Patna Dhamma Verses
Patna Dhammapadaṁ
Atthavarggaḥ
5: The Chapter about Need The word
65. Atthesu jātesu sukhā sakhāyā,
puññaṁ sukhaṁ jīvitasaṅkhayamhi,
toṣṭī sukhā yā itarītarena,
sabbassa pāpassa sukhaṁ prahāṇaṁ.
65. Friends are good whenever need arises,
at the break-up of life merit is good,
being content with everything is good,
the abandoning of all wickedness is good.
66. Sukhā mātreatā loke,
tato petteatā sukhā,
śāmannatā sukhā loke,
tato brāhmannatā sukhā.
66. Respecting one’s mother is good in the world,
also respecting one’s father is good,
respecting ascetics is good in the world,
also respecting true brahmins is good.
67. Sukhaṁ yāvaj jarā śīlaṁ,
sukhā śraddhā pratiṣṭhitā,
sukhā attharasā vācā,
assiṁ mānakkhayo sukho.
67. Virtuous conduct till old age is good,
the establishing of faith is good,
speech that is beneficial Literally: having the flavour of benefit, which does not work well in English. In Pāḷi
the destruction of conceit is good.
68. Sukho Buddhāna’ uppādo,
sukhā Dhammassa deśanā,
sukhā Saṅghassa sāmaggrī,
samaggrāṇāṁ tapo sukho.
68. The arising of the Buddhas is good,
the teaching of the Dhamma is good,
the harmony of the Saṅgha is good,
devotion to harmony is good.
69. Sukhaṁ daṁśanam ayirāṇāṁ,
saṁvāso pi satāṁ sukho,
addaṁśanena bālānāṁ
niccam eva sukhī siyā.
69. Meeting Lit: seeing, but the force of it is that one meets with the noble ones. with the noble is pleasant,
living with good people is pleasant,
through not meeting foolish people
one will constantly be happy.
70. Bālāsaṅgatacārī hi
drīgham addhāna’ śocati,
dukkho bālehi saṁvāso
amittehi-r-iva sabbadā,
dhīrā tu sukhasaṁvāsā
ñātīnaṁ vā samāgamo.
70. For he who consorts with fools
grieves for a long time,
dwelling with fools is always suffering
as it is with enemies,
the wise ones dwell happily
as with an assembly of kin.
71. Tassā hi dhīraṁ ca bahuśśutañ-ca,
dhoreyaśīlavratamantam ayiraṁ –
taṁ tārisaṁ sappuruṣaṁ sumedhaṁ
sevetha nakkhattapathe va candramā.
71. Therefore the firm and the learned,
the virtuous, dutiful and noble –
follow such a true and intelligent person
as the moon follows the course of the stars.
72. Priyāto jāyate dukkhaṁ,
priyā śokā, priyā bhayaṁ,
priyāto vipramuttassa
nāsti śokā, kato bhayaṁ?
72. From love there arises grief,
with love grief, with love fear,
for one who is free from love
there is no grief, how is there fear?
73-74. Mā priyehi samāgamma The form appears to be absolutive, which does not fit with the prohibitive particle.
apriyehi kadācanaṁ,
priyassa addaṁśanaṁ dukkhaṁ,
apriyassa ca daṁśanaṁ.
Tassā priyaṁ na kayirātha,
priyāvādo hi pāpako.
Ggranthā tesaṁ na vijjanti
yesaṁ nāsti priyāpriyaṁ.
73-74. Do not associate at any time
with those who are loved or with those unloved,
there is suffering not meeting the loved one, We have plural forms in the opening pādayuga, and singular in the concluding one.
and suffering from meeting the unloved one.
Therefore do not hold anything as loved,
for speaking of the loved is loathsome.
There are no knots for those
who hold nothing as loved or as unloved.
75. Chudhā parama rogāṇāṁ,
saṅkhāraparamaṁ dukhaṁ,
etaṁ ñāttā yathābhūtaṁ,
Nibbāṇaparamaṁ sukhaṁ.
75. Hunger is the supreme sickness,
conditions are the supreme suffering,
knowing this as it really is,
know Nibbāna is the supreme good.
76. Āroggaparamā lābhā,
sāntoṣṭīparamaṁ dhanaṁ,
viśśāsaparamā ñātī,
Nibbāṇaparamaṁ sukhaṁ.
76. Health is the supreme gain,
content the supreme wealth,
confidence the supreme kin,
Nibbāna the supreme good.
77. Māttāsukhapariccāgā,
paśśe ce vipulāṁ sukhaṁ,
caje māttāsukhaṁ dhīro,
sampaśśaṁ vipulāṁ sukham.
77. If, by renouncing a small good,
he might see a good that is large,
the wise one should renounce that small good,
seeing the good that is extensive.
78. Manujassa sadā satīmato,
māttaṁ jāniya laddhibhojane,
tanukāssa bhavanti vedanā,
śanikaṁ jīrati, āyu pālayaṁ.
78. For a human who is always mindful,
knowing the measure in food received,
his painful feelings become slight,
he ages slowly, guarding his lifespan.
79. Dullabho puruṣājañño,
na so sabbattha jāyati,
yattha so jāyate vīro,
taṁ kulaṁ sukham edhati.
79. A person of good breed is rare,
that one is not born everywhere,
wherever that hero is born,
that family gains happiness.
80. Sabbattha ve sappuruṣā bhavanti,
na kāmakāmā lapayanti santo;
sukhena phuṭṭhā uttavā dukhena
noccāvacaṁ sappuruṣā karonti.
80. There are surely true people everywhere,
the good do not talk of desiring sense-pleasures;
when touched by pleasure or by suffering,
true people are not elated or depressed.
81. Jayaṁ veraṁ prasavati,
dukkhaṁ śeti parājito,
upaśānto sukhaṁ śeti,
hettā jayaparājayaṁ.
81. The victor generates hatred,
the defeated one finds suffering,
the one at peace lives happily,
having abandoned victory and defeat.
82. Sukhā najjo sūpatitthā,
sukho Dhammajito jano,
sukho śraddhapaṭīlābho,
pāpassa akaraṇaṁ sukhaṁ.
82. Pleasant are rivers with good fords,
pleasant is the person conquered by Dhamma,
the acquisition of faith is good,
doing nothing wicked is good.
83. Sukhaṁ draṣṭuṁ śīlavanto,
sukhaṁ draṣṭuṁ bahuśśutā,
Arahanto pi sukhaṁ draṣṭuṁ,
vipramuttā niropadhī.
83. It is pleasant to meet the virtuous,
it is pleasant to meet the learned,
it is pleasant to meet the Worthy Ones,
who are free from attachments.
Atthavarggaḥ
The Chapter about Need