worked examples
Every example is derived step by step, rule by rule, and its Tipiṭaka source is cited and linked to tipitaka2500.github.io; counter-examples explain what a rule does not do.
Cross-checked
The translations are collated against the earlier English translations reproduced here: Nandisena (done), Malai (in progress) and the 1935 Calcutta Bālāvatāra (to follow).
Structure made visible
Diagrams of the kinds of rule, maps of each text onto Kaccāyana’s chapters, decision charts for sandhi, and taxonomies of compounds, suffixes and model nouns.
The translations
Section titled “The translations”KaccāyanaThe 673 suttas in eight chapters, each with its analysis, the vutti translated sentence by sentence, worked examples with Tipiṭaka citations, and counter-examples.
PadarūpasiddhiBuddhappiya's 684 suttas in seven sections, each linked to the Kaccāyana rule it is, with his commentary, paradigms, derivations and verses.
BālāvatāraDhammakitti's primer in four sections, with every rule glossed, its commentary translated and every example derived.
Reference translations
Section titled “Reference translations”Nandisena: Kaccāyana (2005)U Nandisena's English translation of Kaccāyana with its vutti and examples (Myanmar 2005; electronic edition IEBH 2017, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). The collation of this site's Kaccāyana against it is complete.
Thiab Malai (1997)Phramaha Thiab Malai's Pune thesis, a critical study and translation of Kaccāyana, as a cleaned reading edition. Collation in progress.
Bālāvatāra (1935 Translation)The University of Calcutta translation by Vidyabhusana, Punnananda Swami and Mitra, with a scan of the printed book. Collation to follow.
Research
Section titled “Research”Ruiz-Falqués: Two levels of optionalityThe study of vā, kvaci and navā in Kaccāyana that the Analysis of every sutta follows.
Ruiz-Falqués: Boundaries and DomainsHow Buddhappiya restricts an option to a domain (vavatthitavibhāsā); the framework of the Rūpasiddhi pages.
Other editions and translationsFurther articles and reviews by Aleix Ruiz-Falqués, and the other editions and translations consulted.
Related websites
Section titled “Related websites”tipitaka2500.github.ioThe World Tipiṭaka Edition - “The Buddhist Era 2500 Great International Council Pāḷi Tipiṭaka, Roman Script 2005” (Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka Buddhavasse 2500)