Patna Dhamma Verses
Patna Dhammapadaṁ
Brāhmaṇavarggaḥ
3: The Chapter about Brahmins
34. Chinna sūtraṁ parākrāmma,
bhavaṁ praṇuda, brāhmaṇa,
saṅkhārāṇāṁ khayaṁ ñāttā,
akathaso si, brāhmaṇa.
34. Strive and cut off the thread,
remove continuity, brahmin,
knowing the destruction of the conditioned,
you are ... It is unclear whether
35. Yamhi Dhammaṁ vijāneyā,
vddhamhi daharamhi vā,
sakkacca naṁ namasseyā,
aggihotraṁ va brāhmaṇo.
35. That one from whom one learned Dhamma,
whether old or young,
with respect bow down to him,
like a brahmin bows at fire-sacrifice.
36. Yamhi Dhammaṁ vijāneyā
Sammasambuddhadeśitaṁ,
tam eva apacāyeyā,
aggihotraṁ va brāhmaṇo.
36. That one from whom one learned Dhamma
taught by the Perfect Sambuddha,
you should honor him,
like a brahmin honors the fire-sacrifice.
37. Na jaṭāhi na gotreṇa,
na jāccā hoti brāhmaṇo,
yo tu bāhati pāpāni,
aṇutthūlāni sabbaśo,
bāhanā eva pāpānāṁ,
brahmaṇo ti pravuccati.
37. Not because of matted hair,
family or birth is one a true brahmin,
he who wards off wickedness,
small or great, in every way,
through warding off wickedness,
he is called a brahmin.
38. Vārī pukkharapatte vā,
ārāgre-r-iva sāsavo,
yo na lippati kāmesu,
tam ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.
38. Like water on the lotus leaf,
like a mustard seed on a needle,
he who is unsmeared by desires,
that one I say is a brahmin.
39. Udayaṁ tapati ādicco,
ratrim ābhāti candramā,
sannaddho khattiyo tapati,
jhāyiṁ tapati brāhmaṇo,
atha sabbe ahorātte
Buddho tapati tejasā.
39. The sun is radiant when it rises,
the moon shines by night,
the accoutred noble is radiant,
the meditating brahmin is radiant,
yet during every day and night
the Buddha is radiant through his power.
40. Yassa pāram apāram vā
pārāpāraṁ na vijjati,
vītajjaraṁ visaṁyuttaṁ,
tam ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.
40. For whom the near shore,
the far shore or both do not exist,
free of fever, detached,
that one I say is a brahmin.
41. Yadā dayesu dhammesu pāragū hoti brāhmaṇo,
athassa sabbe saṁyogā
atthaṁ gacchanti jānato.
41. When a brahmin has, through two things, crossed over,
then, for one who knows,
all the fetters are laid to rest.
42. Sa khu so khīṇasaṁyogo,
khīṇamānapunabbhavo,
Saṅghāvasevī, Dhammaṭṭho,
saṅghaṁ na upeti vedagū.
42. He who destroyed the fetter,
destroyed conceit and continued existence,
living in the Community, standing by Dhamma,
the knowing one does not approach society. There is a play on the meanings of
43. Akakkaśiṁ vinnapaṇiṁ
girāṁ saccam udīraye,
tāya nābhiṣape kañci,
tam ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.
43. Whoever should speak a word of truth
that is informed and is not coarse,
through which no one would be cursed,
that one I say is a brahmin.
44. Asaṁsaṭṭhaṁ ghaṭṭhehi anagārehi cūbhayaṁ,
anokasāriṁ appicchaṁ,
tam ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.
44. Whoever doesn’t mix with either householders or the houseless,
wandering homeless, with few desires,
that one I say is a brahmin.
45. Yassa kāyena vācāya manasā nāsti dukkataṁ,
saṁvtaṁ trisu ṭṭhāṇesu,
tam ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.
45. For whom there is no wrong-doing bodily, verbally or mentally,
being restrained in these three things,
that one I say is a brahmin.
46. Mā brāhmaṇassa prahare,
nāssa mucceya brāhmaṇo,
dhī brāhmaṇassa hantāraṁ,
yassa vā su na The insertion of a negative here, which is not found in any of the parallels, makes the meaning very difficult. I have not seen a way to resolve this problem. muccati.
46. A brahmin should not hit a brahmin,
nor should he abandon him,
woe to the one who strikes a brahmin,
and to the one who does not abandon him.
47. Mātaraṁ paṭhamaṁ hantā,
rājānaṁ do ca khattiye,
rāṣṭaṁ sānucaraṁ hantā,
anigho carati brāhmaṇo.
47. Destroying mother first,
and then two noble kings,
destroying a kingdom and its followers,
the brahmin lives untroubled.
48. Gambhīrapraññaṁ medhāviṁ,
māggāmāggassa kovidaṁ,
uttamāttham anuprāttaṁ,
tam ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.
48. The deeply wise sagacious one,
skilled in what is path and not path,
who has reached the ultimate good,
that one I say is a brahmin.
49. Jhāyiṁ virajam āsīnaṁ,
katakiccaṁ anāsavaṁ,
uttamātthaṁ anuprāttaṁ,
tam ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.
49. The meditator sitting down, the one who is dustless,
who has done his duty, without pollutants,
who has reached the ultimate good,
that one I say is a brahmin.
Brāhmaṇavarggaḥ
The Chapter about Brahmins