Dhammapada · Chapter 9 of 26 · verses 116 to 128
Hurry toward good; drop by drop, deeds fill the pot.
Pāpavagga
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In this chapter the Buddha urges people to hurry toward good and guard the mind from wrongdoing, because a mind slow to do good starts to enjoy what is harmful. Good and bad deeds are shown to accumulate drop by drop, like water filling a pot, so neither should be thought small. A wrong deed may seem pleasant until it ripens, and harm done to an innocent person returns like dust thrown against the wind. The chapter teaches that there is no place on earth, in the sky or in the sea where one can escape the results of one's actions, or escape death.
EthicsDiligenceDeath
The commentary tells of a poor brahmin and his wife who owned just one outer cloth between them.
Listening to the Buddha one night, he wished to offer the cloth, but hesitation held him back through the first and second watches.
In the last watch he finally laid the cloth at the Buddha's feet and cried out, 'I have won!'
The Buddha observed that a good deed is best done at once, before the mind turns away, and spoke verse 116.
Abhittharetha kalyāṇe,pāpā cittaṁ nivāraye;Dandhañhi karoto puññaṁ,pāpasmiṁ ramatī mano.
अभित्थरेथ कल्याणे,पापा चित्तं निवारये ।दन्धञ्हि करोतो पुञ्ञं,पापस्मिं रमती मनो ॥
Rush to do good, shield your mind from evil; for when you’re slow to do good, your thoughts delight in wickedness.
Pāpañce puriso kayirā,Na naṁ kayirā punappunaṁ;Na tamhi chandaṁ kayirātha,Dukkho pāpassa uccayo.
पापञ्चे पुरिसो कयिरा,न नं कयिरा पुनप्पुनं ।न तम्हि छन्दं कयिराथ,दुक्खो पापस्स उच्चयो ॥
If you do something bad, don’t do it again and again, don’t set your heart on it, for piling up evil is suffering.
Puññañce puriso kayirā,kayirā naṁ punappunaṁ;Tamhi chandaṁ kayirātha,sukho puññassa uccayo.
पुञ्ञञ्चे पुरिसो कयिरा,कयिरा नं पुनप्पुनं ।तम्हि छन्दं कयिराथ,सुखो पुञ्ञस्स उच्चयो ॥
If you do something good, do it again and again, set your heart on it, for piling up goodness is joyful.
Pāpopi passati bhadraṁ,Yāva pāpaṁ na paccati;Yadā ca paccati pāpaṁ,Atha pāpo pāpāni passati.
पापोपि पस्सति भद्रं,याव पापं न पच्चति ।यदा च पच्चति पापं,अथ पापो पापानि पस्सति ॥
Even the wicked see good things, so long as their wickedness has not ripened. But as soon as that wickedness ripens, then the wicked see wicked things.
Bhadropi passati pāpaṁ,Yāva bhadraṁ na paccati;Yadā ca paccati bhadraṁ,Atha bhadro bhadrāni passati.
भद्रोपि पस्सति पापं,याव भद्रं न पच्चति ।यदा च पच्चति भद्रं,अथ भद्रो भद्रानि पस्सति ॥
Even the good see wicked things, so long as their goodness has not ripened. But as soon as that goodness ripens, then the good see good things.
Māvamaññetha pāpassa,na mantaṁ āgamissati;Udabindunipātena,udakumbhopi pūrati;Bālo pūrati pāpassa,thokaṁ thokampi ācinaṁ.
मावमञ्ञेथ पापस्स,न मन्तं आगमिस्सति ।उदबिन्दुनिपातेन,उदकुम्भोपि पूरति ।बालो पूरति पापस्स,थोकं थोकम्पि आचिनं ॥
Think not lightly of evil, that it won’t come back to you. The pot is filled with water falling drop by drop; the fool is filled with wickedness piled up bit by bit.
Māvamaññetha puññassa,na mandaṁ āgamissati;Udabindunipātena,udakumbhopi pūrati;Dhīro pūrati puññassa,thokaṁ thokampi ācinaṁ.
