Patna Dhamma Verses As explained in my translation of the Pāḷi Dhammapada, the title, strictly speaking, is in the singular: Dhamma Verse, but as it is a collection it seems to make better sense in English to speak of it in the plural. I include the designation Patna in the title, to distinguish it from the Pāḷi collection, although it is only a conventional title.
Patna Dhammapadaṁ

Jamavarggaḥ Cone’s title was Jama. It seems she drew this title from the end-title, and that in the manuscript it was not written at this point. I have amended the title to agree with the written form of the end-title, and moved it to the top of the chapter, as is more normal these days. The titles are more Sanskritised than the text in many places, and seem to have been added later, they therefore sometimes disagree with the forms found in the text itself.
1: The Chapter about the Pairs

Siddhaṁ Cone notes that siddhaṁ is not written out, but is represented simply by a symbol. Exactly what the symbol looks like is not clear. Shukla represented it by Oṁ. Namaḥ Sarvvabuddhadharmmāryyasaṅghebhyaḥ.
Hail and Homage to all Buddhas, Dharmas and the Noble Saṅghas.

1. Manopūrvvaṅgamā dhammā,
manośreṣṭhā manojavā,
manasā ca ca is used as a conditional here and elsewhere in the text, as it can be in Pāḷi. praduṣṭena bhāṣate vā karoti vā,
tato naṁ dukham anneti
cakram vā vahato padaṁ.

1. Mind precedes thoughts,
mind is their chief, they are impelled by mind, The main difference in meaning from the Pāḷi version of this verse and the next is at the end of pāda b, where all parallels read -javā, impelled by (or some synonym thereof), for Pāḷi’s -mayā, made by. This reading -javā is also known in Pāḷi in a discussion of the verse in Peṭakopadesa: Manojavā ti yattha mano gacchati. Tattha ime dhammā gacchantī ti manojavā (PTS. 164), a reading summarily rejected by Ven. Ñāṇamoli, but confirmed by various editions. For the translation given here, see SED: javá, mfn. ( ju, or jū) swift AV. xix, 7, 1; m. (parox. Pāṇ. 3-3, 56, Vartt. 4 and 57) speed, velocity, swiftness RV. i, 112, 21; x, 111, 9 VS. AV. ŚBr. &c.; pl. impulse (of the mind) RV. x, 71, 8.
if with a base mind one speaks or acts,
through that, suffering follows him
like a wheel follows the ox’s foot.

2. Manopūrvvaṁgamā dhammā
manośreṣṭhā manojavā,
manasā ca prasannena bhāṣate vā karoti vā,
tato naṁ sukham anneti
cchāyā vā anapāyinī.

2. Mind precedes thoughts,
mind is their chief, they are impelled by mind,
if with pure mind one speaks or acts,
through that, happiness follows him
like a shadow which does not depart.

3. Iha śocati, precca śocati,
pāpakammo ubhayattha śocati,
so śocati, so vihannyati,
dṣṭā kammakileśam āttano.

3. Here he laments, after death he laments,
the wicked one laments in both places,
he laments, he suffers vexation,
seeing the defilement of his own deeds.

4. Iha nandati, precca nandati,
katapuñño ubhayattha nandati,
so nandati [   ]dati Roth and Shukla both suggest line c should be reconstructed: so nandati [so pamo]dati; although this would fit the metre, it is by no means sure.
dṣṭā kammaviśuddhim āttano.

Here he is happy, after death he is happy,
the meritorious one is happy in both places,
he is happy...
seeing the purity of his own deeds.

5. “Ākrośi maṁ, avadhi maṁ,
ajini maṁ, ahāsi me”,
ye tāni upanahyanti
veraṁ tesaṁ na śāmyati.

4. “He abused me, he struck at me,
he overcame me, he robbed me,”
those who bear these ill-will
their hatred is never appeased.

6. “Ākrośi maṁ, avadhi maṁ,
ajini maṁ, ahāsi me”,
ye tāni nopanahyanti
veraṁ tesaṁ upaśāmyati.

6. “He abused me, he struck at me,
he overcame me, he robbed me,”
those who do not bear these ill-will
their hatred is appeased.

7. Śubhānupaśśiṁ viharantaṁ,
indriyesu asaṁvtaṁ,
bhojanamhi amāttaññū,
kuśīdaṁ hīnavīriyaṁ –
taṁ ve prasahate Māro,
vāto rukkham va dubbalaṁ.

7. Living contemplating what is pleasant,
uncontrolled in sense faculties,
not knowing the limit in food,
indolent, low in energy –
Māra surely overthrows that one,
like wind overthrows a weak tree.

8. Aśubhānupaśśiṁ viharantaṁ,
indriyeṣu susaṁvtaṁ,
bhojanamhi ca māttraññū,
saddhaṁ, āraddhavīriyaṁ –
taṁ ve na prasahate Māro,
vāto śelaṁ va parvvataṁ.

8. Living contemplating the unpleasant,
well-controlled in sense faculties,
and knowing the limit in food,
faithful, with energy aroused –
Māra does not overthrow that one,
just as wind does not overthrow a mountain made of rock.

9. Sace labheyā nipakaṁ, sapraññaṁ
sāddhiñcaraṁ sādhuvihāra’ dhīraṁ,
adhibhūya sabbāṇi pariśravāṇi
careyā tenāttamano satīmā.

9. If you should find a prudent, wise companion,
one who lives well, a wise one,
overcoming all your troubles
you should live with that one, glad and mindful.

10. No ce labheyā nipakaṁ, sapraññaṁ
sāddhiñcaraṁ, sādhuvihāra’ dhīraṁ,
rājā va rāṣṭaṁ vijitaṁ prahāya,
eko ccare mātaṅgāranne va nāgo.

10. 10. If you do not find a prudent, wise companion,
one who lives well, a wise one,
like a king who abandons his conquered kingdom,
one should live alone like a solitary elephant in the forest.

11. Ekassa caritaṁ śreyo,
nāsti bāle bitīyatā, Bitīyatā, companionship, is an alternative form in Patna for normal Sanskrit dvitīyatā.
eko ccare na ca pāpāni kayirā,
appussuko mātaṅgāranne va nāgo.

11. 11. It is better to live alone,
there can be no companionship with a fool,
one should live alone and not do anything bad,
unconcerned like a solitary elephant in the forest.

12. Chandadoṣabhayā mohā
yo Dhammaṁ ativattati,
nīhīrate tassa yaśo,
kālapakkhe va candramā.

12. 12. He who, through desire, hatred, fear or delusion,
transgresses Dhamma, Other translations of this verse and the next by Cone (If anyone...) and Bodhi (If through...) see a conditional sense here, but there is no conditional word, and no need to use one, as the verse makes perfect sense as a direct statement.
his fame diminishes,
like the moon in the dark fortnight.

13. Chandadoṣabhayā mohā
yo Dhammaṁ nātivattati,
āpūrate tassa yaśo,
śuklapakkhe va candramā.

13. 13. He who, through desire, hatred, fear or delusion,
does not transgress Dhamma,
his fame increases,
like the moon in the bright fortnight.

Jamavarggaḥ
The Chapter about the Pairs

 

last updated: November 2017