---
title: "The Dhammapada · Dhammapada"
author: "The Buddha"
translator: "Bhikkhu Sujato"
title_ru: "Дхаммапада"
author_ru: "Будда"
languages: [pi, en]
shelf: "Pali Canon"
section: 4 of 26
url: https://scriptura.si/works/pali-dhammapada/4/
cite: "The Buddha, tr. Bhikkhu Sujato, The Dhammapada · Dhammapada, section 4. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/pali-dhammapada/4/"
---

# 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.

## 4. Flowers · Dhp 44–59

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/pali-dhammapada/4/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/pali-dhammapada/4/#p-N

[¶0] Dhp 44

> Pali: Dhp 44 · Pathavikathāpasutapañcasatabhikkhuvatthu

[¶1] Who bestirs this earth,
and the Yama realm with its gods?
Who sets out the well-taught word of truth,
as an expert a flower?

> Pali: Ko imaṁ pathaviṁ vicessati,
Yamalokañca imaṁ sadevakaṁ;
Ko dhammapadaṁ sudesitaṁ,
Kusalo pupphamiva pacessati.

[¶2] Dhp 45

> Pali: Dhp 45

[¶3] A trainee bestirs this earth,
and the Yama realm with its gods.
A trainee sets out the well-taught word of truth,
as an expert a flower.

> Pali: Sekho pathaviṁ vicessati,
Yamalokañca imaṁ sadevakaṁ;
Sekho dhammapadaṁ sudesitaṁ,
Kusalo pupphamiva pacessati.

[¶4] Dhp 46

> Pali: Dhp 46 · Marīcikammaṭṭhānikabhikkhuvatthu

[¶5] Knowing this body’s like foam,
realizing it’s all just a mirage,
and cutting off Māra’s blossoming,
vanish from the King of Death.

> Pali: Pheṇūpamaṁ kāyamimaṁ viditvā,
Marīcidhammaṁ abhisambudhāno;
Chetvāna mārassa papupphakāni,
Adassanaṁ maccurājassa gacche.

[¶6] Dhp 47

> Pali: Dhp 47 · Viṭaṭūbhavatthu

[¶7] As a mighty flood sweeps off a sleeping village,
death steals away a man
even as he gathers flowers,
his mind caught up in them.

> Pali: Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ,
byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ;
Suttaṁ gāmaṁ mahoghova,
maccu ādāya gacchati.

[¶8] Dhp 48

> Pali: Dhp 48 · Patipūjikakumārivatthu

[¶9] The terminator gains control of the man
who has not had his fill of pleasures,
even as he gathers flowers,
his mind caught up in them.

> Pali: Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ,
byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ;
Atittaññeva kāmesu,
antako kurute vasaṁ.

[¶10] Dhp 49

> Pali: Dhp 49 · Macchariyakosiyaseṭṭhivatthu

[¶11] A bee takes the nectar
and moves on, doing no damage
to the flower’s beauty and fragrance;
and that’s how a sage should walk in the village.

> Pali: Yathāpi bhamaro pupphaṁ,
vaṇṇagandhamaheṭhayaṁ;
Paleti rasamādāya,
evaṁ gāme munī care.

[¶12] Dhp 50

> Pali: Dhp 50 · Pāveyyaājīvakavatthu

[¶13] Don’t find fault with others,
with what they’ve done or left undone.
You should only watch yourself,
what you’ve done or left undone.

> Pali: Na paresaṁ vilomāni,
na paresaṁ katākataṁ;
Attanova avekkheyya,
katāni akatāni ca.

[¶14] Dhp 51

> Pali: Dhp 51 · Chattapāṇiupāsakavatthu

[¶15] Just like a glorious flower
that’s colorful but lacks fragrance;
eloquent speech is fruitless
for one who does not act on it.

> Pali: Yathāpi ruciraṁ pupphaṁ,
vaṇṇavantaṁ agandhakaṁ;
Evaṁ subhāsitā vācā,
aphalā hoti akubbato.

[¶16] Dhp 52

> Pali: Dhp 52

[¶17] Just like a glorious flower
that’s both colorful and fragrant,
eloquent speech is fruitful
for one who acts on it.

> Pali: Yathāpi ruciraṁ pupphaṁ,
Vaṇṇavantaṁ sagandhakaṁ;
Evaṁ subhāsitā vācā,
Saphalā hoti kubbato.

[¶18] Dhp 53

> Pali: Dhp 53 · Visākhāvatthu

[¶19] Just as one would create many garlands
from a heap of flowers,
when a person has come to be born,
they should do many skillful things.

> Pali: Yathāpi puppharāsimhā,
kayirā mālāguṇe bahū;
Evaṁ jātena maccena,
kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ bahuṁ.

[¶20] Dhp 54

> Pali: Dhp 54 · Ānandattherapañhavatthu

[¶21] The fragrance of flowers doesn’t spread upwind,
nor sandalwood, pinwheel, or jasmine;
but the fragrance of the good spreads upwind;
a true person’s virtue spreads in every direction.

> Pali: Na pupphagandho paṭivātameti,
Na candanaṁ tagaramallikā vā;
Satañca gandho paṭivātameti,
Sabbā disā sappuriso pavāyati.

[¶22] Dhp 55

> Pali: Dhp 55

[¶23] Among all the fragrances—
sandalwood or pinwheel
or lotus or jasmine—
the fragrance of virtue is supreme.

> Pali: Candanaṁ tagaraṁ vāpi,
uppalaṁ atha vassikī;
Etesaṁ gandhajātānaṁ,
sīlagandho anuttaro.

[¶24] Dhp 56

> Pali: Dhp 56 · Mahākassapattherapiṇḍapātadinnavatthu

[¶25] Faint is the fragrance
of sandal or pinwheel;
but the fragrance of the virtuous
floats to the highest gods.

> Pali: Appamatto ayaṁ gandho,
yāyaṁ tagaracandanī;
Yo ca sīlavataṁ gandho,
vāti devesu uttamo.

[¶26] Dhp 57

> Pali: Dhp 57 · Godhikattheraparinibbānavatthu

[¶27] For those accomplished in ethics,
meditating diligently,
freed through the highest knowledge,
Māra cannot find their path.

> Pali: Tesaṁ sampannasīlānaṁ,
appamādavihārinaṁ;
Sammadaññāvimuttānaṁ,
māro maggaṁ na vindati.

[¶28] Dhp 58

> Pali: Dhp 58 · Garahadinnavatthu

[¶29] From a heap of trash
discarded on the highway,
a lotus might blossom,
fragrant and delightful.

> Pali: Yathā saṅkāradhānasmiṁ,
ujjhitasmiṁ mahāpathe;
Padumaṁ tattha jāyetha,
sucigandhaṁ manoramaṁ.

[¶30] Dhp 59

> Pali: Dhp 59

[¶31] So too, among those thought of as trash,
a disciple of the perfect Buddha
outshines with their wisdom
the blind ordinary folk.

> Pali: Evaṁ saṅkārabhūtesu,
andhabhūte puthujjane;
Atirocati paññāya,
sammāsambuddhasāvako.

[¶32] > Pali: Pupphavaggo catuttho.