Patna Dhamma Verses
Patna Dhammapadaṁ
Sahasravarggaḥ
21: The Chapter about Thousands
376. Sahasram api ce vācā anatthapadasāhitā,
ekaṁ atthapadaṁ śreyo,
yaṁ śottā upaśāmmati.
376. Though there are a thousand sayings consisting of useless words,
better is one useful word,
hearing which one is brought to peace.
377. Yo ca gāthāśataṁ bhāṣe anatthapadasāhitaṁ,
ekaṁ Dhamapadaṁ śreyo,
yaṁ śottā upaśāmmati.
377. One may speak a thousand verses consisting of useless words,
better is one verse of Dhamma,
hearing which one is brought to peace.
378. Yo sahasraṁ sahasrāṇāṁ saṅggrāme mānuṣe jine,
ekaṁ ca p’ aññam āttānaṁ,
sa ve saṅggrāmam-uttamo.
378. One may conquer a thousand men a thousand times in a battle,
but having conquered another, one’s self,
one would surely be supreme in battle.
379. Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeya śataṁ samā;
ekañ-ca bhāvitāttānaṁ muhuttam api pūjaye –
sā eva pūjanā śreyo yac cha vaśśaśataṁ hutaṁ.
379. One might give alms impartially with a thousand coins of money
month by month for a hundred years;
and one might worship someone with developed self for a second –
that worship is surely better than the hundred-year sacrifice.
380. Yo ca vaśśaśataṁ jantū aggiṁ paricare vane;
ekañ-ca bhāvitāttānaṁ muhuttam api pūjaye –
sā eva pūjanā śreyo yac cha vaśśaśataṁ hutaṁ.
380. One person might care for the fire in the woods for a hundred years;
and one might worship someone with developed self for a second –
that worship is surely better than the hundred-year sacrifice.
381. Yaṁ kiñci yaṣṭaṁ va hutaṁ va loke
saṁvatsaraṁ yajate puññapekhī,
sabbaṁ pi taṁ na catubbhāgam eti –
abhivādanā ujjugatesu śreyo.
381. Whatever the alms or the sacrifice in the world
the one seeking merit may give for a year,
all that comes not to a quarter of the merit –
better is the worship of the upright.
382. Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeya śataṁ samā,
na taṁ Buddhe prasādassa kalām agghati ṣoḍaśiṁ.
382. One might give alms impartially with a thousand coins of money
month by month for a hundred years;
but that is not worth a sixteenth part
of having confidence in the Buddha.
383. Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeya śataṁ samā,
na taṁ Dhamme prasādassa kalām agghati ṣoḍaśiṁ.
383. One might give alms impartially with a thousand coins of money
month by month for a hundred years;
but that is not worth a sixteenth part
of having confidence in the Dhamma.
384. Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeya śataṁ samā,
na taṁ Saṅghe prasādassa kalām agghati ṣoḍaśiṁ.
384. One might give alms impartially with a thousand coins of money
month by month for a hundred years;
but that is not worth a sixteenth part
of having confidence in the Saṅgha.
385. Māse māse sahasreṇa yo yajeya śataṁ samā,
na taṁ sākhātadhammāṇāṁ kalām agghati ṣoḍaśiṁ.
385. One might give alms impartially with a thousand coins of money
month by month for a hundred years;
but that is not worth a sixteenth part
of those who have mastered Dhamma.
386. Māse māse kuśāggreṇa bālo bhuñjeya bhojanaṁ,
na taṁ Buddhe prasādassa kalām agghati ṣoḍaśiṁ.
386. From month to month the fool
may eat food with the tip of kusa grass,
but that is not worth a sixteenth part
of having confidence in the Buddha.
387. Māse māse kuśāggreṇa bālo bhuñjeya bhojanaṁ,
na taṁ Dhamme prasādassa kalām agghati ṣoḍaśiṁ.
387. From month to month the fool
may eat food with the tip of kusa grass,
but that is not worth a sixteenth part
of having confidence in the Dhamma.
388. Māse māse kuśāggreṇa bālo bhuñjeya bhojanaṁ,
na taṁ Saṅghe prasādassa kalām agghati ṣoḍaśiṁ.
388. From month to month the fool
may eat food with the tip of kusa grass,
but that is not worth a sixteenth part
of having confidence in the Saṅgha.
389. Māse māse kuśāggreṇa bālo bhuñjeya bhojanaṁ,
na taṁ sākkhātadhammāṇāṁ kalām agghati ṣoḍaśiṁ.
389. From month to month the fool
may eat food with the tip of kusa grass,
but that is not worth a sixteenth part
of those who have mastered Dhamma.
390. Yo ca vaśśaśataṁ jīve,
duśśīlo asamāhito,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyo,
śīlavantassa jhāyato.
390. One might live for a hundred years,
unvirtuous and uncomposed,
but a life of one day is better,
for one with virtue and meditation.
391. Yo ca vaśśaśataṁ jīve,
duprañño asamāhito,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyo,
praññavantassa jhāyato.
391. One might live for a hundred years,
lacking in wisdom and uncomposed,
but a life of one day is better,
for one endowed with wisdom and meditation.
392. Yo ca vaśśaśataṁ jīve,
kusīdo hīnavīriyo,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyo,
vīryyam ārabhato dḍaṁ.
392. One might live for a hundred years,
indolent, with less energy,
but a life of one day is better,
for one with energy set up and firm.
393. Yo ca vaśśaśataṁ jīve,
apaśśaṁ udayavyayaṁ,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyo,
paśśato udayavyayaṁ.
393. One might live for a hundred years,
without seeing rise and fall,
but a life of one day is better,
for the one seeing rise and fall.
394. Yo ca vaśśaśataṁ jīve,
apaśśaṁ dhammam uttamaṁ,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyo,
paśśato dhammam uttamaṁ.
394. One might live for a hundred years,
without seeing the supreme state,
but a life of one day is better,
for one seeing the supreme state.
395. Yo ca vaśśasataṁ jīve,
apaśśaṁ amataṁ padaṁ,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyo,
paśśato amataṁ padaṁ.
395. One might live for a hundred years,
without seeing the deathless state,
but a life of one day is better,
for one seeing the deathless state.
396. Yo ca vaśśasataṁ jīve,
Saddhamme apratiṣṭhito,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyo,
Sadhammam iha vijānato.
396. One might live for a hundred years,
unestablished in the True Dhamma,
but a life of one day is better,
for one who knows the True Dhamma.
397. Yo ca vaśśasataṁ jīve,
aprāpya āsavakkhayaṁ,
ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ śreyo,
prāpyato āsavakkhayaṁ.
397. One might live for a hundred years,
having not attained the destruction of the pollutants,
but a life of one day is better,
for one who has attained the destruction of the pollutants.
Sahasravarggaḥ
The Chapter about the Thousands