From:
Patna Dharmapada Patna Dhammapada
16. Vācā 16. The Chapter about Verbalising
vācānurakkhī manasā susaṁvṛto kāyena yo akuśalaṁ na sevati। Verbally guarded, well-restrained in mind, he who does not practice a wrong deed with the body,
etettayo kaṁmapathe viśodhiya prāppojja so śāntipadaṁ anuttaraṁ ।। purifying these three paths of action, would attain the unsurpassed state of peace.
kāyapradoṣaṁ rakkheyā kāyena saṁvṛto siyā । One should guard against bodily faults, one should be restrained bodily,
kāyaduccaritaṁ hettā kāyena sucaritaṁ care ।। abandoning wrong bodily conduct, one should have good bodily conduct.
vācāpradoṣaṁ rakkheyā vācāya saṁvṛto siyā । One should guard against verbal faults, one should be restrained verbally,
vācāduccaritaṁ hettā vācāya sucaritaṁ care ।। abandoning wrong verbal conduct, one should have good verbal conduct.
manapradoṣaṁ rakkheyā manasā saṁvṛto siyā । One should guard against mental faults, one should be restrained mentally,
manoduccaritaṁ hettā manasā sucaritaṁ care ।। abandoning wrong mental conduct, one should have good mental conduct.
kāyena saṁvṛtā dhīrā vācāya utta cetasā । The wise are restrained bodily, verbally and also mentally,
sabbattha saṁvṛtā dhīrā te ve suparisaṁvṛtā ।। the wise are restrained in every way, they are indeed very well-restrained.
porāṇam etaṁ ādhora na etaṁ ahunā-r-iva । This is something of old, Ādhora, this is not something of today:
nindanti tohnim āsīnaṁ nindanti mitabhāṇikaṁ । they blame the one who sits silently, they blame the one who talks in moderation,
bahubhāṇikaṁ pi nindanti nāsti loke anindito ।। they blame the one who talks a lot, there is no one in the world not blamed.
na cābhu na ca bhaviṣyati na cetarahi vijjati । There was not and there will not be, and at present there is not found
ekāntanindito poṣo ekāntaṁ vā praśaṁsito ।। a person totally blameworthy, or one totally praiseworthy.
yañ ca bālā adhaṁmaṭṭhaṁ pūjeyu garaheyu vā । He who would worship or reproach the one who is unrighteous,
aviñūṁ avibhāvāya na taṁ atthāya kāyaci ।। a fool with lack of intelligence, that is to no purpose.
yaṁ ca viñū praśaṁsanti anuvicca suve suve । The one who, after being examined day by day, is praised by the wise,
acchidravattiṁ medhāviṁ praṁñāśīlasamāhitaṁ ।। faultless in conduct, sagacious, attending to virtue and wisdom,
nikkhaṁ jāṁbūnadasseva ko taṁ ninditum arihati । one who is like a golden coin, who is there worthy to blame him?
devā pi naṁ praśansanti brahmuṇā pi praśaṁsito ।। That one is praised by the gods, and has been praised by the Brahmās too.
na vākkaraṇamātteṇa vannapukkhalatāya vā । Not by eloquence only, or by a beautiful complexion,
sādhurūpī naro hoti iśśukī maccharī śaṭho ।। is a person honourable, if still jealous, selfish and deceitful.
yamhi saccaṁ ca dhammo ca viratī saṁyyamo damo । In whom is truth, Dhamma, abstinence, restraint and good training,
sa vāntadoṣo medhāvī sādhurūpī ti vuccati ।। that sage who has thrown out hatred is said to be honourable.
bahuṁ pi ce sahitaṁ bhāṣamāno na takkaro hoti naro pramatto । Even though reciting abundant scriptures, the heedless fellow, who does not do what they say,
gopo va gāvo gaṇayaṁ paresaṁ na bhāgavā śāmaṇṇassa hoti ।। like a cowboy counting other’s cattle, does not partake of the ascetic life.
appaṁ pi ce sahitaṁ bhāṣamāno dhammassa hoti anudhammacārī । Even though reciting but few scriptures, but living righteously in accordance with Dhamma,
rāgaṁ ca doṣaṁ ca prahāya mohaṁ vimuttacitto akhilo akaṁcho । abandoning greed, hate and delusion, with mind released, completely without doubt,
anupādiyāno iha vā hure vā sa bhāgavā śāmannassa hoti ।। that one, unattached here and hereafter, surely partakes of the ascetic life.
saccaṁ bhaṇe na kujjheyā deyā appā pi yācito । One should speak out the truth, one should not get angry, when requested you should give, if only a little,
etehi ttihi ṭṭhāṇehi gacche devāna santike ।। through these three conditions one can go to the presence of the gods.
na ve kadāryyā devalokaṁ vrajanti bālā hi bhe na praśaṁsanti dānaṁ । The miserly go not to the world of the gods, fools surely do not praise giving,
dhīro tu dānaṁ anumodamāno teneva so devalokaṁ pareti ।। but the wise one rejoices in giving, and through that he goes to the world of the gods.
