[Colophon] This heading is my own, based on the contents of these final verses. Bechert mentions that the next verse is often considered the beginning of the colophon, but it seems to me that the first three verses of this section are part of a single thought-sequence and belong together.
(25 Verses)
390 [stm.]
Potthakādīni khettaṁ va, lekhāni yuganaṅgalaṁ,
akkharāni bījaṁ katvā, caranto paṇḍito bhave.
Books and so on are the field, writing is the yoke and plough, having made letters the seed, through (this) conduct one may become a wise person.
The texts and scriptures are the fertile ground where knowledge grows. The physical and mental act of writing is the hard work of tilling and preparing that field. Each individual character inscribed is a seed of potential understanding. By diligently engaging in this process of planting and tending, one cultivates wisdom itself. It frames intellectual and scribal work as a sacred, productive husbandry of the mind, which has an effect on the person engaged in it, as well as on others who may read the work.
391 [adm.]
Akkharaṁ ekamekañ-ca Buddharūpaṁ samaṁ siyā,
tasmā hi paṇḍito poso likheyya Piṭakattayaṁ.
Each single letter is like a Buddha image, therefore the wise man should write out the Three Baskets. The way the Three Baskets are mentioned in this colophon it is clear the author took that as meaning, not the Canon, as we now think of it, but any teaching related to the Dhamma, including this work.
Each single letter of the Dhamma is the same as a Buddha image. Just as creating an image of the Buddha is an act of reverence that generates great merit, so too is inscribing each character of his teaching. Therefore, the wise person’s duty is clear: he should write out the Dhamma teachings. This is not merely preservation but an act of devotion and personal cultivation, making the writer a participant in the perpetuation of the Dhamma.
392–393 [stm.]
Duggatiṁ nābhijāyeyya Piṭakattayakārako,
bahukkhattuṁ Cakkavattirājā catudīpādhipo,
padesarajjaṁ vipulaṁ, gaṇanāto asaṅkhyeyo,
chakāmāvacaro Devarājā hoti bahukkhattuṁ.
The writer of the Three Baskets cannot be born in a bad destination, many times he will be a Wheel-Turning Monarch, lord of the four continents, he will have extensive sovereignty over the regions, uncountable in number, he will many times be the Lord of the Devas in the six Sensual Realms.
Such a person cannot be born in a bad destination, his negative deeds are utterly blocked, and he will reap supreme worldly and celestial fruits: he will be reborn many times as a Wheel-Turning Monarch, the universal earthly ruler. He will wield extensive sovereignty over regions, uncountable in number. Furthermore, he will many times be Sakka, the Lord of the Devas, in the sensual heavens. The merit is so vast it guarantees repeated attainment of the highest possible positions of power and pleasure, framing this act as the ultimate meritorious deed.
394 [stm.]
Dānādīni ca puññāni karonto Bodhi-aṅkuro,
bhavā sabbaṅgasampanno, Tilokapūjito bhave.
The Bodhi-sapling, through making merit with giving and so forth, has become endowed with all factors, and will be worshipped in the Three Worlds.
The one who makes merit through practices like giving will not just gain good rebirths, he will become endowed with all the necessary factors and perfections and will be worshipped in the Three Worlds. The act of preserving the Dhamma is directly linked to joining the lineage of the Buddhas themselves. The scribe’s work plants the seed of his own future Awakening, and ensures others can learn the teaching leading to their own Awakening. Passing on the Dhamma is the work of a true Bodhisatta.
395 [adm.]
Iddhe mahaddhane phīte jāyare kulam-uttame,
uttameneva saṁvāso, Piṭakattayavācako.
May the recitor of the Three Baskets be born in a supreme, powerful, and rich family, and associate with the supreme.
May such a person be born in a family possessing the highest social, political and material advantages. Moreover, may he associate with the supreme, keeping company with noble beings, wise teachers and virtuous friends. This ensures that his life circumstances are perfectly conducive to continuing his Dhamma practice and sharing his knowledge. The reward is not just internal merit but an ideal external environment for spiritual growth.
396 [stm.]
Ekakkharaphalena hi Piṭakattayakārako,
caturāsītisahassaṁ, labhanti pavaraṁ sukhaṁ.
