Dhammapada

Dhammaṭṭhavaggo
19: The Chapter about one who stands by Dhamma

Na tena hoti Dhammaṭṭho yenatthaṁ sahasā naye,
One who would hastily settle a case because of that is not one who stands by Dhamma,

yo ca atthaṁ anatthañ-ca ubho niccheyya paṇḍito. [256]
the wise one should discriminate the two: what is the case and what is not the case.

 

Asāhasena dhammena samena nayatī pare,
The one who settles for other people without haste, justly and impartially,

Dhammassa gutto medhāvī, Dhammaṭṭho ti pavuccati. [257]
the sagacious one, protecting Dhamma, is said to be one who stands by Dhamma. This is the last mention of dhammaṭṭha in this chapter.

 

Na tena paṇḍito hoti yāvatā bahu bhāsati;
One is not a wise person merely because of speaking much;

khemī averī abhayo, paṇḍito ti pavuccati. [258]
being safe, hatred-free, fearless, one is called a wise person.

 

Na tāvatā Dhammadharo yāvatā bahu bhāsati,
One is not a Dhamma-bearer merely through speaking much,

yo ca appam-pi sutvāna, Dhammaṁ kāyena passati,
but the one who, having heard a little, sees Dhamma for himself, Literally: with the body, but for himself, perhaps as an analogue of attanā, seems to be the meaning.

sa ve Dhammadharo hoti, yo Dhammaṁ nappamajjati. [259]
is one who bears Dhamma, the one who is not heedless regarding Dhamma.

 

Na tena thero hoti yenassa palitaṁ siro,
One is not an elder because one’s head has grey hair,

paripakko vayo tassa moghajiṇṇo ti vuccati. [260]
for the one who is (only) well-matured, aged, is said to be old in vain.

 

Yamhi saccañ-ca Dhammo ca ahiṁsā saṁyamo damo,
In whom is truth, Dhamma, non-violence, restraint and (good) training,

sa ve vantamalo dhīro thero iti pavuccati. [261]
the wise one who throws out the stain is (truly) called an elder.

 

Na vākkaraṇamattena vaṇṇapokkharatāya vā
Not by eloquence only, or by a beautiful complexion,

sādhurūpo naro hoti, issukī maccharī saṭho; [262]
is a person honourable, (if still) jealous, selfish and deceitful;

yassa cetaṁ samucchinnaṁ, mūlaghaccaṁ samūhataṁ,
for the one in whom this is cut off, destroyed at the root, dug up,

sa vantadoso medhāvī sādhurūpo ti vuccati. [263]
that sage who has thrown out hatred is said to be honourable.

 

Na muṇḍakena samaṇo, abbato alikaṁ bhaṇaṁ,
Not through a shaven head is one an ascetic, (if) one lacks vows, Comm: sīlavatena ca dhūtavatena ca virahito; being without the vow of virtue and the vow of asceticism. speaks lies,

icchālobhasamāpanno, samaṇo kiṁ bhavissati? [264]
and is endowed with greed and desire, how will one be an ascetic?

 

Yo ca sameti Being here short for upasameti. pāpāni, aṇuṁ-thūlāni sabbaso –
The one who pacifies wicked deeds, small and great, in every way –

samitattā hi pāpānaṁ samaṇo ti pavuccati. [265]
through the pacifing of wicked deeds he is said to be an ascetic.

 

Na tena bhikkhu hoti yāvatā bhikkhate pare,
One is not a monastic merely through eating others’ almsfood,

vissaṁ Dhammaṁ samādāya bhikkhu hoti na tāvatā. [266]
the one who undertakes a false Dhamma to that extent is not a monastic.

 

Yodha puññañ-ca pāpañ-ca bāhetvā brahmacariyavā,
* If he is one who lives the holy life here, warding off both merit and demerit,

saṅkhāya loke carati sa ce, bhikkhū ti vuccati. [267]
and wanders with discrimination in the world, that one is said to be a monastic.

 

Na monena munī hoti mūḷharūpo aviddasu,
Not through silence is a deluded fool (considered to be) a seer,

yo ca tulaṁ va paggayha, varam-ādāya paṇḍito. [268]
the wise one, like one holding the balance, takes up what is noble.

 

Pāpāni parivajjeti sa munī tena so muni,
The seer who rejects wicked deeds through that is (considered) a seer,

yo munāti ubho loke muni tena pavuccati. [269]
whoever understands both worlds The phrase means being unattached to both the internal and external worlds. because of that is said to be a seer.

 

Na tena ariyo hoti yena pāṇāni hiṁsati,
Not through hurting breathing beings one is noble,

ahiṁsā sabbapāṇānaṁ ariyo ti pavuccati. [270]
the one who does not hurt any breathing beings is said to be noble.

 

Na sīlabbatamattena, bāhusaccena vā pana,
Not merely through virtue or vows, or through great learning,

atha vā samādhilābhena, vivittasayanena vā, [271]
or through the attainment of concentration, or through a secluded dwelling,

phusāmi nekkhammasukhaṁ, aputhujjanasevitaṁ;
do I attain the happiness of renunciation, Defined by the commentary as anāgāmisukhaṁ; the happiness of non-returning. not practised by worldly people;

bhikkhu vissāsa’ māpādi This parses as vissāsaṁ mā āpādi. appatto āsavakkhayaṁ. [272]
let a monastic not be confident (as long as) the destruction of the pollutants is unattained. There is an uncertainty of person in this verse (I and then he), it might have been better written with 3rd person phusatī (with long -ī for the metre): does he attain...

Dhammaṭṭhavaggo Ekūnavīsatimo
The Chapter about the one who stands by Dhamma, the Nineteenth

 

Related Verse from the Dhammapada

Sīladassanasampannaṁ, dhammaṭṭhaṁ saccavedinaṁ,
Endowed with virtue and insight, principled, knowing the truths,

attano kamma’ kubbānaṁ, taṁ jano kurute piyaṁ. [217]
doing the deeds that are his own, that one the people love.