An Elementary Pali Course
Selections for Translation
Passage 5: Selections from the Dhammapada [4/5]
[Dhammapada 182-183]
Kiccho manussapa.tilaabho, kiccha.m maccaana jiivita.m;
difficult to obtain / attainment of human / hard / mortal / life
Earning to be a human is not easy, the mortal life is hard;
kiccha.m saddhammassavana.m, kiccho buddhaanamuppaado.
difficult to obtain / hearing of the good teachings / rare / arising
of the Buddhas
getting to hear the good teachings is not easy, the arising of the
Buddhas is rare.
Sabbapaapassa akara.na.m, kusalassa upasampadaa;
of all evil / not doing / of good / undertaking
The giving up of all evil, the act of good,
sacittapariyodapana.m eta.m buddhaana saasana.m.
purification of one's own mind / this / Buddhas' / teaching
the purification of one's mind; this is the instruction of the
Buddhas.
[Dhammapada 190-192]
Yo ca buddha~nca dhamma~nca, sa`ngha~nca sara.na.m gato;
who / and / Buddha and / Dhamma and / Sangha and / refuge / gone
And (he) who has gone to refuge, to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha;
cattaari ariyasaccaani, sammappa~n~naaya passati.
four / noble truths / thoroughly-with wisdom / sees
sees thoroughly with wisdom the four noble truths.
Dukkha.m dukkhasamuppaada.m, dukkhassa ca atikkama.m;
suffering / origin of suffering / of suffering / and / overcoming
Suffering, the origin of suffering, and the overcoming of suffering;
ariya.m ca.t.tha`ngika.m magga.m, dukkhuupasamagaamina.m.
noble / eightfold / path / going to allaying of suffering
(and) the noble eightfold path leading to the overcoming of suffering.
Eta.m kho sara.na.m khema.m, eta.m sara.namuttama.m;
this / indeed / refuge / safe / this / highest refuge
This is indeed the refuge safe, this the refuge supreme;
eta.m sara.namaagamma, sabbadukkhaa pamuccati.
this / refuge-having come / from all suffering / is freed
having come to this refuge, (he) is freed from all suffering.
[Dhammapada 228]
Na caahu na ca bhavissati, na cetarahi vijjati;
not / and-was / not / and / will be / not / and-now / exists
(There) was not and will not be, and do not now exists;
ekanta.m nindito poso, ekanta.m vaa pasa.msito.
wholly / blamed / man / wholly / or / praised
a man wholly blamed or wholly praised.
[Dhammapada 258-259]
Na tena pa.n.dito hoti, yaavataa bahu bhaasati;
not / by that / wise man / is / because / much / speaks
One is not yet a wise man because one speaks much;
khemii averii abhayo, "pa.n.dito"ti pavuccati.
peaceful / friendly / fearless / "wise man" / is called
(One) who is peaceful, friendly and fearless is called wise.
Na taavataa dhammadharo, yaavataa bahu bhaasati;
not / so long as / one who knows the Dhamma / because / much / speaks
One does not yet know the Dhamma because one speaks much;
yo ca appampi sutvaana, dhamma.m kaayena passati;
who / and / little-only / having heard / Dhamma / by body / sees
He who hears only a little, and understands the Dhamma through one's
efforts;
sa ve dhammadharo hoti, yo dhamma.m nappamajjati.
he / indeed / one versed in the doctrine / is / who / Dhamma / is not
negligent
he who is not heedless of the Dhamma is one truly versed in the
doctrine.
[Dhammapada 314]
Akata.m dukka.ta.m seyyo, pacchaa tappati dukka.ta.m;
undone / evil deed / better / later / hurts / evil deed
Better is an evil deed undone, subsequently an evil deed hurts;
kata~nca sukata.m seyyo, ya.m katvaa naanutappati.
done-and / good deed / better / which / having done / does not regret
and better done is a good deed, which (one) does and not regret.