An Elementary Pali Course - Selections for Translation

Selections from the Dhammapada

[Dhammapada 5]

Na hi verena veraani, sammantiidha kudaacana.m;
not / indeed / by hatred / hatreds / are appeased-here / at any time
Indeed, hatred is not at any time appeased by hatred here;

averena ca sammanti, esa dhammo sanantano.
by non-hatred and / are appeased / this / truth / of old
but is appeased by non-hatred, this is the truth of old.

[Dhammapada 13-14]

Yathaa agaara.m ducchanna.m, vu.t.thii samativijjhati;
like / house / ill-thatched / rain / penetrates
As a house ill-thatched the rain penetrates;

eva.m abhaavita.m citta.m, raago samativijjhati.
thus / undeveloped / mind / greed / penetrates
so a mind undeveloped greed penetrates.

Yathaa agaara.m succhanna.m, vu.t.thii na samativijjhati;
like / house / well-thatched / rain / not / penetrates
As a house well-thatched the rain penetrates not;

eva.m subhaavita.m citta.m, raago na samativijjhati.
thus / well-developed / mind / greed / not / penetrates
so a mind well-developed greed penetrates not.

---

[Dhammapada 15-18]

Idha socati pecca socati, paapakaarii ubhayattha socati;
here / grieves / having departed / grieves / evil-doer / in both places / grieves
(One) grieves here and after departing, the doer of evil grieves in both places;

so socati so viha~n~nati, disvaa kammakili.t.thamattano.
he / grieves / he / perishes / having seen / self's defiled acts
he grieves, he perishes, after seeing (his) own defiled acts.

Idha modati pecca modati, katapu~n~no ubhayattha modati;
here / rejoices / having departed / rejoices / doer of good / in both places / rejoices
(One) rejoices here and after departing, the doer of good rejoices in both places;

so modati so pamodati, disvaa kammavisuddhimattano.
he / rejoices / he / is delighted / having seen / self's acts of virtue
he rejoices, he is delighted, after seeing (his) own virtuous acts.

Idha tappati pecca tappati, paapakaarii ubhayattha tappati;
here / is tormented / having departed / is tormented / evil-doer / in both places / is tormented
(One) is tormented here and after departing, the doer of evil is tormented in both places;

"paapa.m me katan"ti tappati, bhiyyo tappati duggati.m gato.
evil / by me / done / is tormented / further / is tormented / [to] evil state / gone
"Evil is done by me" (one) is tormented, gone to an evil state (one) is tormented further.

Idha nandati pecca nandati, katapu~n~no ubhayattha nandati;
here / rejoices / having departed / rejoices / doer of good / in both places / rejoices
(One) rejoices here and after departing, the doer of good rejoices in both places;

"pu~n~na.m me katan"ti nandati, bhiyyo nandati sugati.m gato.
merit / by me / done / rejoices / further / rejoices / [to] happy state / gone
"Merit is done by me" (one) rejoices, gone to a happy state (one) rejoices further.

[Dhammapada 21]

Appamaado amatapada.m pamaado maccuno pada.m;
non-negligence / deathlessness's foot / negligence / death's / foot
Heedfulness is the basis of nibbana, heedlessness the basis of samsara;

appamattaa na miiyanti, ye pamattaa yathaa mataa.
not negligent / not / die / who / negligent / like / dead
the heedful (ones) die not, those heedless (ones) are as if dead.

[Dhammapada 30]

Appamaadena maghavaa, devaana.m se.t.thata.m gato;
by non-negligence / Indra / devas' / [to] best state / gone
By heedfulness Indra got to (be) the greatest of the devas;

appamaada.m pasa.msanti, pamaado garahito sadaa.
non-negligence / praise / negligence / is censured / always
heedfulness they praise, heedlessness is censured always.

[Dhammapada 41]

Acira.m vataya.m kaayo, pathavi.m adhisessati;
not-for a long time / indeed-this / body / earth / will lie upon
Soon indeed this body, upon the earth it will lie;

chuddho apetavi~n~naa.no, nirattha.mva kali`ngara.m.
thrown away / bereft of consciousness / useless-like / charred log
discarded, bereft of consciousness, useless like a used log.

