From:
Patna Dharmapada Patna Dhammapada
13. Śaraṇa 13. The Chapter about Refuge
bahū veśaraṇaṁ yānti parvvate ca vanāni ca । Many people shaken by fear go for refuge
vastūni rukkhacittāṇi manuṣyā bhayatajjitā ।। to mountains and woods, to places with beautiful trees.
na etaṁ śaraṇaṁ khemmaṁ na etaṁ śaraṇam uttamaṁ । That is not a secure refuge, that is not the refuge supreme,
etaṁ śaraṇam āgaṁma sabbadukkhā pramuccati ।। nor is it the refuge to come to that liberates from all suffering.
yo tu buddhañ ca dhammañ ca saghaṁ ca śaraṇaṁ gato । Whoever has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha,
cattāri ca ariyasaccāni yathābhūtāni paśśati ।। and who sees as it really is the four noble truths.
etaṁ ve śaraṇaṁ khemmaṁ etaṁ śaraṇam uttamaṁ । That is a secure refuge, that is the refuge supreme,
etaṁ śaraṇam āgamma sabbadukkhā pramuccati ।। that is the refuge to come to that liberates from all suffering.
gavāṁ ce taramāṇānāṁ jihmaṁ gacchati puṅgavo । If, when cows are crossing a road, their leader goes crookedly,
sabbā tā jihmaṁ gacchaṁti nette jihmagate sati ।। they all will go crookedly, as their guide crookedly does go.
evām eva manuṣyesu yo hoti śreṣṭhasaṁmato । So it is with humans, he who is agreed upon as chief,
sa ce adhaṁmaṁ carati prāg eva itarā prajā ।। if he lives unrighteously, so will other people.
gavāṁ ce taramāṇānāṁ ujjuṁ gacchati puṅgavo । If, when cows are crossing a road, their leader goes straight,
sabbā tā ujjuṁ gacchaṁti nette ujjugate sati ।। they all will go straight, as their guide straight does go;
evām eva manuṣyesu yo hoti śreṣṭhasaṁmato । so it is with humans, he who is agreed upon as chief,
sa ce va dhaṁmaṁ carati prāg eva itarā prajā ।। if he lives righteously, so will other people.
dhaṁmaṁ care sucaritaṁ na naṁ duccaritaṁ care । One should live by Dhamma, with good conduct, not with bad conduct,
dhammacārī sukhaṁ śeti assiṁ loke paramhi ca ।। living by Dhamma one lives at ease in this world and the next.
dhaṁmaṁ care sucaritaṁ na naṁ duccaritaṁ care । One should live by Dhamma, with good conduct, not with bad conduct,
brahmacārī sukhaṁ śeti assiṁ loke paramhi ca ।। living the holy life one lives at ease in this world and the next.
dhaṁmārāmo dhaṁmarato dhaṁmaṁ anuvicintayaṁ । The one who finds pleasure in the Dhamma, delights in Dhamma, reflects on Dhamma,
dhammaṁ anussaraṁ bhikkhū dhammā na parihāyati ।। the monastic who remembers Dhamma, does not abandon the Dhamma.
dhammo have rakkhati dhammacārī dhammo sucinno sukhāya dahāti । The Dhamma protects the one who lives by the Dhamma, the Dhamma well-practised is set on happiness,
esānuśaṁso dhamme sucinne na doggatiṁ gacchati dhammacārī ।। this is the advantage of the Dhamma well-practised, he who lives by the Dhamma does not go to a bad destination.
dhammo have rakkhati brahmacārī dhammo sucinno sukhāya dahāti । The Dhamma protects the one who lives by the holy life, the Dhamma well-practised is set on happiness,
esā ’nuśaṁso dhamme sucinne na doggatiṁ gacchati brahmacārī ।। this is the advantage of the Dhamma well-practised, he who lives the holy life does not go to a bad destination.
acarittā brahmaceraṁ aladdhā yovvane dhanaṁ । Not having lived the holy life, not having gained wealth in their youth,
jinnakroṁcā va jhāyaṁti jhīnamacche va pallare ।। they waste away like herons in a small lake devoid of fish.
acarittā brahmaceraṁ aladdhā yovvane dhanaṁ । Not having lived the holy life, not having gained wealth in their youth,
śenti cāpādhikinno vā porāṇāni a ’nutthunaṁ ।। they lie like shafts scattered from a bow, wailing about things in the past.
ujjujjanti satīmanto na nikete ramaṁti te । The mindful ones who are striving do not delight in a dwelling,
haṁsā va pallaraṁ hettā okam okaṁ jahaṁti te ।। like geese who abandon a lake, they abandon fondness for homes.
haṁsā va ādiccapathe vehāyasaṁ yānti iddhiyā । As geese go through the path of the sky, they go through the sky by their power,
niyyāṁti dhīrā lokamhi mārasenaṁ pramaddiya ।। the wise are led out in the world, after crushing Māra and his army.
kin nu hāśo kim ānando niccaṁ prajjalite sati । Why this laughter, why this joy, when the world is constantly burning,
andhakāramhi prakkhittā pradīpaṁ na gaveṣatha ।। when thrown into darkness, do you not seek for a light?
praccaṁtimaṁ vā nagaraṁ guttaṁ sāntarabāhiraṁ । As a town in the border districts is guarded on the inside and the outside,
evaṁ rakkhatha āttānaṁ khaṇo vo mā upaccagū । so one should protect oneself, and you should not let the moment pass,
khaṇātītā hi śocaṁti nirayamhi samappitā ।। for when the chance has passed they grieve when consigned to the underworld.
na muṇḍabhāvā śamaṇo avrato alikaṁ bhaṇaṁ । Not through being shaven is one an ascetic, if one lacks vows, speaks lies,
icchālobhasamāpanno śamaṇo kiṁ bhaviṣyati ।। and is endowed with greed and desire, how will one be an ascetic?
yo tu śameti pāpāni aṇutthūlāni sabbaśo । The one who quenches wicked deeds, small and great, in every way—
śamaṇā eva pāpānāṁ śamaṇo ti pravuccati ।। through the appeasing of wicked deeds he is said to be an ascetic.
yassa chattrīśatiṁ sotā mānāphassamayā bhriśā । For the one in whom thirty-six streams consisting of contact with conceit are strong,
vāhā vahanti dudriṣṭiṁ saṁkappā ggredhaniśśitā ।। the one with wrong view is carried off by the flow of his greedy intentions.
krodhaṁ jahe viprajaheya mānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ sabbam atikrameyā । One should abandon anger, one should abandon conceit, one should overcome every fetter,
taṁ nāmarūpamhi asajjamānaṁ akiṁcanaṁ nānupatanti dukkhā ।। without clinging to mind and bodily form, sufferings never do befall the one having no possessions.
Śaraṇavarggaḥ The Chapter about Refuge