Pāpavagga

Khuddakanikāya

Minor Collection

Dhammapada

Sayings of the Dhamma 116–128

Pāpavagga

9. Wickedness

Cūḷekasāṭakabrāhmaṇavatthu

Abhittharetha kalyāṇe,

Rush to do good,

pāpā cittaṁ nivāraye;

shield your mind from evil;

Dandhañhi karoto puññaṁ,

for when you’re slow to do good,

pāpasmiṁ ramatī mano.

your thoughts delight in wickedness.

Seyyasakattheravatthu

Pāpañce puriso kayirā,

If you do something bad,

Na naṁ kayirā punappunaṁ;

don’t do it again and again,

Na tamhi chandaṁ kayirātha,

don’t set your heart on it,

Dukkho pāpassa uccayo.

for piling up evil is suffering.

Lājadevadhītāvatthu

Puññañce puriso kayirā,

If you do something good,

kayirā naṁ punappunaṁ;

do it again and again,

Tamhi chandaṁ kayirātha,

set your heart on it,

sukho puññassa uccayo.

for piling up goodness is joyful.

Anāthapiṇḍikaseṭṭhivatthu

Pāpopi passati bhadraṁ,

Even the wicked see good things,

Yāva pāpaṁ na paccati;

so long as their wickedness has not ripened.

Yadā ca paccati pāpaṁ,

But as soon as that wickedness ripens,

Atha pāpo pāpāni passati.

then the wicked see wicked things.

Bhadropi passati pāpaṁ,

Even the good see wicked things,

Yāva bhadraṁ na paccati;

so long as their goodness has not ripened.

Yadā ca paccati bhadraṁ,

But as soon as that goodness ripens,

Atha bhadro bhadrāni passati.

then the good see good things.

Asaññataparikkhāravatthu

Māvamaññetha pāpassa,

Think not lightly of evil,

na mantaṁ āgamissati;

that it won’t come back to you.

Udabindunipātena,

The pot is filled with water

udakumbhopi pūrati;

falling drop by drop;

Bālo pūrati pāpassa,

the fool is filled with wickedness

thokaṁ thokampi ācinaṁ.

piled up bit by bit.

Biḷālapādakaseṭṭhivatthu

Māvamaññetha puññassa,

Think not lightly of goodness,

na mandaṁ āgamissati;

that it won’t come back to you.

Udabindunipātena,

The pot is filled with water

udakumbhopi pūrati;

falling drop by drop;

Dhīro pūrati puññassa,

the attentive one is filled with goodness

thokaṁ thokampi ācinaṁ.

piled up bit by bit.

Mahādhanavāṇijavatthu

Vāṇijova bhayaṁ maggaṁ,

Avoid wickedness,

appasattho mahaddhano;

as a merchant with rich cargo and small escort

Visaṁ jīvitukāmova,

would avoid a dangerous road,

pāpāni parivajjaye.

or one who loves life would avoid drinking poison.

Kukkuṭamittanesādavatthu

Pāṇimhi ce vaṇo nāssa,

You can carry poison in your hand

hareyya pāṇinā visaṁ;

if it has no wound,

Nābbaṇaṁ visamanveti,

for poison does not infect without a wound;

natthi pāpaṁ akubbato.

nothing bad happens unless you do bad.

Kokasunakhaluddakavatthu

Yo appaduṭṭhassa narassa dussati,

Whoever wrongs a man who has done no wrong,

Suddhassa posassa anaṅgaṇassa;

a pure man who has not a blemish,

Tameva bālaṁ pacceti pāpaṁ,

the evil backfires on the fool,

Sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṁva khitto.

like fine dust thrown upwind.

Maṇikārakulūpakatissattheravatthu

Gabbhameke uppajjanti,

Some are born in a womb;

nirayaṁ pāpakammino;

evildoers go to hell;

Saggaṁ sugatino yanti,

the virtuous go to heaven;

parinibbanti anāsavā.

the undefiled are fully extinguished.

Tayojanavatthu

Na antalikkhe na samuddamajjhe,

Not in midair, nor mid-ocean,

Na pabbatānaṁ vivaraṁ pavissa;

nor hiding in a mountain cleft;

Na vijjatī so jagatippadeso,

you’ll find no place on the planet

Yatthaṭṭhito mucceyya pāpakammā.

to escape your wicked deeds.

Suppabuddhasakyavatthu

Na antalikkhe na samuddamajjhe,

Not in midair, nor mid-ocean,

Na pabbatānaṁ vivaraṁ pavissa;

nor hiding in a mountain cleft;

Na vijjatī so jagatippadeso,

you’ll find no place on the planet

Yatthaṭṭhitaṁ nappasaheyya maccu.

where you won’t be vanquished by death.

Pāpavaggo navamo.