[Dhammapada 49]

Yathaapi bhamaro puppha.m, va.n.nagandhamahe.thaya.m;
like-just so / bee / flower / without injuring color and smell
Just like a bee to a flower, without spoiling the color and smell,

paleti rasamaadaaya, eva.m gaame munii care.
flies away / juice-having taken / thus / in village / wise man / should walk
takes its nectar and flies away, so in a village a wise man should walk.

---

[Dhammapada 50]

Na paresa.m vilomaani, na paresa.m kataakata.m;
not / others' / wrong doings / not / others' / done-undone
Not others' wrong doings, not others' (acts) done or undone;

attanova avekkheyya, kataani akataani ca.
self's-only / should reflect / done(s) / not done(s) / and
of oneself only (he) should reflect, the (acts) done and not done.

[Dhammapada 53]

Yathaapi puppharaasimhaa, kayiraa maalaagu.ne bahuu;
as-just so / from heap of flowers / should do / garland-strings / many
Just so as from a heap of flowers many strings of garland one should make;

eva.m jaatena maccena, kattabba.m kusala.m bahu.m.
thus / by born / by mortal / should be done / good / much
thus, much good should be done by the mortal who is born.

[Dhammapada 69]

Madhuvaa ma~n~nati baalo, yaava paapa.m na paccati;
honey-like / considers / ignorant / as long as / evil / not / is vexed
The ignorant thinks of it as honey, as long as evil is not vexed;

yadaa ca paccati paapa.m, baalo dukkha.m nigacchati.
when / and / is vexed / evil / ignorant / suffering / undergoes
and when evil is vexed, the ignorant undergoes suffering.

[Dhammapada 81]

Selo yathaa ekaghano vaatena na samiirati;
rock / like / one-solid / by wind / not / is moved
(Just) like one solid rock is not moved by the wind;

eva.m nindaapasa.msaasu, na sami~njanti pa.n.ditaa.
thus / in blames and praises / not / are shaken / wise ones
thus, the wise are not shaken by blame or praise.

[Dhammapada 84]

Na attahetu na parassa hetu, na puttamicche na dhana.m na ra.t.tha.m;
not / self's cause / not / other's / cause / not / son-should wish / not / wealth / not / kingdom
Not for the sake of oneself or another, not son nor wealth nor kingdom should one desire,

na iccheyya adhammena samiddhimattano, sa siilavaa pa~n~navaa dhammiko siyaa.
not / should wish / by injustice / prosperity-self's / he / virtuous / wise / righteous / should be
not by injustice should one wish for own prosperity; virtuous, wise and righteous he shall be.

[Dhammapada 103]

Yo sahassa.m sahassena, sa`ngaame maanuse jine;
who / thousand / by thousand / in battle / men / should conquer
Whoever in the battlefield should conquer men a thousand by a thousand;

eka~nca jeyyamattaana.m sa ve sa`ngaamajuttamo.
one-and / should conquer-self / he / indeed / victorious in highest battle
winner of the greatest battle indeed, he should conquer just one: himself.

[Dhammapada 129-130]

Sabbe tasanti da.n.dassa, sabbe bhaayanti maccuno;
all / tremble / of stick / all / are afraid / of death
All tremble at the rod, all are afraid of death;

attaana.m upama.m katvaa, na haneyya na ghaataye.
self / example / having done / not / should kill / not / should cause to kill
making oneself an example, one should not kill nor cause to kill.

Sabbe tasanti da.n.dassa, sabbesa.m jiivita.m piya.m;
all / tremble / of stick / to all / life / dear
All tremble at the rod, to all life is dear;

attaana.m upama.m katvaa, na haneyya na ghaataye.
self / example / having done / not / should kill / not / should cause to kill
making oneself an example, one should not kill nor cause to kill.

[Dhammapada 169]

Dhamma.m care sucarita.m, na na.m duccarita.m care;
Dhamma / should practise / proper / not / that / improper / should practise
One should practise the Dhamma, which is proper, not that which is improper should one practise;

dhammacaarii sukha.m seti, asmi.m loke paramhi ca.
he who acts righteously / happily / lives / in this / in world / in other / and
the Dhammafarer lives happily, in this world and the next.

