An Elementary Pali Course
Selections for Translation
Passage 5: Selections from the Dhammapada [2/5]
[Dhammapada 15-18]
Idha socati pecca socati, paapakaarii ubhayattha socati;
here / grieves / having departed / grieves / evil-doer / in both
places / grieves
(One) grieves here and after departing, the doer of evil grieves in
both places;
so socati so viha~n~nati, disvaa kammakili.t.thamattano.
he / grieves / he / is vexed / having seen / self's defiled acts
he grieves, he is vexed, after seeing (his) own defiled acts.
Idha modati pecca modati, katapu~n~no ubhayattha modati;
here / rejoices / having departed / rejoices / doer of good / in both
places / rejoices
(One) rejoices here and after departing, the doer of good rejoices in
both places;
so modati so pamodati, disvaa kammavisuddhimattano.
he / rejoices / he / is delighted / having seen / self's acts of
virtue
he rejoices, he is delighted, after seeing (his) own virtuous acts.
Idha tappati pecca tappati, paapakaarii ubhayattha tappati;
here / is tormented / having departed / is tormented / evil-doer / in
both places / is tormented
(One) is tormented here and after departing, the doer of evil is
tormented in both places;
"paapa.m me katan"ti tappati, bhiyyo tappati duggati.m gato.
evil / by me / done / is tormented / further / is tormented / [to]
evil state / gone
"Evil is done by me" (one) is tormented, gone to an evil state (one)
is tormented further.
Idha nandati pecca nandati, katapu~n~no ubhayattha nandati;
here / rejoices / having departed / rejoices / doer of good / in both
places / rejoices
(One) rejoices here and after departing, the doer of good rejoices in
both places;
"pu~n~na.m me katan"ti nandati, bhiyyo nandati suggati.m gato.
merit / by me / done / rejoices / further / rejoices / [to] happy
state / gone
"Merit is done by me" (one) rejoices, gone to a happy state (one)
rejoices further.
[Dhammapada 21]
Appamaado amatapada.m pamaado maccuno pada.m;
non-negligence / deathlessness's foot / negligence / death's / foot
Heedfulness is the basis of nibbana, heedlessness the basis of
samsara;
appamattaa na miiyanti, ye pamattaa yathaa mataa.
not negligent / not / die / who / negligent / like / dead
the heedful (ones) die not, those heedless (ones) are as if dead.
[Dhammapada 30]
Appamaadena maghavaa, devaana.m se.t.thata.m gato;
by non-negligence / Indra / devas' / [to] best state / gone
By heedfulness Indra got to (be) the greatest of the devas.
appamaada.m pasa.msanti, pamaado garahito sadaa.
non-negligence / praise / negligence / is censured / always
heedfulness they praise, heedlessness is censured always.
[Dhammapada 41]
Acira.m vataya.m kaayo, pathavi.m adhisessati;
not-for a long time / indeed-this / body / earth / will lie on
Soon indeed this body, on the earth it will lie,
chuddho apetavi~n~naa.no, nirattha.mva kali`ngara.m.
thrown away / bereft of consciousness / useless-like / charred log
discarded, bereft of consciousness, useless like a used log.
[Dhammapada 49]
Yathaapi bhamaro puppha.m, va.n.nagandhamahe.thaya.m;
like-just so / bee / flower / without injuring color and smell
Just like a bee to a flower, without spoiling the color and smell,
paleti rasamaadaaya, eva.m gaame munii care.
flies away / juice-having taken / thus / in village / wise man /
should walk
takes its nectar and flies away, so in a village a wise man should
walk.