Dhammapada · Chapter 8 of 26 · verses 100 to 115
One meaningful word, one day of insight, outweighs a thousand.
Sahassavagga
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In this chapter the Buddha weighs quality against quantity. A single meaningful word that brings peace is better than a thousand empty ones, and conquering oneself is greater than conquering a million people in battle. Honouring for a moment one who has developed themselves is said to outweigh a hundred years of ritual sacrifice. The chapter ends with a series of verses saying that one day lived with virtue, wisdom, effort and insight into the deathless is better than a hundred years lived without them.
Self-masteryWisdomDeathImpermanence
The commentary tells of Kisa Gotami, a young mother whose only child died while still small.
Overcome by grief, she carried the body from house to house, asking for medicine to bring her child back.
The Buddha asked her to bring mustard seeds from a household where no one had ever died.
Every house had known death. She understood that death comes to all, laid her child to rest, and became a nun.
Later, as she meditated, the Buddha spoke verse 114: one day seeing the deathless is better than a hundred years blind to it.
Sahassamapi ce vācā,anatthapadasaṁhitā;Ekaṁ atthapadaṁ seyyo,yaṁ sutvā upasammati.
सहस्समपि चे वाचा,अनत्थपदसंहिता ।एकं अत्थपदं सेय्यो,यं सुत्वा उपसम्मति ॥
Better than a thousand meaningless sayings is a single meaningful saying, hearing which brings you peace.
Sahassamapi ce gāthā,anatthapadasaṁhitā;Ekaṁ gāthāpadaṁ seyyo,yaṁ sutvā upasammati.
सहस्समपि चे गाथा,अनत्थपदसंहिता ।एकं गाथापदं सेय्यो,यं सुत्वा उपसम्मति ॥
Better than a thousand meaningless verses is a single meaningful verse, hearing which brings you peace.
Yo ca gāthā sataṁ bhāse,anatthapadasaṁhitā;Ekaṁ dhammapadaṁ seyyo,yaṁ sutvā upasammati.
यो च गाथा सतं भासे,अनत्थपदसंहिता ।एकं धम्मपदं सेय्यो,यं सुत्वा उपसम्मति ॥
Better than reciting a hundred meaningless verses is a single saying of Dhamma, hearing which brings you peace.
Yo sahassaṁ sahassena,saṅgāme mānuse jine;Ekañca jeyyamattānaṁ,sa ve saṅgāmajuttamo.
यो सहस्सं सहस्सेन,सङ्गामे मानुसे जिने ।एकञ्च जेय्यमत्तानं,स वे सङ्गामजुत्तमो ॥
The supreme conqueror is not he who conquers a million men in battle, but he who conquers a single man: himself.
Attā have jitaṁ seyyo,yā cāyaṁ itarā pajā;Attadantassa posassa,niccaṁ saññatacārino.
अत्ता हवे जितं सेय्यो,या चायं इतरा पजा ।अत्तदन्तस्स पोसस्स,निच्चं सञ्ञतचारिनो ॥
It is surely better to conquer oneself than all those other folk. When a person has tamed themselves, always living restrained,
Neva devo na gandhabbo,na māro saha brahmunā;Jitaṁ apajitaṁ kayirā,tathārūpassa jantuno.
नेव देवो न गन्धब्बो,न मारो सह ब्रह्मुना ।जितं अपजितं कयिरा,तथारूपस्स जन्तुनो ॥
no god nor centaur, nor Māra nor divinity, can undo the victory of such a personage.
Māse māse sahassena,yo yajetha sataṁ samaṁ;Ekañca bhāvitattānaṁ,muhuttamapi pūjaye;Sāyeva pūjanā seyyo,yañce vassasataṁ hutaṁ.
मासे मासे सहस्सेन,यो यजेथ सतं समं ।एकञ्च भावितत्तानं,मुहुत्तमपि पूजये ।सायेव पूजना सेय्यो,यञ्चे वस्ससतं हुतं ॥
Rather than a thousandfold sacrifice, every month for a full century, it’s better to honor for a single hour one who has developed themselves. That offering is better than the hundred year sacrifice.
