DAMMAPADA - Danda Vagga (English)

Sabbe tasanti daṇḍassa,
sabbe bhāyanti maccuno;
Attānaṃ upamaṃ katvā,
na haneyya na ghātaye.

129. All beings tremble at violence. All beings fear death. Putting yourself in the place of another, do not kill or influence others to kill.

Sabbe tasanti daṇḍassa,
sabbesaṃ jīvitaṃ piyaṃ;
Attānaṃ upamaṃ katvā,
na haneyya na ghātaye.

130. All beings tremble at violence. Life is dear to all. Putting yourself in the place of another, do not kill or influence others to kill.

Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni,
yo daṇḍena vihiṃsati;
Attano sukhamesāno,
pecca so na labhate sukhaṃ.

131. If desiring happiness, one uses violence to harm beings who also desire happiness, one will not find happiness after death.

Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni,
yo daṇḍena na hiṃsati;
Attano sukhamesāno,
pecca so labhate sukhaṃ.

132. If desiring happiness, one does not use violence to harm beings who also desire happiness, one will find happiness after death.

Māvoca pharusaṃ kañci,
vuttā paṭivadeyyu taṃ;
Dukkhā hi sārambhakathā,
paṭidaṇḍā phuseyyu taṃ.

133. Do not speak harshly to anyone. What you say will be said back to you. Aggressive speech is painful, and retaliation will overtake you.

Sace neresi attānaṃ,
kaṃso upahato yathā;
Esa pattosi nibbānaṃ,
sārambho te na vijjati.

134. If, like a silenced broken metal bowl, you restrain your speech and silence yourself, you have approached Nibbāna. Then no hostility will be
found in you.

Yathā daṇḍena gopālo,
gāvo pājeti gocaraṃ;
Evaṃ jarā ca maccu ca,
āyuṃ pājenti pāṇinaṃ.

135. As a cowherd drives cows to a meadow with a stick, so does aging and death drive beings to the end of their life.

Atha pāpāni kammāni,
karaṃ bālo na bujjhati;
Sehi kammehi dummedho,
aggidaḍḍhova tappati.

136. When the fool commits evil deeds, he does not realise their seriousness. Eventually those people lacking wisdom are scorched by the results of their own deeds, like someone burned by fire.

Yo daṇḍena adaṇḍesu,
appaduṭṭhesu dussati;
Dasanna­mañña­taraṃ ṭhānaṃ,
khippameva nigacchati.

Vedanaṃ pharusaṃ jāniṃ,
sarīrassa va bhedanaṃ;
Garukaṃ vāpi ābādhaṃ,
cittakkhepaṃ va pāpuṇe.

Rājato vā upasaggaṃ,
Abbhakkhānaṃ va dāruṇaṃ;
Parikkhayaṃ va ñātīnaṃ,
Bhogānaṃ va pabhaṅguraṃ.

Atha vāssa agārāni,
aggi ḍahati pāvako;
Kāyassa bhedā duppañño,
nirayaṃ sopapajjati.

137-140. Whoever uses violence to harm the non-violent and compassionate liberated ones will soon face one of ten miseries: intense physical pain, disaster, bodily injury, insanity, serious illness, oppression from rulers, grave charges, loss of relatives, wealth destroyed, or houses consumed by fire. With the breakup of the body, the foolish one is reborn in hell.

Na naggacariyā na jaṭā na paṅkā,
Nānāsakā thaṇḍilasāyikā vā;
Rajojallaṃ ukkuṭi­kap­pa­dhā­naṃ,
Sodhenti maccaṃ avi­tiṇ­ṇakaṅ­khaṃ.

141. No nakedness or matted hair, no stained teeth, no fasting, no lying on the ground, no smearing oneself with ashes and dust, no sitting on the heels as austerities can purify the life of an ordinary person who has not overcome doubt.

Alaṅkato cepi samaṃ careyya,
Santo danto niyato brahmacārī;
Sabbesu bhūtesu nidhāya daṇḍaṃ,
So brāhmaṇo so samaṇo sa bhikkhu.

142. Even though he is well adorned, if he practices the Dhamma, is calm, is restrained in senses, is established well in the path of Nibbāna, is celibate, and has given up violence towards all beings-he truly is a Brāhmin, an ascetic, a monk.

Hirīnisedho puriso,
koci lokasmi vijjati;
Yo niddaṃ apabodheti,
asso bhadro kasāmiva.

143. Rarely found is the person in this world who is restrained by shame of wrong doing. That person restrains himself by disliking blame as a thoroughbred horse avoids the whip disliking punishment.

Asso yathā bhadro kasāniviṭṭho,
Ātāpino saṃvegino bhavātha;
Saddhāya sīlena ca vīriyena ca,
Samādhinā dhamma­vi­niccha­yena ca;
Sam­panna­vij­jācaraṇā patissatā,
Jahissatha dukkhamidaṃ anappakaṃ.

144. The thoroughbred horse struck by the whip becomes more alert. In the same way, you also must become disenchanted with this journey of rebirths. With faith, virtue, effort, and stillness of mind you must practice the Dhamma diligently. You must make decisions only through insight. Your realization must match your conduct. With establishing mindfulness, destroy this great suffering.

Udakañhi nayanti nettikā,
Usukārā namayanti tejanaṃ;
Dāruṃ namayanti tacchakā,
Attānaṃ damayanti subbatā.

145. Irrigators guide water to wherever it is needed. Arrow makers shape arrows to fit to task. Carpenters fashion wood for the desired design. In the same way, the obedient ones tame themselves.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!