Khuddakanikāya
Translators: sujato
Minor Collection
Dhammapada
Sayings of the Dhamma 235–255
Malavagga
18. Stains
Goghātakaputtavatthu
Paṇḍupalāsova dānisi,
Today you’re like a withered leaf,
Yamapurisāpi ca te upaṭṭhitā;
Yama’s men await you.
Uyyogamukhe ca tiṭṭhasi,
You stand at the departure gates,
Pātheyyampi ca te na vijjati.
yet you have no supplies for the road.
So karohi dīpamattano,
Make an island of yourself!
Khippaṁ vāyama paṇḍito bhava;
Swiftly strive, learn to be wise!
Niddhantamalo anaṅgaṇo,
Purged of stains, flawless,
Dibbaṁ ariyabhūmiṁ upehisi.
you’ll go to the heavenly realm of the noble ones.
Upanītavayo ca dānisi,
You’ve journeyed the stages of life,
Sampayātosi yamassa santikaṁ;
and now you set out to meet Yama.
Vāso te natthi antarā,
Along the way there’s nowhere to stay,
Pātheyyampi ca te na vijjati.
yet you have no supplies for the road.
So karohi dīpamattano,
Make an island of yourself!
Khippaṁ vāyama paṇḍito bhava;
Swiftly strive, learn to be wise!
Niddhantamalo anaṅgaṇo,
Purged of stains, flawless,
Na punaṁ jātijaraṁ upehisi.
you’ll not come again to rebirth and old age.
Tissattheravatthu
Ayasāva malaṁ samuṭṭhitaṁ,
It is the rust born on the iron
Tatuṭṭhāya tameva khādati;
that eats away the place it arose.
Evaṁ atidhonacārinaṁ,
And so it is their own deeds
Sāni kammāni nayanti duggatiṁ.
that lead the overly-ascetic to a bad place.
Lāḷudāyīvatthu
Asajjhāyamalā mantā,
Not reciting is the stain of hymns.
anuṭṭhānamalā gharā;
The stain of houses is neglect.
Malaṁ vaṇṇassa kosajjaṁ,
Laziness is the stain of beauty.
pamādo rakkhato malaṁ.
A guard’s stain is negligence.
Aññatarakulaputtavatthu
Malitthiyā duccaritaṁ,
Misconduct is a woman’s stain.
maccheraṁ dadato malaṁ;
A giver’s stain is stinginess.
Malā ve pāpakā dhammā,
Bad qualities are a stain
asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
in this world and the next.
Tato malā malataraṁ,
But a worse stain than these
avijjā paramaṁ malaṁ;
is ignorance, the worst stain of all.
Etaṁ malaṁ pahantvāna,
Having given up that stain,
nimmalā hotha bhikkhavo.
be without stains, mendicants!
Cūḷasāribhikkhuvatthu
Sujīvaṁ ahirikena,
Life is easy for the shameless.
kākasūrena dhaṁsinā;
With all the rude courage of a crow,
Pakkhandinā pagabbhena,
they live pushy,
saṅkiliṭṭhena jīvitaṁ.
rude, and corrupt.
Hirīmatā ca dujjīvaṁ,
Life is hard for the conscientious,
niccaṁ sucigavesinā;
always seeking purity,
Alīnenāppagabbhena,
neither clinging nor rude,
suddhājīvena passatā.
pure of livelihood and discerning.
Pañcaupāsakavatthu
Yo pāṇamatipāteti,
Take anyone in this world
musāvādañca bhāsati;
who kills living creatures,
Loke adinnamādiyati,
speaks falsely, steals,
paradārañca gacchati.
commits adultery,
Surāmerayapānañca,
and indulges in drinking
yo naro anuyuñjati;
beer and wine.
Idheva meso lokasmiṁ,
Right here they dig up
mūlaṁ khaṇati attano.
the root of their own self.
Evaṁ bho purisa jānāhi,
Know this, good sir:
pāpadhammā asaññatā;
they are unrestrained and wicked.
Mā taṁ lobho adhammo ca,
Don’t let that greed and unrighteousness
ciraṁ dukkhāya randhayuṁ.
inflict pain on you for long.
Tissadaharavatthu
Dadāti ve yathāsaddhaṁ,
The people give according to their faith,
yathāpasādanaṁ jano;
according to their confidence.
Tattha yo ca maṅku bhavati,
If you get upset over that,
paresaṁ pānabhojane;
over other’s food and drink,
Na so divā vā rattiṁ vā,
you’ll not, by day or by night,
samādhimadhigacchati.
become immersed in samādhi.
Yassa cetaṁ samucchinnaṁ,
Those who have cut that out,
mūlaghaccaṁ samūhataṁ;
dug it up at the root, eradicated it,
Sa ve divā vā rattiṁ vā,
they will, by day or by night,
samādhimadhigacchati.
become immersed in samādhi.
Pañcaupāsakavatthu
Natthi rāgasamo aggi,
There is no fire like greed,
natthi dosasamo gaho;
no crime like hate,
Natthi mohasamaṁ jālaṁ,
no net like delusion,
natthi taṇhāsamā nadī.
no river like craving.
Meṇḍakaseṭṭhivatthu
Sudassaṁ vajjamaññesaṁ,
It’s easy to see the faults of others,
attano pana duddasaṁ;
hard to see one’s own.
Paresaṁ hi so vajjāni,
For the faults of others
opunāti yathā bhusaṁ;
are tossed high like hay,
Attano pana chādeti,
while one’s own are hidden,
kaliṁva kitavā saṭho.
as a cheat hides a bad hand.
Ujjhānasaññittheravatthu
Paravajjānupassissa,
When you look for the flaws of others,
niccaṁ ujjhānasaññino;
always finding fault,
Āsavā tassa vaḍḍhanti,
your defilements only grow,
ārā so āsavakkhayā.
you’re far from ending defilements.
Subhaddaparibbājakavatthu
Ākāseva padaṁ natthi,
In the atmosphere there is no track,
samaṇo natthi bāhire;
there’s no true ascetic outside here.
Papañcābhiratā pajā,
People enjoy proliferation,
nippapañcā tathāgatā.
the Realized Ones are free of proliferation.
Ākāseva padaṁ natthi,
In the atmosphere there is no track,
samaṇo natthi bāhire;
there’s no true ascetic outside here.
Saṅkhārā sassatā natthi,
No conditions last forever,
natthi buddhānamiñjitaṁ.
the Awakened Ones are not shaken.
Malavaggo aṭṭhārasamo.