Patna Dhammapada - 10: The Chapter about Stains

Asajjhāyamalā Vedā, anuṭṭhāṇamalā gharā,
Lack of repetition is the ruin of the Vedā, a lack of maintenance is the ruin of homes,

malo vaṇṇassa kosajjaṁ, pramādo rakkhatāṁ malo.
indolence is the ruin of one’s appearance, heedlessness is the ruin of those on guard.

Asajjhāyamalā mantā, anuṭṭhānamalā gharā,
Lack of repetition is the ruin of chants, The word is different in the Pāḷi, but the meaning is the same. a lack of maintenance is the ruin of homes,

malaṁ vaṇṇassa kosajjaṁ, pamādo rakkhato malaṁ.
indolence is the ruin of one’s appearance, heedlessness is the ruin of the one on guard.

Malo istiye duccaritaṁ, maccheraṁ dadatāṁ malo,
Bad conduct is a woman’s stain, stinginess is a giver’s stain,

malo pāpāni kammāṇi assiṁ loke paramhi ca.
wicked deeds are a stain both in this world and in the next.

Malitthiyā duccaritaṁ, maccheraṁ dadato malaṁ,
Bad conduct is a woman’s stain, stinginess is a giver’s stain,

malā ve pāpakā dhammā asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
wicked actions are indeed stains both in this world and in the next.

Tato malataraṁ brūmi, avijjā maraṇaṁ malaṁ,
I say there is a stain worse than that, ignorance is a deadly stain,

ete male prahattāna, nimmalā caratha, bhikkhavo!
after abandoning those stains, live without stains, monastics!

Tato malā malataraṁ, avijjā paramaṁ malaṁ,
A stain that is worse than that stain, ignorance is the supreme stain,

etaṁ malaṁ pahatvāna, nimmalā hotha, bhikkhavo!
after abandoning that stain, be without stains, monastics!

Ayasā tu malo samuṭṭhito,
As a (rust) stain arises from iron,

tato uṭṭhāya, tam eva khādati,
and arisen from that, it eats it away,

em eva vidhūnacāriyaṁ –
so with one who is overindulgent –

sakāni kammāṇi nayanti doggatiṁ.
his deeds lead him to a bad destiny.

Ayasā va malaṁ samuṭṭhitaṁ,
As a (rust) stain arises from iron,

tad-uṭṭhāya, tam-eva khādati,
and arisen from that, it eats it away,

evaṁ atidhonacārinaṁ –
so with one who is overindulgent –

sakakammāni nayanti duggatiṁ.
his deeds lead him to a bad destiny.

Pāṇḍupalāśo ca dāni ’si,
You are now a withered leaf,

Yamapuruṣā pi ca te upaṭṭhitā,
Yama’s men Yama’s men means those who greet the dead when they pass on to the next world. stand waiting for you,

uyyogamukhe ca tiṣṭhasi,
you stand at decay’s door,

pātheyaṁ pi ca te na vijjati.
with no provisions for the journey found.

Paṇḍupalāso va dāni ’si,
You are now like a withered leaf,

Yamapurisā pi ca taṁ upaṭṭhitā,
Yama’s men stand waiting for you,

uyyogamukhe ca tiṭṭhasi,
you stand at decay’s door,

pātheyyam-pi ca te na vijjati.
with no provisions for the journey found.

Uyyamassa ghaṭassa āttanā,
You should strive and endeavour by yourself,

kammāro rajataṁ va niddhame,
like a smith, you should remove the stain,

niddhāntamalo, anaṅgano,
removing the stain, blemishless,

bitiyaṁ ariyabhūmim esi.
you seek the second noble realm.

Anupubbena medhāvī, thokathokaṁ khaṇe khaṇe,
The sagacious one gradually, little by little, moment by moment,

kammāro rajatasseva, niddhame malam-attano.
should remove the stain from himself, like a smith (removes the stain) from silver.

—————

niddhantamalo, anaṅgaṇo,
removing the stain, blemishless,

dibbaṁ ariyabhūmim-ehisi.
you will go to the divine and noble realm.

Anupūrvveṇa medhāvī, thokathokaṁ khaṇe khaṇe,
The sage gradually, little by little, moment by moment,

kammāro rajatasseva, niddhame malam āttano.
should remove the stain from himself, like a smith (removes the stain) from silver.

Anupubbena medhāvī, thokathokaṁ khaṇe khaṇe,
The sage gradually, little by little, moment by moment,

kammāro rajatasseva, niddhame malam-attano.
should remove the stain from himself, like a smith (removes the stain) from silver.

Sujīvaṁ ahirīkena, saṅkiliṣṭan tu jīvati,
Life is light for one without shame, he lives a life with defilements,

prakkhaṇḍinā pragabbheṇa, kākaśūreṇa dhansinā.
backbiting and recklessness, with the bold courage of a crow.

Sujīvaṁ ahirikena, kākasūrena dhaṁsinā,
Life is light for one without shame, with the bold courage of a crow,

pakkhandinā pagabbhena, saṅkiliṭṭhena jīvitaṁ. The meaning is more or less the same as in Pāḷi, but the line order is different.
living a life with defilements, backbiting and recklessness.

