---
title: "The Dhammapada · Dhammapada"
author: "The Buddha"
translator: "Bhikkhu Sujato"
title_ru: "Дхаммапада"
author_ru: "Будда"
languages: [pi, en]
shelf: "Pali Canon"
section: 23 of 26
url: https://scriptura.si/works/pali-dhammapada/23/
cite: "The Buddha, tr. Bhikkhu Sujato, The Dhammapada · Dhammapada, section 23. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/pali-dhammapada/23/"
---

# The Dhammapada · Dhammapada

*The Buddha, tr. Bhikkhu Sujato*

Russian: Дхаммапада, Будда

The 423 verses of the Path of the Teaching, in twenty-six chapters: the pairs, vigilance, the mind, flowers, the fool, the wise, the brahmin.

> Pali: the Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka (Buddha Jayanti edition, 2500), from SuttaCentral’s bilara-data, dedicated to the public domain (CC0).

> English: Bhikkhu Sujato, from SuttaCentral’s bilara-data, dedicated to the public domain (CC0). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the segment numbers the two texts share, gathered into paragraphs; verse keeps its lines.

## 23. Elephants · Dhp 320–333

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/pali-dhammapada/23/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/pali-dhammapada/23/#p-N

[¶0] Dhp 320

> Pali: Dhp 320 · Attadantavatthu

[¶1] Like an elephant struck
with arrows in battle,
I shall endure abuse,
for so many folk are badly behaved.

> Pali: Ahaṁ nāgova saṅgāme,
cāpato patitaṁ saraṁ;
Ativākyaṁ titikkhissaṁ,
dussīlo hi bahujjano.

[¶2] Dhp 321

> Pali: Dhp 321

[¶3] The well-tamed beast is the one led to the crowd;
the tamed elephant’s the one the king mounts;
the tamed person who endures abuse
is the best of human beings.

> Pali: Dantaṁ nayanti samitiṁ,
dantaṁ rājābhirūhati;
Danto seṭṭho manussesu,
yotivākyaṁ titikkhati.

[¶4] Dhp 322

> Pali: Dhp 322

[¶5] Those who have tamed themselves are better
than fine tamed mules,
thoroughbreds from Sindh,
or giant tuskers.

> Pali: Varamassatarā dantā,
ājānīyā ca sindhavā;
Kuñjarā ca mahānāgā,
attadanto tato varaṁ.

[¶6] Dhp 323

> Pali: Dhp 323 · Hatthācariyapubbakabhikkhuvatthu

[¶7] For not on those mounts
would you go to the untrodden place,
whereas, with the help of one <j>whose self is well tamed,
you go there, tamed by the tamed.

> Pali: Na hi etehi yānehi,
gaccheyya agataṁ disaṁ;
Yathāttanā sudantena,
danto dantena gacchati.

[¶8] Dhp 324

> Pali: Dhp 324 · Parijiṇṇabrāhmaṇaputtavatthu

[¶9] The tusker named Dhanapāla
is musky in rut, hard to control.
Bound, he eats not a morsel,
for he misses the elephant forest.

> Pali: Dhanapālo nāma kuñjaro,
Kaṭukabhedano dunnivārayo;
Baddho kabaḷaṁ na bhuñjati,
Sumarati nāgavanassa kuñjaro.

[¶10] Dhp 325

> Pali: Dhp 325 · Pasenadikosalavatthu

[¶11] One who gets drowsy from overeating,
fond of sleep, rolling round the bed
like a great hog stuffed with grain:
that dullard returns to the womb again and again.

> Pali: Middhī yadā hoti mahagghaso ca,
Niddāyitā samparivattasāyī;
Mahāvarāhova nivāpapuṭṭho,
Punappunaṁ gabbhamupeti mando.

[¶12] Dhp 326

> Pali: Dhp 326 · Sānusāmaṇeravatthu

[¶13] In the past my mind wandered
how it wished, where it liked, as it pleased.
Now I’ll carefully guide it,
as a trainer with a hook guides a rutting elephant.

> Pali: Idaṁ pure cittamacāri cārikaṁ,
Yenicchakaṁ yatthakāmaṁ yathāsukhaṁ;
Tadajjahaṁ niggahessāmi yoniso,
Hatthippabhinnaṁ viya aṅkusaggaho.

[¶14] Dhp 327

> Pali: Dhp 327 · Pāveyyakahatthivatthu

[¶15] Delight in diligence!
Take good care of your mind!
Pull yourself out of this pit,
like an elephant sunk in a bog.

> Pali: Appamādaratā hotha,
sacittamanurakkhatha;
Duggā uddharathattānaṁ,
paṅke sannova kuñjaro.

[¶16] Dhp 328

> Pali: Dhp 328 · Sambahulabhikkhuvatthu

[¶17] If you find an alert companion,
an attentive friend to live happily together,
then, overcoming all adversities,
wander with them, joyful and mindful.

> Pali: Sace labhetha nipakaṁ sahāyaṁ,
Saddhiṁ caraṁ sādhuvihāridhīraṁ;
Abhibhuyya sabbāni parissayāni,
Careyya tenattamano satīmā.

[¶18] Dhp 329

> Pali: Dhp 329

[¶19] If you find no alert companion,
no attentive friend to live happily together,
then, like a king who flees his conquered realm,
wander alone like a tusker in the wilds.

> Pali: No ce labhetha nipakaṁ sahāyaṁ,
Saddhiṁ caraṁ sādhuvihāridhīraṁ;
Rājāva raṭṭhaṁ vijitaṁ pahāya,
Eko care mātaṅgaraññeva nāgo.

[¶20] Dhp 330

> Pali: Dhp 330

[¶21] It’s better to wander alone,
there’s no fellowship with fools.
Wander alone and do no wrong,
at ease like a tusker in the wilds.

> Pali: Ekassa caritaṁ seyyo,
Natthi bāle sahāyatā;
Eko care na ca pāpāni kayirā,
Appossukko mātaṅgaraññeva nāgo.

[¶22] Dhp 331

> Pali: Dhp 331 · Māravatthu

[¶23] A friend in need is a blessing;
it’s a blessing to be content with whatever;
good deeds are a blessing at the end of life,
and giving up all suffering is a blessing.

> Pali: Atthamhi jātamhi sukhā sahāyā,
Tuṭṭhī sukhā yā itarītarena;
Puññaṁ sukhaṁ jīvitasaṅkhayamhi,
Sabbassa dukkhassa sukhaṁ pahānaṁ.

[¶24] Dhp 332

> Pali: Dhp 332

[¶25] In this world it’s a blessing to serve
one’s mother and one’s father.
And it’s a blessing also to serve
ascetics and brahmins.

> Pali: Sukhā matteyyatā loke,
atho petteyyatā sukhā;
Sukhā sāmaññatā loke,
atho brahmaññatā sukhā.

[¶26] Dhp 333

> Pali: Dhp 333

[¶27] It’s a blessing to keep precepts until you grow old;
a blessing to be grounded in faith;
the getting of wisdom’s a blessing;
and it’s a blessing to avoid doing wrong.

> Pali: Sukhaṁ yāva jarā sīlaṁ,
sukhā saddhā patiṭṭhitā;
Sukho paññāya paṭilābho,
pāpānaṁ akaraṇaṁ sukhaṁ.

[¶28] > Pali: Nāgavaggo tevīsatimo.