24. Peyālavarga
The Chapter Involving Repetition Like the last 14 verses of the previous chapter, this chapter extends variations on just 4 verses to fill the whole chapter.
(35 Verses)
[24.1]
[stm.]
Yac ca gāthāśataṁ bhāṣed anarthapadasaṁhitam,
ekam arthapadaṁ śreyo, yac chrutvā hy upaśāmyati.
There is one who may speak a hundred verses consisting of unbeneficial words, but better is one verse having meaning, through hearing which one is calmed.
[24.2]
[stm.]
Yac ca gāthāśataṁ bhāṣed adharmapadasaṁhitam,
ekaṁ Dharmapadaṁ śreyo, yac chrutvā hy upaśāmyati.
There is one who may speak a hundred verses consisting of unbeneficial words, but better is one verse of Dharma, through hearing which one is calmed.
[24.3 Whereas the Dhammapada has just 6 variations on this theme, Uv has altogether 12 verses. ]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīved, duḥśīlo hy asamāhitaḥ,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyaḥ, sadā śīlavataḥ śuceḥ.
There is one who might live for a hundred years, unvirtuous and uncomposed, but better is one day, for one always having virtue and purity.
[24.4]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīved, duṣprajño hy asamāhitaḥ,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyaḥ, prājñasya dhyāyinaḥ sadā.
There is one who might live for a hundred years, lacking wisdom, uncomposed, but better is one day, always wise and being meditative.
[24.5]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīvet, kusīdo hīnavīryavān,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyo, vīryam ārabhato dṛḍham.
There is one who might live for a hundred years, indolent, deficient in energy, but better is one day, for one with steadfast energy aroused.
[24.6]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīved apaśyann udayavyayam,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyaḥ, paśyato hy udayavyayam.
There is one who might live for a hundred years not seeing rise and fall, but better is one day, for one seeing rise and fall.
[24.7]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīved apaśyaṁ vedanākṣayam,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyaḥ, paśyato vedanākṣayam.
There is one who might live for a hundred years without seeing the destruction of feelings, but better is one day, for one seeing the destruction of feelings.
[24.8]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīved apaśyann āsravakṣayam,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyaḥ, paśyato hy āsravakṣayam.
There is one who might live for a hundred years not seeing the destruction of the pollutants, but better is one day, for one seeing the destruction of the pollutants.
[24.9]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīved apaśyann acalaṁ padam,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyaḥ, paśyato hy acalaṁ padam.
There is one who might live for a hundred years not seeing the unmoved state, but better is one day, for one seeing the unmoved state.
[24.10]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīved apaśyann acyutaṁ padam,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyaḥ, paśyato hy acyutaṁ padam.
There is one who might live for a hundred years not seeing the undying state, but better is one day, for one seeing the undying state.
[24.11]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīved apaśyann arajaḥ padam,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyaḥ, paśyato hy arajaḥ padam.
There is one who might live for a hundred years not seeing the dustless state, but better is one day, for one seeing the dustless state.
[24.12]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīved apaśyaṁ virajaḥ padam,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyaḥ, paśyato virajaḥ padam.
There is one who might live for a hundred years not seeing the dustless state, but better is one day, for one seeing the dustless state.
[24.13]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīved apaśyaṁ durdṛśaṁ padam,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyaḥ, paśyato durdṛśaṁ padam.
There is one who might live for a hundred years without seeing the state hard to see, but better is one day, for one seeing the state hard to see.
[24.14]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīved apaśyann uttamaṁ padam,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyaḥ, paśyato hy uttamaṁ padam.
There is one who might live for a hundred years not seeing the supreme state, but better is one day, for one seeing the supreme state.
[24.15]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ jīved apaśyann amṛtaṁ padam,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyaḥ, paśyato hy amṛtaṁ padam.
There is one who might live for a hundred years not seeing the deathless state, but better is one day, for one seeing the deathless state.
[24.16]
[stm.]
Yac ca varṣaśataṁ pūrṇam agniṁ paricared vane,
yac caikaṁ bhāvitātmānaṁ muhūrtam api pūjayet –
sā tasya pūjanā śreṣṭhā na tad varṣaśataṁ hutam.
There is one who might tend the sacred fire in the forest for a full hundred years, and one who might worship someone with cultivated self even for a moment – that worship is surely better than the hundred-year sacrifice.
[24.17]
[stm.]
