The dative of purpose

The dative of purpose

Another construction in Pāli, similar to the infinitive, is the Dative of Purpose.

samaṇo gotamo arahati bhavantaṃ kūṭadantaṃ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṃ (DN5.2)

Ascetic Gotama ought to approach Sir Crooked Tooth to see (him).

The word dassanāya in this sentence is called a dative of purpose and has a similar meaning to the infinitive, meaning “for the purpose of seeing” or “to see”.

These are very common in the Canon.

atha kho te bhikkhū sāvatthiyaṃ piṇḍāya caritvā … (MN13)

Then those monks, having walked for alms in Sāvatthi …