Dhammapada · Chapter 11 of 26 · verses 146 to 156
The body ages, but the Dhamma of the good never grows old.
Jarāvagga
Awaiting review by a scholar of this tradition. Original texts are public domain; the plain meanings and notes are written by IndiaDigital and are being checked. We describe what each tradition teaches, in its own terms, and never rank faiths. Report a correction
In this chapter the Buddha reflects on ageing, sickness and death to awaken urgency. The world is described as burning, and people are asked why they do not seek a light while wrapped in darkness. The body is called a fragile, decaying 'city of bones', while the teaching of the good is said never to grow old. At the centre stand verses 153 and 154, which tradition holds the Buddha spoke at his awakening, declaring that he had found the 'house-builder', craving, and ended it. The chapter closes with the regret of those who wasted their youth.
ImpermanenceDeathCravingNibbana
The commentary says verses 153 and 154 are the Buddha's own joyful words at the moment of his awakening beneath the Bodhi tree.
Through countless lives he had searched for the 'house-builder', which the commentary explains as craving that builds the body again and again.
Now he had seen it. The rafters, explained as the defilements, were broken, and the ridge-pole, explained as ignorance, was shattered.
Buddhists remember these verses as the declaration that craving had ended and the mind had reached nibbana.
Ko nu hāso kimānando,niccaṁ pajjalite sati;Andhakārena onaddhā,padīpaṁ na gavesatha.
को नु हासो किमानन्दो,निच्चं पज्जलिते सति ।अन्धकारेन ओनद्धा,पदीपं न गवेसथ ॥
What is joy, what is laughter, when the flames are ever burning? Swathed in darkness, would you not seek a light?
Passa cittakataṁ bimbaṁ,arukāyaṁ samussitaṁ;Āturaṁ bahusaṅkappaṁ,yassa natthi dhuvaṁ ṭhiti.
पस्स चित्तकतं बिम्बं,अरुकायं समुस्सितं ।आतुरं बहुसङ्कप्पं,यस्स नत्थि धुवं ठिति ॥
See this fancy puppet, a body built of sores, diseased, obsessed over, in which nothing lasts at all.
Parijiṇṇamidaṁ rūpaṁ,roganīḷaṁ pabhaṅguraṁ;Bhijjati pūtisandeho,maraṇantañhi jīvitaṁ.
परिजिण्णमिदं रूपं,रोगनीळं पभङ्गुरं ।भिज्जति पूतिसन्देहो,मरणन्तञ्हि जीवितं ॥
This body is decrepit and frail, a nest of disease. This foul carcass falls apart, for life ends in death.
Yānimāni apatthāni,alābūneva sārade;Kāpotakāni aṭṭhīni,tāni disvāna kā rati.
यानिमानि अपत्थानि,अलाबूनेव सारदे ।कापोतकानि अट्ठीनि,तानि दिस्वान का रति ॥
These dove-grey bones are tossed away like dried gourds in the autumn, what joy is there in such a sight?
Aṭṭhīnaṁ nagaraṁ kataṁ,maṁsalohitalepanaṁ;Yattha jarā ca maccu ca,māno makkho ca ohito.
अट्ठीनं नगरं कतं,मंसलोहितलेपनं ।यत्थ जरा च मच्चु च,मानो मक्खो च ओहितो ॥
In this city built of bones, plastered with flesh and blood, old age and death are stashed away, along with conceit and contempt.
Jīranti ve rājarathā sucittā,Atho sarīrampi jaraṁ upeti;Satañca dhammo na jaraṁ upeti,Santo have sabbhi pavedayanti.
जीरन्ति वे राजरथा सुचित्ता,अथो सरीरम्पि जरं उपेति ।सतञ्च धम्मो न जरं उपेति,सन्तो हवे सब्भि पवेदयन्ति ॥
Fancy chariots of kings wear out, and even this body gets old. But the truth of the good never gets old, so the good proclaim to the good.
Appassutāyaṁ puriso,balībaddhova jīrati;Maṁsāni tassa vaḍḍhanti,paññā tassa na vaḍḍhati.
अप्पस्सुतायं पुरिसो,बलीबद्धोव जीरति ।मंसानि तस्स वड्ढन्ति,पञ्ञा तस्स न वड्ढति ॥
A person of little learning ages like an ox, their flesh grows, but not their wisdom.
Anekajātisaṁsāraṁ,sandhāvissaṁ anibbisaṁ;Gahakāraṁ gavesanto,dukkhā jāti punappunaṁ.
अनेकजातिसंसारं,सन्धाविस्सं अनिब्बिसं ।गहकारं गवेसन्तो,दुक्खा जाति पुनप्पुनं ॥
Transmigrating through countless rebirths, I’ve journeyed without reward, searching for the house-builder; painful is birth again and again.
Gahakāraka diṭṭhosi,puna gehaṁ na kāhasi;Sabbā te phāsukā bhaggā,gahakūṭaṁ visaṅkhataṁ;Visaṅkhāragataṁ cittaṁ,taṇhānaṁ khayamajjhagā.
गहकारक दिट्ठोसि,पुन गेहं न काहसि ।सब्बा ते फासुका भग्गा,गहकूटं विसङ्खतं ।विसङ्खारगतं चित्तं,तण्हानं खयमज्झगा ॥
I’ve seen you, house-builder! You won’t build a house again! Your rafters are all broken, your roof-peak demolished. The mind, set on demolition, has reached the end of cravings.
Acaritvā brahmacariyaṁ,aladdhā yobbane dhanaṁ;Jiṇṇakoñcāva jhāyanti,khīṇamaccheva pallale.
अचरित्वा ब्रह्मचरियं,अलद्धा योब्बने धनं ।जिण्णकोञ्चाव झायन्ति,खीणमच्छेव पल्लले ॥
When young they spurned the spiritual path and failed to earn any wealth. Now they brood like old cranes in a pond bereft of fish.
Acaritvā brahmacariyaṁ,aladdhā yobbane dhanaṁ;Senti cāpātikhīṇāva,purāṇāni anutthunaṁ.Jarāvaggo ekādasamo.
अचरित्वा ब्रह्मचरियं,अलद्धा योब्बने धनं ।सेन्ति चापातिखीणाव,पुराणानि अनुत्थुनं ॥जरावग्गो एकादसमो ॥
When young they spurned the spiritual path and failed to earn any wealth. Now they lie like spent arrows, bemoaning over things past.
What question does verse 146 ask those wrapped in darkness?
Verse 150 calls the body a city made of what?
According to verse 151, what never grows old?
Verse 152 says a person of little learning grows old like what?
In verse 154, whom does the speaker say he has finally seen?
In verse 155, those who wasted their youth are compared to what?
Your score: 0 / 6
Pali (Mahāsaṅgīti edition) and English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0) from SuttaCentral. Hindi and Marathi meanings, summaries and stories: IndiaDigital, awaiting review by a Buddhist scholar.
Corrections from members of every tradition are welcome at support@indiadigital.org. Last checked: .