Patna Dhamma Verses
Patna Dhammapadaṁ
Kalyāṇīvarggaḥ
7: The Chapter about the Wholesome Again the title does not seem to be particularly well chosen, as only the first verse has the word
96. Abhittaretha kallāṇe,
pāpā cittaṁ nivāraye,
dandhaṁ hi karato puññaṁ pāpamhi ramate mano.
96. Hasten to do wholesome deeds,
ward off the mind from wickedness,
for the mind of the one slow in merit delights in wickedness.
97. Kayira ce puruṣo pāpaṁ,
na naṁ kayirā punappuno,
na tamhi chandaṁ kayirātha,
dukkho pāpassa saṁcayo.
97. Should a person do that which is wicked,
he should not do it again and again,
let him not place his intention in it,
for there is an accumulation of suffering for the wicked one.
98. Kayira ce puruṣo puṁñaṁ,
kayira cenaṁ punappuno,
tamhi eva chandaṁ kayirātha,
sukho puññassa sañcayo.
98. If a person should make merit,
he should do it again and again,
let him place his intention there,
there is an increase of joy for the one who has made merit.
99. Śuddhasseva sadā phaggū,
suddasso ’poṣatho sadā,
śuddhassa śucikammassa,
sadā sampajjate vrataṁ.
99. For the pure one there is always fasting,
for the pure one there is always the fast day,
for the pure one, the one of clean deeds,
his vow always succeeds.
100. Akataṁ dukkataṁ śreyo,
pacchā tapati dukkataṁ,
“Dukkataṁ me kataṁ” ti śocati
bhūyo śocati, doggatiṁ gato.
100. Better undone is a wrong-doing,
a wrong-doing one later regrets,
he grieves, thinking: “I have done a bad deed,”
gone to a bad fate, he grieves much more.
101. Katañ-ca sukataṁ seyyo,
yaṁ katvā nānutappati,
“Sukataṁ me kataṁ” ti nandati,
bhūyo nandati, soggatiṅ gato.
101. Better done is what is well-done, which,
when done, one does not regret
he is happy, thinking: “I have done a good deed,”
gone to a good fate, he is happy much more.
102. Pāpo pi paśśate bhadraṁ
yāva pāpaṁ na paccati,
yadā tu paccate pāpaṁ
atha pāpo pāpāni paśśati.
102. Even the wicked one experiences good fortune
while the wickedness does not ripen,
but when the wickedness ripens
then the wicked one experiences wicked things.
103. Bhadro pi paśśate pāpaṁ
yāva bhadraṁ na paccati,
yadā tu paccate bhadraṁ
atha bhadro bhadrāṇi paśśati.
103. Even the fortunate one experiences wickedness
as long as the good fortune does not ripen,
but when the fortune ripens
then the fortunate one experiences good fortune.
104. Pāpaṁ pi karato bhadraṁ
yāva pāpaṁ na paccati,
atha payirāgate kāle
pāpo pāpāni paśśati.
104. Even the wicked one does good
while the wickedness does not ripen,
but when the time has gone by
the wicked one experiences wicked things.
105. Bhadraṁ pi karato pāpaṁ
yāva bhadraṁ na paccati,
atha payirāgate kāle
bhadro bhadrāṇi paśśati.
105. Even the fortunate one does wickedness
as long as the good fortune does not ripen,
but when the time has gone by
the fortunate one experiences good fortune.
106. Pāṇimhi ce vraṇo nāssa
dhāreyā pāṇinā viṣaṁ,
nāvraṇe viṣam anneti
nāsti pāpaṁ akurvvato.
106. If there is no wound for him in his hand
he can carry poison with his hand,
poison does not enter without a wound,
there is no wickedness for the one who does not do wrong.
107. Na hi pāpakaṁ kataṁ kammaṁ
sajjaṁ chīraṁ va mucchati,
dahantaṁ bālam anneti
bhassachanno va pāpako.
107. A wicked deed that has been done,
like milk, does not turn all at once,
smouldering, it follows the fool,
like a fire covered with ashes. Patna seems to have regularised the reading
108. Na hi pāpakaṁ kataṁ kammaṁ,
sajjaṁ śastam va kantati,
maraṇo ’peto hi jānāti
yā gatī pāpakammuṇo.
108. A wicked deed that has been done,
like a knife, does not cut all at once,
but when death comes he knows
the destiny of those who do wickedness.