The writer of the Three Baskets, with the fruit of even one syllable, receives Labhanti is plural, which does not agree with the subject (Piṭakattayakārako) which is singular. We should read labhati. the noblest happiness 84,000 (times).
The one who writes out the Dhamma teachings gains merit from writing even one syllable. The fruit of that single character is that he will 84,000 times receive the noblest happiness. Thus, the merit is exponential and boundless. Each act of writing is an investment yielding an infinite return of sublime bliss, emphasising the profound efficiency and power of this form of meritorious work.
397 [sim., stm.]
Appakenāpi medhāvī pābhatena vicakkhaṇo,
samuṭṭhāpeti attānaṁ, anuṁ aggi va sandhamaṁ.
Even with little, an intelligent, discerning person, by means of an offering, raises himself up, like a small fire that has been fanned is raised up.
Even with little, an intelligent and skilled person, by means of an offering, can raise himself up. Just as a small fire, when fanned, can be raised into a great blaze, so can a small act of generosity or merit, when done with wisdom and skill, generate disproportionately large results. It combats the excuse of poverty or insignificance, teaching that the quality of intention and the object of the offering matter more than the quantity given.
398 [adm.]
Dukkhaṁ pāpassa, puññassa sukhaṁ, missassa missakaṁ,
sabbaṁ sadisakaṁ yāti, ñātabbaṁ kammuno phalaṁ.
Suffering from demerit, happiness from merit, a mixture from a mixture (of deeds), everything comes from its similarity, (so) should the fruit of deeds be understood.
This verse serves as a concise summation of the law of deeds and results, the foundational principle underlying the entire Dhamma. Suffering comes from demerit. Happiness comes from merit. A mixed result comes from a mixture of deeds. Everything comes from its similarity because like produces like. This is the immutable law the text has illustrated through countless examples. The fruit of deeds should be understood. All the advice on virtue, learning, friendship and duty is predicated on this.
399 [stm.]
Codento catubhāgā ca, kammakārā tibhāgā ca,
sāmino samabhāgā ca, ekabhāgānumodanā.
Through instigating there is four shares, the workers get three shares, the master a share equivalent to the wealth (given), those who rejoice (also) get a share.
The instigator, the one who organises and urges others, gets four shares of the merit. The workers, those who physically execute the task, get three shares. The master, the donor who provides the wealth needed for the production, gets a share equivalent to the wealth given. Finally, those who merely rejoice in the good deed also get a single share. This teaches that merit is participatory and scalable; everyone involved, from the leader to the admirer, partakes in the fruit, encouraging collective support for virtuous projects.
400 [stm.]
Anattassa vākyāparamaṁ tuṇhi, If this has a metre, it is unknown to me. The verse seems to be corrupt in its present form, which is presumbly why Bechert and Braun flagged it.
asantamittā paramaṁ ekaṁ,
surūpadārā varaṁ andhā,
dūrekalābhā varam-assa sukkhaṁ.
For the selfless one silence is better than (false) speech, solitude is better than a bad friend, being blind is better than (looking on another’s) beautiful wife, contentment I read this as sukkhaṁ < sukhaṁ, m.c. giving a meaning: contentment. is better than gains far away. We now have a series of verses (400–408) which could have been better placed in some of the other chapters, before resuming the theme of the importance of passing the Dhamma down in verse 409.
For the selfless one, silence is better than speech; when words could be false, noble silence is certainly preferable. Solitude is better than a bad friend; the peace of being alone surpasses bad companionship. To avoid the temptation and danger of coveting another’s spouse, literal blindness would be a lesser evil. Contentment is better than gains far away; the inner peace of having enough is superior to the stress and risk of pursuing distant profits. Each choice prioritises inner integrity and safety over external but perilous opportunities.
401 [sim., stm.]
Hīnacajjo pi ce hoti uṭṭhātā dhītimā naro
ācārasīlasampanno nise aggi va bhāsati.
Even a person of lowly birth, if having initiative, persistence and endowed with good conduct and virtue shines in an assembly, like a fire.
Even a person of lowly birth, if he possesses initiative and persistence, and is endowed with good conduct and virtue, will shine in an assembly like a fire. His intrinsic qualities: energy, determination, and morality are greater than his origins. When he enters a gathering, his virtue and capability radiate, commanding respect and giving illumination just as a flame lights up a dark room. True worth is self-made through effort and ethics, not inherited by way of birth.
