From:
Patna Dharmapada Patna Dhammapada
10. Mala 10. The Chapter about Stains
asajjhāyamalāvedā anuṭṭhāṇamalā gharā । Lack of repetition is the ruin of the Vedā, a lack of maintenance is the ruin of homes,
malo vaṇṇassa kosajjaṁ pramādo rakkhatāṁ malo ।। indolence is the ruin of one’s appearance, heedlessness is the ruin of those on guard.
malo istiye duccaritaṁ maccheraṁ dadatāṁ malo । Bad conduct is a woman’s stain, stinginess is a giver’s stain,
malo pāpāni kaṁmāṇi assiṁ loke paramhi ca ।। wicked deeds are a stain both in this world and in the next.
tato malataraṁ brūmi avijjā maraṇaṁ malaṁ । I say there is a stain worse than that, ignorance is a deadly stain,
ete male prahattāna niṁmalā caratha bhikkhavo ।। after abandoning those stains, live without stains, monastics!
ayasā tu malo samuṭṭhito tato uṭṭhāya tam eva khādati । As a rust stain arises from iron, and arisen from that, it eats it away,
em eva vidhūnacāriyaṁ sakāni kaṁmāṇi nayanti doggatiṁ ।। so with one who is overindulgent—his deeds lead him to a bad destiny.
pāṇḍupalāśo ca dāni si yamapuruṣā pi ca te upaṭṭhitā । You are now a withered leaf, Yama’s men stand waiting for you,
uyyogamukhe ca tiṣṭhasi pātheyaṁ pi ca te na vijjati ।। you stand at decay’s door, with no provisions for the journey found.
uyyamassa ghaṭassa āttanā kaṁmāro rajataṁ va niddhame । You should strive and endeavour by yourself, like a smith, you should remove the stain,
niddhāntamalo anaṅgano bitiyaṁ ariyabhūmim esi ।। removing the stain, blemishless, you seek the second noble realm.
anupūrvveṇa medhāvī thokathokaṁ khaṇe khaṇe । The sage gradually, little by little, moment by moment,
kammāro rajatasseva niddhame malam āttano ।। should remove the stain from himself, like a smith removes the stain from silver.
sujīvaṁ ahirīkena saṁkiliṣṭan tu jīvati । Life is light for one without shame, he lives a life with defilements,
prakkhaṇḍinā pragabbheṇa kākaśūreṇa dhansinā ।। backbiting and recklessness, with the bold courage of a crow.
hirīmatā tu dujjīvaṁ niccaṁ śucigaveṣiṇā । Life is hard when endowed with shame, for the one constantly seeking purity,
alīnenāpragabbheṇa śuddhājīvena paśśatā ।। for one sincere, and not reckless, looking for purity of life.
supaśśaṁ vajjaṁ aṁñesaṁ āttano puna duddaśaṁ । Easy to see are others’ fault, but one’s own is hard to see,
paresām iha vajjāni uppunāti yathā busaṁ । for one sifts other peoples’ faults like they were chaff,
āttano puna chādeti kalim va kṛtavāṁ śaṭho ।। but conceals one’s own faults, like a crafty player conceals his defeat.
sukarāṇi asādhūni āttano ahitāni ca । Easily done are things not good, and unbeneficial for oneself,
yaṁ ve hitaṁ ca sādhuñ ca taṁ ve paramadukkaraṁ ।। but that which is beneficial and good is supremely hard to do.
sukarāṇi asādhūni āttano ahitāni ca । Easily done are things not good, and unbeneficial for oneself,
yāni hitāni sādhūni tāni kurvvanti paṇḍitā ।। but only those beneficial and good are done by the wise.
alajjitavve lajjanti lajjitavve na lajjatha । They are ashamed of what is not shameful, not ashamed of what is shameful,
abhaye bhayadaṁśāvī bhaye cābhayadaṁśino । seeing fear in what is not fearful, not seeing fear in what is fearful,
micchadṛṣṭisamādānā sattā gacchanti doggatiṁ ।। undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.
avajje vajjamatino vajje cāvajjasaṁñino । Finding blame in what is blameless, not perceiving blame in what is blameable,
micchadṛṣṭisamādānā sattā gacchanti doggatiṁ ।। undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.
asāre sāramatino sāre cā ’sārasaṁñino । Finding the essential in the unessential, and perceiving the unessential in the essential,
te sāran nādhigacchanti micchasaṁkappagocarā ।। they do not understand what is the essential, and resort to wrong intention.
sārañ ca sārato ññāttā asārañ ca asārato । Knowing the essential in what is essential, and the unessential in what is unessential,
te sāram adhigacchanti saṁmasaṁkappagocarā ।। they understand what is essential, and resort to right intention.
ayoge yuñjiyāttānaṁ yogamhi ca ayuṁjiya । Engaging oneself in what is not suitable, not engaging in what is suitable,
atthaṁ hettā priyaggrāhī pṛhayantatthānuyogināṁ ।। abandoning the good, grasping the loved, they envy those who endeavour for good.
Malavarggaḥ The Chapter about Stains