Patna Dhamma Verses
Patna Dhammapadaṁ
Śokavarggaḥ
6: The Chapter about Grief
84. Ye keci śokā paridevitaṁ vā,
dukkhaṁ va lokamhi anekarūpaṁ,
priyaṁ paṭicca prabhavanti ete,
priye asante na bhavanti ete.
84. Whatever griefs or lamentations there are,
and the many kinds of suffering in the world,
these all arise because of love,
without loves, these do not originate.
85. Tassā hi te sukhino vītaśokā,
yesaṁ priyaṁ nāsti kahiñci loke,
tassā aśokaṁ virajaṁ prātthayānā,
priyaṁ na kayirātha kahiñci loke.
85. Therefore they are happy and free from grief,
who are without love for anything in the world,
therefore those wanting what is griefless, dust-free,
should not have love for anything in the world.
86. Gataddhuno viśokassa,
vipramuttassa sabbahiṁ,
sabbaggrantaprahīṇassa,
paridāhā na vijjati.
86. For the one who has reached his goal, who grieves not,
being released on all sides,
who has abandoned all the knots, I am taking it Patna is a scribal mistake for -
no consuming fever is found.
87. Yesāṁ sannicayo nāsti,
ye pariñātabhojanā,
ākāśe va śakuntānāṁ,
padaṁ tesāṁ durannayaṁ.
87. For those who have no stores,
those who comprehend food aright,
like the birds in the sky,
their footprint is hard to find.
88. Śānto tassa mano hoti,
śāntā vācā ca kammu ca,
sammad aññāvimuttassa,
upaśāntassa tāyino.
88. His mind is calm,
his speech and his actions are also calm,
liberated by right knowledge,
such a one is truly peaceful.
89. Yassendriyāṇi samataṁ gatāni,
aśśā yathā sārathinā sudāntā,
prahīṇamānassa anāsavassa –
devā pi tassa prihayanti tāyino.
89. For the one whose senses are balanced,
like horses well-trained by their charioteer,
who has abandoned conceit, who is without pollutants –
even the gods envy such a one.
90. Dāntaṁ nayanti samitiṁ,
dāntaṁ rājābhirūhati,
dānto śreṣṭho manuṣyesu,
yo ’tivāde titikkhati.
90. They lead one trained into a crowd,
a king mounts one who has been trained,
amongst humans one trained is best,
the one who can endure reproof.
91. Varam assatarā dāntā,
ājāneyā ca Sendhavā,
kuñjarā va mahānāgā,
āttā dānto tato varaṁ.
91. Noble are the well-trained horses,
the well-bred horses from Sindh,
and the great tusker elephants,
and even more noble than that
is the one who has trained himself.
92. Na hi tehi jānajātehi tāṁ bhūmim abhisambhave,
yathāttanā sudāntena,
dānto dāntena gacchati.
92. Not by these vehicles can one reach that place,
as one through training himself well,
being trained by the training, goes. The verse reads very awkwardly.
93. Śelo yathā ekaghano vātena na samīrati,
evaṁ nindāpraśaṁsāsu na samīranti paṇḍitā.
93. Just as solid rock is not shaken by the wind,
so the wise are not shaken by blame or praise.
94. Anikkaṣāyo kāṣāyaṁ,
yo vastaṁ paridhehiti,
apeto damasaccena,
na so kāṣāyam arihati.
94. The one who, while still impure,
would wear the renunciant’s robe,
unendowed with restraint and truth,
is not worthy of the renunciant’s robe.
95. Yo tu vāntakaṣāyassa,
śīlehi susamāhito,
upeto damasaccena,
sa ve kāṣāyam arihati.
95. The one who, steady in virtue,
throws out any impurity,
endowed with restraint and truth,
is indeed worthy of the renunciant’s robe.
Śokavarggaḥ
The Chapter about Grief