Māse māse kuśāgreṇa yo hi bhuñjīta bhojanam,
na tad Buddhe prasādasya kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who might from month to month eat food with the tip of kuśa-grass, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with confidence in the Buddha.
[24.18]
[stm.]
Māse māse kuśāgreṇa yo hi bhuñjīta bhojanam,
na tad Dharme prasādasya kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who from month to month may eat food with the tip of kuśa-grass, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with confidence in the Dharma.
[24.19]
[stm.]
Māse māse kuśāgreṇa yo hi bhuñjīta bhojanam,
na tat Saṁghe prasādasya kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who from month to month may eat food with the tip of kuśa-grass, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with confidence in the Saṁgha.
[24.20]
[stm.]
Māse māse kuśāgreṇa yo hi bhuñjīta bhojanam,
na tac chīle prasādasya kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who from month to month may eat food with the tip of kuśa-grass, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with confidence in virtue.
[24.20A]
[stm.]
Māse māse kuśāgreṇa yo hi bhuñjīta bhojanam,
na taṁ maitrasya cittasya kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who from month to month may eat food with the tip of kuśa-grass, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with a heart of loving-kindness.
[24.20B]
[stm.]
Māse māse kuśāgreṇa yo hi bhuñjīta bhojanam,
na tat satvānukampāyā kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who from month to month may eat food with the tip of kuśa-grass, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with compassion for sentient beings.
[24.20C]
[stm.]
Māse māse kuśāgreṇa yo hi bhuñjīta bhojanam,
na tat prāṇānukampāyā kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who from month to month may eat food with the tip of kuśa-grass, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with compassion for breathing beings.
[24.20D]
[stm.]
Māse māse kuśāgreṇa yo hi bhuñjīta bhojanam,
na tad bhūtānukampāyā kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who from month to month may eat food with the tip of kuśa-grass, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with compassion for beings.
[24.20E]
[stm.]
Māse māse kuśāgreṇa yo hi bhuñjīta bhojanam,
na tat svākhyāta-Dharmasya kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who from month to month may eat food with the tip of kuśa-grass, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one having the well-taught Dharma.
[24.21]
[stm.]
Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeta samāśatam,
na tad Buddhe prasādasya kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who might give alms with a thousand coins month by month for a hundred years, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with confidence in the Buddha.
[24.22]
[stm.]
Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeta samāśatam,
na tad Dharme prasādasya kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who might give alms with a thousand coins month by month for a hundred years, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with confidence in the Dharma.
[24.23]
[stm.]
Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeta samāśatam,
na tat Saṁghe prasādasya kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who might give alms with a thousand coins month by month for a hundred years, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with confidence in the Saṁgha.
[24.24]
[stm.]
Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeta samāśatam,
na tac chīle prasādasya kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who might give alms with a thousand coins month by month for a hundred years, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with confidence in virtue.
[24.25]
[stm.]
Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeta samāśatam,
na taṁ maitrasya cittasya kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who might give alms with a thousand coins month by month for a hundred years, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with a heart of loving-kindness.
[24.26]
[stm.]
Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeta samāśatam,
na tat satvānukampāyā kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who might give alms with a thousand coins month by month for a hundred years, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with compassion for sentient beings.
[24.27]
[stm.]
Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeta samāśatam,
na tat prāṇānukampāyā kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who might give alms with a thousand coins month by month for a hundred years, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with compassion for breathing beings.
[24.28]
[stm.]
Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeta samāśatam,
na tad bhūtānukampāyā kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who might give alms with a thousand coins month by month for a hundred years, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one with compassion for beings.
[24.29]
[stm.]
Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeta samāśatam,
na tat svākhyātadharmasya kalām arghati ṣoḍaśīm.
There is one who might give alms with a thousand coins month by month for a hundred years, but that is not worth a sixteenth part of one having the well-taught Dharma.
[24.30]
[stm.]
Yat kiṁ cid iṣṭaṁ ca hutaṁ ca loke
saṁvatsaraṁ yajati puṇyaprekṣī,
sarvaṁ pi taṁ na caturbhāgam eti –
abhivādanaṁ tv ṛjjugateṣu śreyaḥ.
Whatever alms or sacrifice in the world one seeking merit offers for a year, all that does not even come to a quarter of the merit – worship towards the upright is better.
Peyālavargaḥ, 24
The Chapter about Repetition, the Twenty-Fourth