---

[Dhammapada 182-183]

Kiccho manussapa.tilaabho, kiccha.m maccaana jiivita.m;
difficult / attainment of human / hard / mortal / life
Earning to be a human is not easy, the mortal life is hard;

kiccha.m saddhammassavana.m, kiccho buddhaanamuppaado.
difficult / hearing of the good teachings / rare / arising of the Buddhas
hearing the good teachings is not easy, the arising of the Buddhas is rare.

Sabbapaapassa akara.na.m, kusalassa upasampadaa;
of all evil / non-doing / of good / undertaking
The giving up of all evil, the practice of good,

sacittapariyodapana.m eta.m buddhaana saasana.m.
purification of one's own mind / this / Buddhas' / teaching
the purification of one's mind; this is the instruction of the Buddhas.

[Dhammapada 190-192]

Yo ca buddha~nca dhamma~nca, sa`ngha~nca sara.na.m gato;
who / and / Buddha and / Dhamma and / Sangha and / refuge / gone
And (he) who has gone to refuge, to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha;

cattaari ariyasaccaani, sammappa~n~naaya passati.
four / noble truths / thoroughly-with wisdom / sees
sees thoroughly with wisdom the four noble truths.

Dukkha.m dukkhasamuppaada.m, dukkhassa ca atikkama.m;
suffering / origin of suffering / of suffering / and / overcoming
Suffering, the origin of suffering, and the overcoming of suffering;

ariya.m c'a.t.tha`ngika.m magga.m, dukkhuupasamagaamina.m.
noble / and-eightfold / path / going to allaying of suffering
and the noble eightfold path leading to the overcoming of suffering.

Eta.m kho sara.na.m khema.m, eta.m sara.namuttama.m;
this / indeed / refuge / safe / this / highest refuge
This is indeed the refuge safe, this the refuge supreme;

eta.m sara.namaagamma, sabbadukkhaa pamuccati.
this / refuge-having come / from all suffering / is freed
having come to this refuge, (he) is freed from all suffering.

[Dhammapada 228]

Na caahu na ca bhavissati, na cetarahi vijjati;
not / and-was / not / and / will be / not / and-now / exists
(There) was not and will not be, and does not now exist;

ekanta.m nindito poso, ekanta.m vaa pasa.msito.
one-sidedly / blamed / man / one-sidedly / or / praised
a man wholly blamed or wholly praised.

[Dhammapada 258-259]

Na tena pa.n.dito hoti, yaavataa bahu bhaasati;
not / by that / wise man / is / because / much / speaks
One is not yet a wise man because one speaks much;

khemii averii abhayo, "pa.n.dito"ti pavuccati.
peaceful / friendly / fearless / "wise man" / is called
he who is peaceful, friendly and fearless is called wise.

Na taavataa dhammadharo, yaavataa bahu bhaasati;
not / so long as / one who knows the Dhamma / because / much / speaks
One does not yet know the Dhamma because one speaks much;

yo ca appampi sutvaana, dhamma.m kaayena passati;
who / and / little-only / having heard / Dhamma / by body / sees
he who hears only a little, and understands the Dhamma through his own efforts;

sa ve dhammadharo hoti, yo dhamma.m nappamajjati.
he / indeed / one versed in the doctrine / is / who / Dhamma / is not negligent
he who is not heedless of the Dhamma is one truly versed in the doctrine.

[Dhammapada 314]

Akata.m dukka.ta.m seyyo, pacchaa tappati dukka.ta.m;
undone / evil deed / better / later / hurts / evil deed
Better is an evil deed undone, subsequently an evil deed hurts;

kata~nca sukata.m seyyo, ya.m katvaa naanutappati.
done-and / good deed / better / which / having done / does not regret
and better done is a good deed, which (one) does and not regret.