Hirīmatā tu dujjīvaṁ, niccaṁ śucigaveṣiṇā,
Life is hard when endowed with shame, for the one constantly seeking purity,

alīnenāpragabbheṇa, śuddhājīvena paśśatā.
for one sincere, and not reckless, looking for purity of life.

Hirīmatā ca dujjīvaṁ, niccaṁ sucigavesinā,
Life is hard when endowed with shame, for the one constantly seeking purity,

alīnenāpagabbhena, suddhājīvena passatā.
for one sincere, and not reckless, looking for purity of life.

Supaśśaṁ vajjaṁ aññesaṁ, āttano puna duddaśaṁ,
Easy to see are others’ fault, but one’s own is hard to see,

paresām iha vajjāni uppunāti yathā busaṁ,
for one sifts other peoples’ faults like they were chaff,

āttano puna chādeti, kalim va ktavāṁ śaṭho.
but conceals one’s own (faults), like a crafty player (conceals) his defeat.

Sudassaṁ vajjam-aññesaṁ, attano pana duddasaṁ,
Easy to see are others’ fault, but one’s own is hard to see,

paresaṁ hi so vajjāni opuṇāti yathā bhusaṁ,
for one sifts other peoples’ faults like they were chaff,

attano pana chādeti, kaliṁ va kitavā saṭho.
but conceals one’s own (faults), like a crafty cheat (conceals) his defeat.

Sukarāṇi asādhūni, āttano ahitāni ca,
Easily done are things not good, and unbeneficial for oneself,

yaṁ ve hitaṁ ca sādhuñ-ca taṁ ve paramadukkaraṁ.
but that which is beneficial and good is supremely hard to do.

Sukarāni asādhūni, attano ahitāni ca,
Easily done are things not good, and unbeneficial for oneself,

yaṁ ve hitañ-ca sādhuñ-ca taṁ ve paramadukkaraṁ.
but that which is beneficial and good is supremely hard to do.

Sukarāṇi asādhūni, āttano ahitāni ca,
Easily done are things not good, and unbeneficial for oneself,

yāni hitāni sādhūni tāni kurvvanti paṇḍitā.
but (only) those beneficial and good are done by the wise.

Sukarāni asādhūni, attano ahitāni ca,
Easily done are things not good, and unbeneficial for oneself,

yaṁ ve hitañ-ca sādhuñ-ca taṁ ve paramadukkaraṁ.
but that which is beneficial and good is supremely hard to do.

Alajjitavve lajjanti, lajjitavve na lajjatha, Lajjatha looks like a 2nd person plural here, but that hardly makes sense in context.
They are ashamed of what is not shameful, not ashamed of what is shameful,

abhaye bhayadaṁśāvī, bhaye cābhayadaṁśino,
seeing fear in what is not fearful, not seeing fear in what is fearful,

micchadṣṭisamādānā, sattā gacchanti doggatiṁ.
undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.

Alajjitāye lajjanti, lajjitāye na lajjare,
They are ashamed of what is not shameful, not ashamed of what is shameful,

micchādiṭṭhisamādānā, sattā gacchanti duggatiṁ.
undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.

—————

Abhaye bhayadassino, bhaye cābhayadassino,
Seeing fear in what is not fearful, not seeing fear in what is fearful,

micchādiṭṭhisamādānā, sattā gacchanti duggatiṁ.
undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.

Avajje vajjamatino, vajje cāvajjasaññino,
Finding blame in what is blameless, not perceiving blame in what is blameable,

micchadṣṭisamādānā, sattā gacchanti doggatiṁ.
undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.

Avajje vajjamatino, vajje cāvajjadassino,
Finding blame in what is blameless, not seeing blame in what is blameable,

micchādiṭṭhisamādānā, sattā gacchanti duggatiṁ.
undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.

Asāre sāramatino, sāre cāsārasaññino,
Finding the essential in the unessential, and perceiving the unessential in the essential,

te sāran nādhigacchanti, micchasaṅkappagocarā.
they do not understand what is the essential, and resort to wrong intention.

Asāre sāramatino, sāre cāsāradassino,
Finding the essential in the unessential, seeing the unessential in the essential,

te sāraṁ nādhigacchanti, micchāsaṅkappagocarā.
they do not understand what is the essential, and resort to wrong intention.

Sārañ-ca sārato ññāttā, asārañ-ca asārato,
Knowing the essential in what is essential, and the unessential in what is unessential,

te sāram adhigacchanti, sammasaṅkappagocarā.
they understand what is essential, and resort to right intention.

Sārañ-ca sārato ñatvā, asārañ-ca asārato,
Knowing the essential in what is essential, and the unessential in what is unessential,

te sāraṁ adhigacchanti, sammāsaṅkappagocarā.
they understand what is essential, and resort to right intention.

Ayoge yuñjiyāttānaṁ, yogamhi ca ayuñjiya,
Engaging oneself in what is not suitable, not engaging in what is suitable,

atthaṁ hettā priyaggrāhī, phayantatthānuyogināṁ.
abandoning the good, grasping the loved, they envy those who endeavour for good.

Ayoge yuñjam-attānaṁ, yogasmiñ-ca ayojayaṁ,
Engaging oneself in what is not suitable, not engaging in what is suitable,

atthaṁ hitvā piyaggāhī, pihetattānuyoginaṁ.
abandoning the good, grasping the loved, he envies the one who endeavours for himself.