109. Anāgataṁ paṭikayirātha kiccaṁ,
mā vo kiccaṁ kiccakāle vyadheyā,
taṁ tārisaṁ paṭikatakiccakāriṁ,
na naṁ kiccaṁ kiccakāle vyadheti.
109. You should prepare beforehand what is to be done,
do not tremble at what is to be done at the time for it,
for such a one who has prepared what is to be done,
does not tremble at what is to be done at the time for it.
110. Paṭikacceva taṁ kayirā
yaṁ ñāyyā hitam āttano,
na śākaṭikamanti ’ssa
mantaṁ dhīro parākrame.
110. One should prepare to do that
which one knows is for one’s welfare,
the sage, the wise one should make effort,
not with the thinking of the charioteer.
111-112. Yathā śākaṭiko māggaṁ samaṁ hettā mahāpathaṁ,
viṣamaṁ māggam āsājja,
akkhachinno ’tha jhāyati,
evaṁ Dhammā apakrāmma
adhammam anuvattiya,
bālo maccumukhaṁ prātto,
akkhachinno va jhāyati.
111-112. As the charioteer who abandoned the smooth path of the highway,
and approached the rough path,
then he broods, as upon a broken axle,
so the one departing from Dhamma
and following what is not Dhamma,
when that fool comes to Death’s jaws he broods,
as upon a broken axle.
113. Kāṣāyakaṇṭhā bahavo
pāpadhammā asaṁyyatā.
Pāpā! Pāpehi kammehi
nirayaṁ te upapajjatha.
113. Many wearing the monastic robe around their necks
are wicked, unrestrained.
Wicked ones! Through your wicked deeds,
you re-arisein the underworld.
114. Abhūtavādī nirayaṁ upeti,
yo cāpi kattā: ‘Na karomī’ The tense is very awkward and there has been much discussion about the original form of the verse. It would be easy to read
ubho pi te precca samā bhavanti
nihīnakammā manujā paratra.
114. One who speaks what is untrue goes to the underworld,
he who says: ‘I do not do’ what he has done,
both of these are just the same when they have gone
to the hereafter, they are humans who did base deeds.
115. Yo apraduṣṭassa naro praduṣyati,
śuddhassa poṣassa anaṅgaṇassa:
tam eva bālaṁ pracceti pāpaṁ,
sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṁ va khitto.
115. He who offends against the inoffensive one,
a purified and passionless person:
that wicked deed then returns to the fool,
like fine dust that is thrown against the wind.
116. Vāṇijo va bhayaṁ māggaṁ,
appasāttho mahaddhano,
viṣaṁ jīvitukāmo va,
pāpāni parivajjaye.
116. Like a merchant on a fearful path,
with few friends and great wealth,
as one loving life would avoid poison,
so should one avoid wicked deeds.
117. Paradukkhopadhānena yo icche sukham āttano,
verasaṁsaggasaṁsaṭṭho,
dukkhā na parimuccati.
117. He who desires happiness for himself
by causing suffering for another,
being associated thus with hatred,
is not fully released from suffering.
118. Kuṇapassa pi gandhucchijjati,
uddhukitassa pi rāti accayā,
puruṣassa adhammacāriṇo
annāhaṁ gandho na chijjati.
118. The smell of a corpse is cut off eventually,
also of one bloated There is no sense to be made of the word, Cone suggests
but of the man who lives not by Dhamma
day by day his smell is never cut off.
119-120. Yatha ggrahapatayo prabhūtaratanā,
āḍitte nagaramhi dahyamāne,
muttāmaṇiphaṭikarajataheto,
vyāyamanti api “Nīharema kiñci”,
tatha-r-iva śamaṇā prabhūtapraññā
ayirā ayirapathesu sicchamānā,
jātijarāmaraṇabhayāddittā dukkhāṭṭā,
vyāyamanti api: “Prāpuṇema śāntiṁ”.
119-120. Just as householders having great treasures,
when the city is on fire and burning,
because of their pearls, jewels, crystal and silver,
make effort, thinking: “We will save something”,
so the ascetics of great wisdom,
noble ones training along the noble path,
oppressed with the fear of birth,
old age, death, afflicted by suffering,
make effort, thinking: “We will attain peace”.
Kalyāṇīvarggaḥ
The Chapter about the Wholesome