śīlavantaṁ śuciṁ dacchaṁ dhammaṭṭhaṁ saccavādinaṁ । Having virtue, being pure and clever, principled, knowing the truths,
āttano kārakaṁ śantaṁ taṁ jano kurute priyaṁ ।। the good one doing the deeds that are his own, that one the people love.
śreyo ayoguḍā bhuttā tattā aggiśikhopamā । It’s better to have eaten glowing iron balls, like flames of fire,
yaṁ ca bhuñjeya duśśīlo rāṣṭapiṇḍaṁ asaṁyyato ।। than that the monastic who is unrestrained and unvirtuous should enjoy the country’s almsfood.
kuśo yathā duggṛhīto hastam evānukaṁtati । As kusa grass, wrongly grasped, cuts into the hand,
śāmannaṁ dupparāmāṭṭhaṁ nirayāya upakaṭṭati ।। so does the ascetic life, wrongly grasped, drag one down to the underworld.
ekadhaṁmam atītassa muṣāvādissa jaṁtuno । For the person speaking falsely, who has transgressed in this one thing,
vitinnaparalokassa nāsti pāpaṁ akāriyaṁ ।। who has abandoned the next world, there is no wickedness left undone.
na hi śastaṁ suniśitaṁ viṣaṁ hālāhalaṁ tathā । For not a well-sharpened sword, or even deadly poison,
evaṁ khipraṁ atipāteti vācā dubbhāṣitā yathā ।। destroy quite as quickly as words that are badly spoken.
puruṣassa jāyamānassa kuṭhārī jāyate mukhe । For with the birth of a man an axe is born in his mouth,
yāya chindati āttānaṁ vācaṁ dubbhāṣitaṁ bhaṇaṁ ।। with which he cuts himself speaking a word that is badly spoken.
yo hi nindiye praśaṁsati uttavā nindati yo praśaṁsiye । He who praises the blameworthy, or he who blames the praiseworthy,
vicināti mukhena so kaliṁ kalinā tena sukhaṁ na vindati ।। piles up bad fortune with his mouth, and because of that bad fortune he does not find happiness.
appāmātto ayaṁ kalī yo akkhehi dhanaṁ parājaye । (Compared to) he who has a small measure of bad fortune through dice and loses his wealth,
sabbassaṁ pi sahāpi āttanā everything (he owns), together with his self;
ayam eva mahataro kalī yo sugatesu manaṁ pradūṣaye ।। this is indeed a far greater bad fortune: he who has a corrupt mind aimed at those faring well.
śataṁ sahasrāṇi nirabbudānāṁ chattrīśatiṁ paṁca ca abbudāni । For one hundred and thirty-six thousand nirabbudas, and five abbudas,
yaṁ ayiragarahī nirayaṁ upeti vācaṁ manaṁ ca praṇidhāya pāpikāṁ ।। he goes to hell through reproaching the noble ones, having wicked verbal and mental intentions.
kallāṇim eva bhāṣeyā na ’ssa mucceya pāpikā । He should speak wholesomely, he should not speak wickedly,
mokkho kallāṇiye śreyo muttā tapati pāpikāṁ ।। the speaking of what is wholesome is best, having spoken wickedly he suffers.
kallāṇim eva seveyā na ’ssa mucceya pāpikā । He should practice wholesomely, he should not speak wickedly,
mokkho kallāṇiye śreyo muttā tapati pāpikāṁ ।। the speaking of what is wholesome is best, having spoken wickedly he suffers.
vācaṁ bhāṣeyā kallāṇiṁ na ’ssa mucceya pāpikā । He should speak wholesome words, he should not speak wickedly,
jātaṁ krodhaṁ nivāreyā so biṣabbhi nirujjhati ।। arisen anger he should constrain, he ceases from hatred.
Vācāvarggaḥ The Chapter about Verbalising