Patna Dhamma Verses
Patna Dhammapadaṁ
Śaraṇavarggaḥ
13: The Chapter about Refuge
216-217. Bahū ve śaraṇaṁ yānti parvvate ca vanāni ca,
vastūni rukkhacittāṇi,
manuṣyā bhayatajjitā.
Na etaṁ śaraṇaṁ khemmaṁ,
na etaṁ śaraṇam uttamaṁ,
etaṁ śaraṇam āgamma
sabbadukkhā pramuccati.
216-217. Many people shaken by fear go for refuge to mountains and woods,
to places with beautiful trees.
That is not a secure refuge,
that is not the refuge supreme,
nor is it the refuge to come to that liberates from all suffering.
218-219. Yo tu Buddhañ-ca Dhammañ-ca
Saṅghaṁ ca śaraṇaṁ gato,
cattāri ca ariyasaccāni yathābhūtāni paśśati.
Etaṁ ve śaraṇaṁ khemmaṁ,
etaṁ śaraṇam uttamaṁ,
etaṁ śaraṇam āgamma sabbadukkhā pramuccati.
218-219. Whoever has gone for refuge to the Buddha,
the Dhamma and the Saṅgha,
and who sees as it really is the four noble truths.
That is a secure refuge,
that is the refuge supreme,
that is the refuge to come to that liberates from all suffering.
220-221. Gavāṁ ce taramāṇānāṁ,
jihmaṁ gacchati puṅgavo,
sabbā tā jihmaṁ gacchanti,
nette jihmagate sati.
Evām eva manuṣyesu
yo hoti śreṣṭhasammato,
sa ce adhammaṁ carati
prāg eva itarā prajā.
220-221. If, when cows are crossing a road,
their leader goes crookedly,
they all will go crookedly,
as their guide crookedly does go.
So it is with humans,
he who is agreed upon as chief,
if he lives unrighteously,
so will other people.
222-223. Gavāṁ ce taramāṇānāṁ,
ujjuṁ gacchati puṅgavo,
sabbā tā ujjuṁ gacchanti,
nette ujjugate sati;
evām eva manuṣyesu,
yo hoti śreṣṭhasammato,
sa ce va dhammaṁ carati
prāg eva itarā prajā.
222-223. If, when cows are crossing a road,
their leader goes straight,
they all will go straight,
as their guide straight does go;
so it is with humans,
he who is agreed upon as chief,
if he lives righteously,
so will other people.
224. Dhammaṁ care sucaritaṁ,
na naṁ duccaritaṁ care,
Dhammacārī sukhaṁ śeti assiṁ loke paramhi ca.
224. One should live by Dhamma, with good conduct,
not with bad conduct,
living by Dhamma one lives at ease in this world and the next.
225. Dhammaṁ care sucaritaṁ,
na naṁ duccaritaṁ care,
brahmacārī sukhaṁ śeti assiṁ loke paramhi ca.
225. One should live by Dhamma, with good conduct,
not with bad conduct,
living the holy life one lives at ease in this world and the next.
226. Dhammārāmo Dhammarato,
Dhammaṁ anuvicintayaṁ,
Dhammaṁ anussaraṁ bhikkhū,
Dhammā na parihāyati.
226. The one who finds pleasure in the Dhamma,
delights in Dhamma, reflects on Dhamma,
the monastic who remembers Dhamma,
does not abandon the Dhamma.
227. Dhammo have rakkhati Dhammacārī,
Dhammo sucinno sukhāya dahāti,
esānuśaṁso Dhamme sucinne,
na doggatiṁ gacchati Dhammacārī.
227. The Dhamma protects the one who lives by the Dhamma,
the Dhamma well-practised is set on happiness, The phrase is unclear, this seems to be what is means.
this is the advantage of the Dhamma well-practised,
he who lives by the Dhamma does not go to a bad destination.
228. Dhammo have rakkhati brahmacārī,
Dhammo sucinno sukhāya dahāti,
esānuśaṁso Dhamme sucinne,
na doggatiṁ gacchati brahmacārī.
228. The Dhamma protects the one who lives by the holy life,
the Dhamma well-practised is set on happiness,
this is the advantage of the Dhamma well-practised,
he who lives the holy life does not go to a bad destination.
229. Acarittā brahmaceraṁ,
aladdhā yovvane dhanaṁ,
jinnakroñcā va jhāyanti
jhīnamacche va pallare.
229. Not having lived the holy life,
not having gained wealth in their youth,
they waste away like herons in a small lake devoid of fish.
230. Acarittā brahmaceraṁ,
aladdhā yovvane dhanaṁ,
śenti cāpādhikinno vā,
porāṇāni anutthunaṁ.
230. Not having lived the holy life,
not having gained wealth in their youth,
they lie like shafts scattered from a bow,
wailing about things in the past.
231. Ujjujjanti satīmanto na nikete ramanti te,
haṁsā va pallaraṁ hettā,
okam okaṁ jahanti te.
231. The mindful ones who are striving do not delight in a dwelling,
like geese who abandon a lake,
they abandon fondness for homes.
232. Haṁsā va ādiccapathe,
vehāyasaṁ yānti iddhiyā,
niyyānti dhīrā lokamhi,
Mārasenaṁ pramaddiya.
232. As geese go through the path of the sky,
they go through the sky by their power,
the wise are led out in the world,
after crushing Māra and his army.
233. Kin nu hāśo, kim ānando,
niccaṁ prajjalite sati,
andhakāramhi prakkhittā,
pradīpaṁ na gaveṣatha.
233. Why this laughter, why this joy,
when the world is constantly burning,
when thrown into darkness,
do you not seek for a light?
234. Praccantimaṁ vā nagaraṁ
guttaṁ sāntarabāhiraṁ,
evaṁ rakkhatha āttānaṁ,
khaṇo vo mā upaccagū,
khaṇātītā hi śocanti
nirayamhi samappitā.
234. As a town in the border districts
is guarded on the inside and the outside,
so one should protect oneself,
and you should not let the moment pass,
for when the chance has passed they grieve
when consigned to the underworld.
235. Na muṇḍabhāvā śamaṇo,
avrato alikaṁ bhaṇaṁ,
icchālobhasamāpanno,
śamaṇo kiṁ bhaviṣyati.
235. Not through being shaven is one an ascetic,
if one lacks vows, speaks lies,
and is endowed with greed and desire,
how will one be an ascetic?
236. Yo tu śameti pāpāni,
aṇutthūlāni sabbaśo –
śamaṇā eva pāpānāṁ
śamaṇo ti pravuccati.
236. The one who quenches wicked deeds,
small and great, in every way –
through the appeasing of wicked deeds he is said to be an ascetic.
237. Yassa chattrīśatiṁ sotā
mānāphassamayā bhriśā,
vāhā vahanti dudriṣṭiṁ
saṅkappā ggredhaniśśitā.
237. For the one in whom thirty-six streams
consisting of contact with conceit are strong,
the one with wrong view is carried off
by the flow of his greedy intentions.
238. Krodhaṁ jahe, viprajaheya mānaṁ,
saṁyojanaṁ sabbam atikrameyā,
taṁ nāmarūpamhi asajjamānaṁ,
akiñcanaṁ nānupatanti dukkhā.
238. One should abandon anger, one should abandon conceit,
one should overcome every fetter,
without clinging to mind and bodily form,
sufferings never do befall the one having no possessions.
Śaraṇavarggaḥ
The Chapter about Refuge