मावमञ्ञेथ पुञ्ञस्स,न मन्दं आगमिस्सति ।उदबिन्दुनिपातेन,उदकुम्भोपि पूरति ।धीरो पूरति पुञ्ञस्स,थोकं थोकम्पि आचिनं ॥
Think not lightly of goodness, that it won’t come back to you. The pot is filled with water falling drop by drop; the attentive one is filled with goodness piled up bit by bit.
Vāṇijova bhayaṁ maggaṁ,appasattho mahaddhano;Visaṁ jīvitukāmova,pāpāni parivajjaye.
वाणिजोव भयं मग्गं,अप्पसत्थो महद्धनो ।विसं जीवितुकामोव,पापानि परिवज्जये ॥
Avoid wickedness, as a merchant with rich cargo and small escort would avoid a dangerous road, or one who loves life would avoid drinking poison.
Pāṇimhi ce vaṇo nāssa,hareyya pāṇinā visaṁ;Nābbaṇaṁ visamanveti,natthi pāpaṁ akubbato.
पाणिम्हि चे वणो नास्स,हरेय्य पाणिना विसं ।नाब्बणं विसमन्वेति,नत्थि पापं अकुब्बतो ॥
You can carry poison in your hand if it has no wound, for poison does not infect without a wound; nothing bad happens unless you do bad.
Yo appaduṭṭhassa narassa dussati,Suddhassa posassa anaṅgaṇassa;Tameva bālaṁ pacceti pāpaṁ,Sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṁva khitto.
यो अप्पदुट्ठस्स नरस्स दुस्सति,सुद्धस्स पोसस्स अनङ्गणस्स ।तमेव बालं पच्चेति पापं,सुखुमो रजो पटिवातंव खित्तो ॥
Whoever wrongs a man who has done no wrong, a pure man who has not a blemish, the evil backfires on the fool, like fine dust thrown upwind.
Gabbhameke uppajjanti,nirayaṁ pāpakammino;Saggaṁ sugatino yanti,parinibbanti anāsavā.
गब्भमेके उप्पज्जन्ति,निरयं पापकम्मिनो ।सग्गं सुगतिनो यन्ति,परिनिब्बन्ति अनासवा ॥
Some are born in a womb; evildoers go to hell; the virtuous go to heaven; the undefiled are fully extinguished.
Na antalikkhe na samuddamajjhe,Na pabbatānaṁ vivaraṁ pavissa;Na vijjatī so jagatippadeso,Yatthaṭṭhito mucceyya pāpakammā.
न अन्तलिक्खे न समुद्दमज्झे,न पब्बतानं विवरं पविस्स ।न विज्जती सो जगतिप्पदेसो,यत्थट्ठितो मुच्चेय्य पापकम्मा ॥
Not in midair, nor mid-ocean, nor hiding in a mountain cleft; you’ll find no place on the planet to escape your wicked deeds.
Na antalikkhe na samuddamajjhe,Na pabbatānaṁ vivaraṁ pavissa;Na vijjatī so jagatippadeso,Yatthaṭṭhitaṁ nappasaheyya maccu.Pāpavaggo navamo.
न अन्तलिक्खे न समुद्दमज्झे,न पब्बतानं विवरं पविस्स ।न विज्जती सो जगतिप्पदेसो,यत्थट्ठितं नप्पसहेय्य मच्चु ॥पापवग्गो नवमो ॥
Not in midair, nor mid-ocean, nor hiding in a mountain cleft; you’ll find no place on the planet where you won’t be vanquished by death.
What does verse 116 say happens when one is slow to do good?
Verse 121 compares the slow build up of wrongdoing to what?
In verse 123, wrongdoing should be avoided as a merchant with rich goods and few companions avoids what?
According to verse 124, why can poison be carried in a hand without harm?
Verse 125 says harm done to an innocent person returns like what?
Verse 128 says there is no place in sky, sea or mountain cave to escape what?
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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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