Patna Dhamma Verses
Patna Dhammapadaṁ
Daṇḍavarggaḥ
12: The Chapter about the Stick
195. Na naggacariyā na jaṭā na paṅko,
nānāśanaṁ tthaṇḍīlaśāyikā vā,
rajocelaṁ ukkuṭukapradhānaṁ,
śodhenti māccaṁ avitiṇṇakañchaṁ.
195. Neither going naked, nor matted hair, nor mud,
nor fasting or lying on stony ground,
dusty clothes, or striving while squatting,
can purify a mortal who has not removed uncertainty.
196. Alaṅkato cāpi samaṁ careyā,
dānto śānto niyato Dhammacārī,
sabbesu prāṇesu nidhāya daṇḍaṁ,
so brāhmaṇo so śamaṇo sa bhikkhū.
196. Even if he were to adorn himself,
but is trained, peaceful, settled, living by Dhamma,
and has put aside the stick towards all living beings,
he is a brahmin, an ascetic, a monastic.
197. Mā vade paruṣaṁ kañci,
vuttā paṭivadeyu’ taṁ,
dukkhā hi sārambhakathā,
paṭidaṇḍā phuseyu’ taṁ.
197. Do not speak anything harsh,
spoken to they might answer back to you,
for arrogant talk entails misery,
and they might strike you back with a stick.
198. Sace iresi āttānaṁ
kaṁso upahato-r-iva,
jātimaraṇasaṁsāraṁ
ciraṁ praccanubhohisi.
198. If you make a sound
like a gong that is struck,
you will undergo the rounds of births and deaths for a long time.
199. Na ce iresi āttānaṁ
kaṁso anupahato-r-iva,
esa prātto si Nibbāṇaṁ,
sārambhā te na vijjati.
199. If you make no sound like a gong that is not struck,
you are like one who has attained Nibbāna,
contention is not found in you.
200. Yathā daṇḍena gopālo gāvo pājeti gocaraṁ,
evaṁ jarā ca maccū ca prāṇināṁ adhivattati.
200. Like a cowherd with a stick drives cattle to pasture,
so do old age and death overpower living beings.
201. Yathā daṇḍena gopālo gāvo rakṣati sāmināṁ,
evaṁ rakkhatha āttānaṁ,
khaṇo vo mā upaccagū,
khaṇātītā hi śocanti
nirayamhi samappitā.
201. Like a cowherd with a stick protects the owner’s cattle,
so one should watch over oneself,
and you should not let the moment pass,
for when the chance has passed
they grieve when consigned to the underworld.
202. Sabbe trasanti daṇḍānāṁ,
sabbesaṁ jīvitaṁ priyaṁ,
āttānaṁ upamaṁ kattā,
neva haṁyyā na ghātaye.
202. Everyone trembles at sticks,
for all of them life is dear,
comparing oneself with others,
one should not hurt or have them hurt.
203. Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni yo daṇḍena vihiṁsati,
āttano sukham eṣāṇo,
precca so na labhate sukhaṁ.
203. One who harms with a stick beings who desire happiness,
while seeking happiness for himself,
won’t find happiness after death.
204. Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni yo daṇḍena na vihiṁsati,
āttano sukham eṣāṇo,
precca so labhate sukhaṁ.
204. One who harms not with a stick beings who desire happiness,
while seeking happiness for himself,
will find happiness after death.
205. Na bhajetha pāpake mitre,
na bhajetha puruṣādhame,
bhajetha praññe medhāvī,
bhajetha puruṣottame,
tārise bhajamānassa
śreyo hoti na pāpiyo.
205. One should not keep company with wicked friends,
one should not keep company with the ignoble,
you should keep company with the sage and wise,
you should keep company with superior people.
keeping company with such is surely better for you, not worse.
206. Nidhino va pravattāraṁ
yaṁ paśśe vajjadaṁśinaṁ,
nighyavādiṁ medhāvīṁ
tārisaṁ puruṣaṁ bhaje;
tārisaṁ bhajamānassa
śreyo hoti na pāpiyo.
206. One should regard someone who shows your faults
just like one who points out hidden treasure,
one should keep company with
such a sagacious person who reproves you;
keeping company with such is surely better for you, not worse.
207. Ovadeyā anuśāseyā,
asabbhāto nivāraye,
satāṁ hetaṁ priyaṁ hoti,
asatāṁ hoti apriyaṁ.
207. One should advise and instruct,
and forbid whatever is vile,
for this is dear to the good,
but it is not dear to the bad.
208. Tassā satāñ-ca asatāñ-ca nānā hoti ito gatī,
asanto nirayaṁ yānti,
santo saggaparāyaṇā.
208. Therefore the good and the bad from here go to various destinies,
the bad go to the underworld,
the good cross over to heaven.
209. Appaśśuto ayaṁ puruṣo balivaddo va jīrati,
māṁsāni tassa vaddhanti,
praññā tassa na vaddhati.
209. The person of little learning increases in age like an ox,
for although his flesh does increase,
his wisdom does not increase.
210. Cattāri ṭṭhānāni naro pramatto,
āpajjate paradāropasevī:
apuññalābhaṁ, anikāmaśeyaṁ,
nindaṁ tritīyaṁ, nirayaṁ catutthaṁ.
210. There are four states the man who is heedless,
the man who consorts with other man’s wives, undergoes:
he gains demerit, an uncomfortable bed,
blame as third, and rebirth in the underworld as fourth.
211. Apuññalābho ca gatī ca pāpiko,
bhītassa bhītāya ratī pi appikā,
rājā ca daṇḍaṁ garukaṁ praṇeti,
kāyassa bhedā nirayaṁ upeti.
211. Gaining demerit and a bad destiny,
and only the little delight of a scared man with a scared woman,
and kings who apply heavy punishment,
at the break up of the body he goes to the underworld.
212. Saṁyyatā sugatiṁ yānti,
doggatiṁ yānti asaṁyyatā,
“Mā ’ssu viśśāsam āpādi,”
iti vindu samaṁ care.
212. The restrained go to a good destiny,
the unrestrained go to a bad destiny,
thinking: “I should not exhibit confidence,” A difficult line, perhaps meaning he shouldn’t be overconfident or vain? Cone translates: Wary lest he become complacent; but I do not see how we can derive this meaning from the line.
the wise one wanders peacefully.
213. Mā kuñjara Nāgam-āsida,
dukkho kuñjara Nāgam-aṁsado,
na hi Nāgahatassa kuñjara,
sugatī hoti ito paraṁ yato.
213. Do not, elephant, approach the Buddha, The Buddha is here referred to as a
for there is suffering, elephant, in approaching the Buddha,
for the one who attacks the Buddha, elephant,
does not go from here to a good destiny.
214. Giriduggavicāriṇaṁ yathā
sīhaṁ parvvatapaṭṭhigocaraṁ,
naravīram apetabheravaṁ,
mā hiṁsittha anomanikramaṁ.
214. As a lion wanders his mountain fortress,
his resort on the mountainside,
do not hurt the man-hero, the one without fear,
the one of superior effort. The simile is not at all clear here; presumably it means something along the lines of: you should leave alone the one engaged in spiritual practice, as you leave alone the lion in its lair.
215. Ahaṁ nāgo va saṅggrāme
cāpātipatite sare
atīvāde titikkhāmi,
duśśīlo hi bahujano.
215. Like an elephant in battle
endures arrows shot from bow
so will I endure abuse,
for many people are unvirtuous.
Daṇḍavarggaḥ
The Chapter about the Stick