Yo ca vassasataṁ jantu,aggiṁ paricare vane;Ekañca bhāvitattānaṁ,muhuttamapi pūjaye;Sāyeva pūjanā seyyo,yañce vassasataṁ hutaṁ.
यो च वस्ससतं जन्तु,अग्गिं परिचरे वने ।एकञ्च भावितत्तानं,मुहुत्तमपि पूजये ।सायेव पूजना सेय्यो,यञ्चे वस्ससतं हुतं ॥
Rather than serve the sacred flame in the forest for a hundred years, it’s better to honor for a single hour a personage who has developed themselves. That offering is better than the hundred year sacrifice.
Yaṁ kiñci yiṭṭhaṁ va hutaṁ va loke,Saṁvaccharaṁ yajetha puññapekkho;Sabbampi taṁ na catubhāgameti,Abhivādanā ujjugatesu seyyo.
यं किञ्चि यिट्ठं व हुतं व लोके,संवच्छरं यजेथ पुञ्ञपेक्खो ।सब्बम्पि तं न चतुभागमेति,अभिवादना उज्जुगतेसु सेय्यो ॥
Whatever sacrifice or offering in the world a seeker of merit may make for a year, none of it is worth a quarter of bowing to the sincere.
Abhivādanasīlissa,niccaṁ vuḍḍhāpacāyino;Cattāro dhammā vaḍḍhanti,āyu vaṇṇo sukhaṁ balaṁ.
अभिवादनसीलिस्स,निच्चं वुड्ढापचायिनो ।चत्तारो धम्मा वड्ढन्ति,आयु वण्णो सुखं बलं ॥
For one in the habit of bowing, always honoring the elders, four blessings grow: lifespan, beauty, happiness, and strength.
Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve,dussīlo asamāhito;Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo,sīlavantassa jhāyino.
यो च वस्ससतं जीवे,दुस्सीलो असमाहितो ।एकाहं जीवितं सेय्यो,सीलवन्तस्स झायिनो ॥
Better to live a single day ethical and absorbed in meditation than to live a hundred years unethical and lacking immersion.
Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve,duppañño asamāhito;Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo,paññavantassa jhāyino.
यो च वस्ससतं जीवे,दुप्पञ्ञो असमाहितो ।एकाहं जीवितं सेय्यो,पञ्ञवन्तस्स झायिनो ॥
Better to live a single day wise and absorbed in meditation than to live a hundred years witless and lacking immersion.
Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve,kusīto hīnavīriyo;Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo,vīriyamārabhato daḷhaṁ.
यो च वस्ससतं जीवे,कुसीतो हीनवीरियो ।एकाहं जीवितं सेय्यो,वीरियमारभतो दळ्हं ॥
Better to live a single day energetic and strong, than to live a hundred years lazy and lacking energy.
Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve,apassaṁ udayabbayaṁ;Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo,passato udayabbayaṁ.
यो च वस्ससतं जीवे,अपस्सं उदयब्बयं ।एकाहं जीवितं सेय्यो,पस्सतो उदयब्बयं ॥
Better to live a single day seeing rise and fall than to live a hundred years blind to rise and fall.
Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve,apassaṁ amataṁ padaṁ;Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo,passato amataṁ padaṁ.
यो च वस्ससतं जीवे,अपस्सं अमतं पदं ।एकाहं जीवितं सेय्यो,पस्सतो अमतं पदं ॥
Better to live a single day seeing the state free of death than to live a hundred years blind to the state free of death.
Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve,apassaṁ dhammamuttamaṁ;Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo,passato dhammamuttamaṁ.Sahassavaggo aṭṭhamo.
यो च वस्ससतं जीवे,अपस्सं धम्ममुत्तमं ।एकाहं जीवितं सेय्यो,पस्सतो धम्ममुत्तमं ॥सहस्सवग्गो अट्ठमो ॥
Better to live a single day seeing the supreme teaching than to live a hundred years blind to the supreme teaching.
According to verse 100, what is better than a thousand meaningless words?
Verse 103 says the supreme conqueror is one who conquers whom?
Verse 105 lists beings who cannot undo the self-conqueror's victory. Which is among them?
Which four things grow, according to verse 109, for one who honours elders?
In verse 113, one day of seeing what is better than a hundred years without it?
The commentary links verse 114, about seeing the deathless, to which person?
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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.
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