402 [stm.]
Na jaccā vasalo hoti, na jaccā hoti Brahmaṇo,
kammunā vasalo hoti, kammunā hoti Brahmaṇo.
One is not an outcaste by birth, by birth one is not a Brahmin, by deeds one becomes an outcaste, one becomes a Brahmin by deeds.
One is not an outcaste by birth, nor is one a Brahmin by birth. These social categories are not determined by lineage. The true determinant is action: by deeds one becomes an outcaste, by deeds one becomes a Brahmin. An outcaste is one who acts cruelly, selfishly and unethically. A Brahmin is one who acts with purity, wisdom and restraint. Moral responsibility and spiritual status are entirely in the hands of the individual. Your deeds define you, not your bloodline.
403–404 [sim., stm.]
Pathavī veḷukapattaṁ, cakkavāḷaṁ sucipphalaṁ,
Sineru vammikaṁ khuddaṁ, samuddo pātikaṁ yathā,
ekeneva ca kappena mātukhīraṁ na sañcayaṁ
tato tu samuddo cāpi, atirekataraṁ bahuṁ.
Like a bamboo-leaf to the earth, a small fruit to the universe, an ant-hill to Sineru, a small bowl to the ocean, (so) mother’s milk accumulated during one whole aeon is not equal to an ocean, but is far more than that.
First there are a series of comparisons: a bamboo leaf is tiny compared to the whole earth, a single small fruit is insignificant against the entire universe, an anthill is minuscule beside Mount Sineru, and a small bowl holds but a drop compared to the ocean. These set the mind for a final, overwhelming comparison. The verse then reveals that the total amount of mother’s milk a single being drinks throughout countless lifetimes in one aeon is not merely comparable to the ocean, it actually exceeds the ocean by far. This is a statement about the immense duration of our wandering in saṁsāra, and the suffering it entails.
405 [stm.]
Brahmā ti mātāpitaro, pubbācariyā ti vuccare,
āhuneyyā ca puttānaṁ pajānam-anukampakā.
Mother and father are known as dieties, they are said to be our first teachers, as they are kind to their offspring they are worthy of offerings from their children.
Mother and father are known as deities, they are the visible, human gods who give life and sustenance. They are said to be our first teachers, the ones from whom we learn the fundamentals of life. Because they are kind to their offspring, they are worthy of offerings from their children. This frames filial piety not as mere social duty but as a religious obligation equivalent to honouring divinities and enlightened teachers. The home is the first temple, and parents are the first objects of reverence.
406–407 [adm.]
Tasmā hi ne namasseyya sakkareyya ca paṇḍito
annena atho pānena vatthena sayanena ca.
Ucchādanena nhāpena pādānaṁ dhovanena ca
uṭṭhāya pādacariyā upaṭṭhāpeyya paṇḍito.
Idheva naṁ pasaṁsanti, pecca sagge pamodati.
Therefore a wise one should honour and respect them This is a continuation of the previous verse, and them (ne) here means his parents. with food and drink, clothes and bedding. A wise one, after rising and going on foot, should attend to them by massaging, bathing and washing their feet. They praise him right here, and he rejoices when gone to heaven.
A wise child should honour and respect parents with the basic necessities: food, drink, clothes and bedding. Beyond material support, they should provide physical care: massaging, bathing and washing their feet. This service should be done personally and reverently, after rising and going on foot to them. The rewards are both social and spiritual: he is praised by wise people right here and so he gains a good reputation in this life. And he rejoices when in heaven where enjoys a blissful afterlife. Caring for parents is therefore a direct path to earthly honour and celestial happiness.
408 [ana., stm.]
Ekassekena kappena puggalass’ aṭṭhisañcayo
samaṁ pabbatarāsimhi iti vuttaṁ Mahesinā.
The Lord of Sages said that the heap of bones of one person during a whole aeon would be equal to a range of mountains.
If the heap of bones from a single person’s body over one whole aeon of repeated births and deaths were collected, it would be equal to a mountain range. This shocking image conveys two truths: the incredible length of our wandering in saṁsāra, and the physical cost of that wandering, a mountain of bones from just one being. It is a powerful antidote to complacency, urging the listener to recognise the wearisome, repetitive nature of uncontrolled rebirth and the urgent need to escape the cycle.
