Khuddakanikāya

Translators: sujato and suddhaso

Minor Collection Collection of Minor Texts

Dhammapada
Sayings of the Dhamma 100–115
Verses of Dhamma

Sahassavagga
8. The Thousands
Chapter of Thousands

Tambadāṭhikacoraghātakavatthu

Sahassamapi ce vācā,
Better than a thousand
Rather than a thousand sayings

anatthapadasaṁhitā;
meaningless sayings
not connected to the goal,

Ekaṁ atthapadaṁ seyyo,
is a single meaningful saying,
it is better to have just one sentence about the goal

yaṁ sutvā upasammati.
hearing which brings you peace.
if one reaches peace after hearing it.

Bāhiyadārucīriyattheravatthu

Sahassamapi ce gāthā,
Better than a thousand
Rather than a thousand poems

anatthapadasaṁhitā;
meaningless verses
not connected to the goal,

Ekaṁ gāthāpadaṁ seyyo,
is a single meaningful verse,
it is better to have just one line of a poem

yaṁ sutvā upasammati.
hearing which brings you peace.
if one reaches peace after hearing it.

Kuṇḍalakesitherīvatthu

Yo ca gāthā sataṁ bhāse,
Better than reciting
One might utter a hundred poems

anatthapadasaṁhitā;
a hundred meaningless verses
not connected to the goal;

Ekaṁ dhammapadaṁ seyyo,
is a single saying of Dhamma,
it is better to have just one line of Dhamma

yaṁ sutvā upasammati.
hearing which brings you peace.
if one reaches peace after hearing it.

Yo sahassaṁ sahassena,
The supreme conqueror is
One might subjugate a million people

saṅgāme mānuse jine;
not he who conquers a million men in battle,
in battle,

Ekañca jeyyamattānaṁ,
but he who conquers a single man:
but one who subjugates oneself

sa ve saṅgāmajuttamo.
himself.
has won the ultimate victory.

Anatthapucchakabrāhmaṇavatthu

Attā have jitaṁ seyyo,
It is surely better to conquer oneself
It is better to subjugate yourself

yā cāyaṁ itarā pajā;
than all those other folk.
than other people,

Attadantassa posassa,
When a person has tamed themselves,
for one who is self-trained

niccaṁ saññatacārino.
always living restrained,
always acts with restraint.

Neva devo na gandhabbo,
no god nor centaur,
No angel or fairy,

na māro saha brahmunā;
nor Māra nor divinity,
demon or god,

Jitaṁ apajitaṁ kayirā,
can undo the victory
can turn such a person’s

tathārūpassa jantuno.
of such a one.
victory into defeat.

Sāriputtattherassa mātulabrāhmaṇavatthu

Māse māse sahassena,
Rather than a thousand-fold sacrifice,
Every month one might conduct

yo yajetha sataṁ samaṁ;
every month for a hundred years,
a hundred sacrifices worth thousands;

Ekañca bhāvitattānaṁ,
it’s better to honor for a single hour
Or for a single moment

muhuttamapi pūjaye;
one who has developed themselves.
one could pay homage to a self-developed person.

Sāyeva pūjanā seyyo,
That offering is better
That homage is better

yañce vassasataṁ hutaṁ.
than the hundred year sacrifice.
than a hundred years of sacrifices.

Sāriputtattherassa bhāgineyyavatthu

Yo ca vassasataṁ jantu,
Rather than serve the sacred flame
One might spend a hundred years

aggiṁ paricare vane;
in the forest for a hundred years,
tending to a fire in a forest;

Ekañca bhāvitattānaṁ,
it’s better to honor for a single hour
or for a single moment

muhuttamapi pūjaye;
one who has developed themselves.
one could pay homage to a self-developed person.

Sāyeva pūjanā seyyo,
That offering is better
That homage is better

yañce vassasataṁ hutaṁ.
than the hundred year sacrifice.
than a hundred years of sacrifices.

Sāriputtatherassa sahāyakabrāhmaṇavatthu

Yaṁ kiñci yiṭṭhaṁ va hutaṁ va loke,
Whatever sacrifice or offering in the world
One could make any kind of offering or sacrifice in the world

Saṁvaccharaṁ yajetha puññapekkho;
a seeker of merit may make for a year,
for a year, pursuing merit;

Sabbampi taṁ na catubhāgameti,
none of it is worth a quarter
but all of that is not even a quarter as good

Abhivādanā ujjugatesu seyyo.
of bowing to the sincere.
as honoring those who are upright.

Āyuvaḍḍhanakumāravatthu

Abhivādanasīlissa,
For one in the habit of bowing,
For one who is virtuous, respectful,

niccaṁ vuḍḍhāpacāyino;
always honoring the elders,
and always reverential towards the elderly,

Cattāro dhammā vaḍḍhanti,
four blessings grow:
four things increase:

āyu vaṇṇo sukhaṁ balaṁ.
lifespan, beauty, happiness, and strength.
vitality, beauty, pleasure, and strength.