---

[Dhammapada 333]

Sukha.m yaava jaraa siila.m, sukhaa saddhaa pati.t.thitaa;
agreeable / till / old age / virtue / agreeable / faith / stood firmly
Pleasant is virtue till old age, pleasant is the faith steadfast;

sukho pa~n~naaya pa.tilaabho, paapaana.m akara.na.m sukha.m.
agreeable / of wisdom / attainment / of evil / non-doing / agreeable
pleasant is the acquisition of wisdom, the abstention of evil is pleasant.

[Dhammapada 354]

Sabbadaana.m dhammadaana.m jinaati, sabbarasa.m dhammaraso jinaati;
all gifts / gift of truth / surpasses / all tastes / taste of truth / surpasses
The gift of truth surpasses all gifts, the taste of truth surpasses all tastes;

sabbarati.m dhammarati jinaati, ta.nhakkhayo sabbadukkha.m jinaati.*
all attachments / love of truth / surpasses / one who has destroyed craving / all sufferings / overcomes
the love of truth surpasses all attachments, he who has overcome craving overcomes all sufferings.

[Dhammapada 360-361]

Cakkhunaa sa.mvaro saadhu, saadhu sotena sa.mvaro;
by eye / restraint / good / good / by ear / restraint
Restraint over the eye is good, restraint over the ear is good;

ghaanena sa.mvaro saadhu, saadhu jivhaaya sa.mvaro.
by nose / restraint / good / good / by tongue / restraint
restraint by the nose is good, restraint by the tongue is good.

Kaayena sa.mvaro saadhu, saadhu vaacaaya sa.mvaro;
with body / restraint / good / good / with words / restraint
Restraint with the body is good, good is restraint with words;

manasaa sa.mvaro saadhu, saadhu sabbattha sa.mvaro;
with mind / restraint / good / good / everywhere / restraint
restraint with thoughts is good, good is restraint everywhere;

sabbattha sa.mvuto bhikkhu, sabbadukkhaa pamuccati.
everywhere / restrained / monk / from all suffering / is freed
freed from all suffering is the monk restrained everywhere.

[Dhammapada 364]

Dhammaaraamo dhammarato, dhamma.m anuvicintaya.m;
finding delight in the Dhamma / devoted to the Dhamma / Dhamma / meditating
Devoted to the Dhamma, finding delight and meditating on the Dhamma;

dhamma.m anussara.m bhikkhu, saddhammaa na parihaayati.
Dhamma / bearing in mind / monk / from good teachings / not / falls away
bearing in mind the Dhamma, a monk does not fall away from the good teachings.

[Dhammapada 391]

Yassa kaayena vaacaaya, manasaa natthi dukka.ta.m;
to whom / with body / with words / with mind / is not / evil deed
To whom there is not an evil deed (done) with the body, words and the mind;

sa.mvuta.m tiihi .thaanehi, tamaha.m bruumi braahma.na.m.
restrained / with three / with places / him-I / call / brahmin
restrained in the three areas, him I call a brahmin.

More on Dhammapada

[Dhammapada 1-2]

Manopubba`ngamaa dhammaa, manose.t.thaa manomayaa;
mind-before-gone / phenomena / mind-chief / mental(s)
Preceded by the mind are (all) phenomena, with the mind in the essence are (all) thoughts;

manasaa ce padu.t.thena, bhaasati vaa karoti vaa;
with mind / if / with corrupted / speaks or / does or
if with a corrupted mind (one) speaks or acts;

tato na.m dukkhamanveti, cakka.mva vahato pada.m.
afterwards / that / pain-follows / wheel-like / of bearing / foot
pain follows that (person) thereafter, like the wheel the foot of the (one) bearing (loads).

Manopubba`ngamaa dhammaa, manose.t.thaa manomayaa;
mind-before-gone / phenomena / mind-chief / mental(s)
Preceded by the mind are (all) phenomena, with the mind in the essence are (all) thoughts;

manasaa ce pasannena, bhaasati vaa karoti vaa;
with mind / if / with purified / speaks or / does or
if with a purified mind (one) speaks or acts;

tato na.m sukhamanveti, chaayaava anapaayinii.
afterwards / that / happiness-follows / shadow-like / not going away
happiness follows that (person) thereafter, like the shadow never departing.

* See Ex. 23-A/8.