409 [stm.]
Sabbadānaṁ Dhammadānaṁ jināti,
sabbarasaṁ This is evidently meant to be Dhp 354, but we need to read sabbaṁ rasaṁ to repair the metre. The last line in Dhp reads: taṇhakkhayo sabbadukkhaṁ jināti, which again corrects the metre. Dhammaraso jināti,
sabbaratiṁ Dhammarati jināti,
sabbadukkhaṁ taṇhakkhayo jināti.
The gift of the Dhamma surpasses all gifts, the taste of the Dhamma surpasses all tastes, the love of the Dhamma surpasses all loves, craving’s destruction overcomes all suffering.
The gift of the Dhamma surpasses all gifts because sharing the teaching is the highest form of generosity. The taste of the Dhamma surpasses all tastes, as the joy of understanding is the sweetest experience. The love of the Dhamma surpasses all loves, for devotion to truth is the most fulfilling passion. The destruction of craving overcomes all suffering. The final line reveals the result: it is the means to the end of suffering itself. Nothing in the conditioned world can compete with the unconditioned truth.
410 [adm.]
Appamādaratā hotha, sacittam-anurakkhatha,
dukkhā uddharath’ attānaṁ paṅke sannaṁ va kuñjaro.
You should delight in heedfulness, you should always protect your mind, you should raise yourself from this suffering like the tusker sunk in the mud.
You should delight in heedfulness and find joy in vigilance, not in carelessness. You should always protect your mind and guard it from unwholesome states as a top priority. You should raise yourself from this morass of suffering, as your liberation is your own responsibility. Do this like a tusker sunk in the mud uses its own mighty strength to pull itself out. No one can save you but you, using the power of your own mindful effort. Heedfulness is the tool, self-reliance is the method and freedom from the mire of saṁsāra is the goal.
411 [adm.]
Caja dujjanasaṁsaggaṁ, bhaja sādhusamāgamaṁ,
kara puññam-ahorattiṁ, sara niccam-aniccataṁ.
Abandon association with bad people, be devoted to association with the good, do merit day and night, remember the (seemingly) permanent is impermanent.
Abandon association with bad people by removing negative influences. Associate with the good by seeking out noble friends and teachers. Always engage in wholesome deeds of generosity, virtue and meditation. Remember the permanent is impermanent so you should cultivate the insight that everything you cling to is transient. This is the complete path: ethical purification through good company, active accumulation of good deeds and the development of liberating wisdom.
412 [stm.]
Aniccā vata saṅkhārā, uppādavayadhammino,
uppajjitvā nirujjhanti, tesaṁ vūpasamo sukho.
Conditions are impermanent, their nature is arising and decay, after arising they cease, the stilling of them is happiness.
All conditions and compounded things are impermanent, they are processes, not stable entities, and therefore their existence is fleeting. Therefore the stilling of them is happiness. True happiness, Nibbāna, is not found in any arising thing, but in the cessation of the entire conditioned process: the stilling of all conditions and conditioned things. It points directly to the peace that is the end of all arising and passing away.
413 [stm.]
Na hi dhammo adhammo ca ubho samavipākino,
adhammo nirayaṁ neti, dhammo pāpeti suggatiṁ.
Both the good and the bad do not have the same result, the bad leads to purgatory, the good brings one to heaven.
The good and the bad do not have the same result. They lead to diametrically opposed destinations. The bad leads to purgatory, states of intense, even if temporary, suffering. The good brings one to heaven, the states of bliss. There is no moral equivalence, no neutral outcome. Every intentional action propels you inexorably towards one of these ends. Choose your deeds wisely, for they determine your future abiding in suffering or happiness.
414 [adm.]
Samasīsaṁ samapādaṁ, antarañ-ca samaṁ samaṁ,
idaṁ manasi nidhāya likheyya Piṭakattayan-ti.
One should write the Three Baskets keeping this in mind: it should have Understanding an unwritten bhāveyya. uniform margins at top and bottom and uniform spacing in between (the lines).
One should write the Dhamma down carefully. This underscores the theme of reverence for the Dhamma expressed through meticulous, beautiful craftsmanship. This closes the circle, transforming the reader who has received the teaching into a potential writer who will preserve and transmit it, ensuring the Dhammanīti itself continues to guide others with the same attention to detail it advocates for in life.