Pupphavagga

Khuddakanikāya

Minor Collection

Dhammapada

Sayings of the Dhamma 44–59

Pupphavagga

4. Flowers

Pathavikathāpasutapañcasatabhikkhuvatthu

Ko imaṁ pathaviṁ vicessati,

Who bestirs this earth,

Yamalokañca imaṁ sadevakaṁ;

and the Yama realm with its gods?

Ko dhammapadaṁ sudesitaṁ,

Who sets out the well-taught word of truth,

Kusalo pupphamiva pacessati.

as an expert a flower?

Sekho pathaviṁ vicessati,

A trainee bestirs this earth,

Yamalokañca imaṁ sadevakaṁ;

and the Yama realm with its gods.

Sekho dhammapadaṁ sudesitaṁ,

A trainee sets out the well-taught word of truth,

Kusalo pupphamiva pacessati.

as an expert a flower.

Marīcikammaṭṭhānikabhikkhuvatthu

Pheṇūpamaṁ kāyamimaṁ viditvā,

Knowing this body’s like foam,

Marīcidhammaṁ abhisambudhāno;

realizing it’s all just a mirage,

Chetvāna mārassa papupphakāni,

and cutting off Māra’s blossoming,

Adassanaṁ maccurājassa gacche.

vanish from the King of Death.

Viṭaṭūbhavatthu

Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ,

As a mighty flood sweeps off a sleeping village,

byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ;

death steals away a man

Suttaṁ gāmaṁ mahoghova,

even as he gathers flowers,

maccu ādāya gacchati.

his mind caught up in them.

Patipūjikakumārivatthu

Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ,

The terminator gains control of the man

byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ;

who has not had his fill of pleasures,

Atittaññeva kāmesu,

even as he gathers flowers,

antako kurute vasaṁ.

his mind caught up in them.

Macchariyakosiyaseṭṭhivatthu

Yathāpi bhamaro pupphaṁ,

A bee takes the nectar

vaṇṇagandhamaheṭhayaṁ;

and moves on, doing no damage

Paleti rasamādāya,

to the flower’s beauty and fragrance;

evaṁ gāme munī care.

and that’s how a sage should walk in the village.

Pāveyyaājīvakavatthu

Na paresaṁ vilomāni,

Don’t find fault with others,

na paresaṁ katākataṁ;

with what they’ve done or left undone.

Attanova avekkheyya,

You should only watch yourself,

katāni akatāni ca.

what you’ve done or left undone.

Chattapāṇiupāsakavatthu

Yathāpi ruciraṁ pupphaṁ,

Just like a glorious flower

vaṇṇavantaṁ agandhakaṁ;

that’s colorful but lacks fragrance;

Evaṁ subhāsitā vācā,

eloquent speech is fruitless

aphalā hoti akubbato.

for one who does not act on it.

Yathāpi ruciraṁ pupphaṁ,

Just like a glorious flower

Vaṇṇavantaṁ sagandhakaṁ;

that’s both colorful and fragrant,

Evaṁ subhāsitā vācā,

eloquent speech is fruitful

Saphalā hoti kubbato.

for one who acts on it.

Visākhāvatthu

Yathāpi puppharāsimhā,

Just as one would create many garlands

kayirā mālāguṇe bahū;

from a heap of flowers,

Evaṁ jātena maccena,

when a person has come to be born,

kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ bahuṁ.

they should do many skillful things.

Ānandattherapañhavatthu

Na pupphagandho paṭivātameti,

The fragrance of flowers doesn’t spread upwind,

Na candanaṁ tagaramallikā vā;

nor sandalwood, pinwheel, or jasmine;

Satañca gandho paṭivātameti,

but the fragrance of the good spreads upwind;

Sabbā disā sappuriso pavāyati.

a true person’s virtue spreads in every direction.

Candanaṁ tagaraṁ vāpi,

Among all the fragrances—

uppalaṁ atha vassikī;

sandalwood or pinwheel

Etesaṁ gandhajātānaṁ,

or lotus or jasmine—

sīlagandho anuttaro.

the fragrance of virtue is supreme.

Mahākassapattherapiṇḍapātadinnavatthu

Appamatto ayaṁ gandho,

Faint is the fragrance

yāyaṁ tagaracandanī;

of sandal or pinwheel;

Yo ca sīlavataṁ gandho,

but the fragrance of the virtuous

vāti devesu uttamo.

floats to the highest gods.

Godhikattheraparinibbānavatthu

Tesaṁ sampannasīlānaṁ,

For those accomplished in ethics,

appamādavihārinaṁ;

meditating diligently,

Sammadaññāvimuttānaṁ,

freed through the highest knowledge,

māro maggaṁ na vindati.

Māra cannot find their path.

Garahadinnavatthu

Yathā saṅkāradhānasmiṁ,

From a heap of trash

ujjhitasmiṁ mahāpathe;

discarded on the highway,

Padumaṁ tattha jāyetha,

a lotus might blossom,

sucigandhaṁ manoramaṁ.

fragrant and delightful.

Evaṁ saṅkārabhūtesu,

So too, among those thought of as trash,

andhabhūte puthujjane;

a disciple of the perfect Buddha

Atirocati paññāya,

outshines with their wisdom

sammāsambuddhasāvako.

the blind ordinary folk.

Pupphavaggo catuttho.