Piya Vagga: Affection / The Dear Ones (Verses 209–220) – Lyrics in English with Meaning & PDF

Verses

Ayoge yunjam attanam, yogasminca ayojayam; Attham hitva piyaggahi, pihetattanuyoginam.

What it means

Applying oneself to what is improper, and not applying oneself to proper meditation, giving up one's true welfare and grasping after pleasant trivialities, one will later envy the person who exerts himself in spiritual practice.

Verse 1

Ma piyehi samaganchi, appiyehi kudacanam; Piyanam adassanam dukkham, appiyananca dassanam.

What it means

Do not form attachment to what is loved, nor at any time to what is unloved. Not seeing the loved is painful, and seeing the unloved is also painful.

Verse 2

Tasma piyam na kayiratha, piyapayo hi papako; Gantha tesam na vijjanti, yesam natthi piyappiyam.

What it means

Therefore, do not hold anything dear, for separation from the beloved is painful. There are no bonds for those who have neither loved nor unloved.

Verse 3

Piyato jayati soko, piyato jayati bhayam; Piyato vippamuttassa, natthi soko kuto bhayam.

What it means

From what is dear arises grief; from what is dear arises fear. For him who is free from what is dear, there is no grief; whence could there be fear?

Verse 4

Pemato jayati soko, pemato jayati bhayam; Pemato vippamuttassa, natthi soko kuto bhayam.

What it means

From affection arises grief; from affection arises fear. For him who is free from affection, there is no grief; whence could there be fear?

Verse 5

Ratiya jayati soko, ratiya jayati bhayam; Ratiya vippamuttassa, natthi soko kuto bhayam.

What it means

From sensual delight arises grief; from sensual delight arises fear. For him who is free from sensual delight, there is no grief; whence could there be fear?

Verse 6

Kamato jayati soko, kamato jayati bhayam; Kamato vippamuttassa, natthi soko kuto bhayam.

What it means

From lust arises grief; from lust arises fear. For him who is free from lust, there is no grief; whence could there be fear?

Verse 7

Tanhaya jayati soko, tanhaya jayati bhayam; Tanhaya vippamuttassa, natthi soko kuto bhayam.

What it means

From craving arises grief; from craving arises fear. For him who is free from craving, there is no grief; whence could there be fear?

Verse 8

Siladassanasampannam, dhammattham saccavedinam; Attano kamma kubbanam, tam jano kurute piyam.

What it means

One who is perfected in moral virtue and clear insight, established in the Dhamma, knower of the truth, performing his own duties — such a person the entire world holds dear.

Verse 9

Chandajato anakkhate, manasa ca phuto siya; Kamesu ca appatibaddhacitto, uddhamsototi vuccati.

What it means

In whom is born a longing for the Ineffable (Nibbāna), whose mind is saturated with it, and whose heart is untangled from sensual desires — he is called 'one who streams upward' (uddhaṃsoto).

Verse 10

Cirappavasim purisam, durato sotthim agatam; Natimitta suhajja ca, abhinandanti agatam.

What it means

When a person long absent from home returns safely from afar, his kinsmen, friends, and well-wishers welcome him with rejoicings.

Verse 11

Tatheva katapunnam pi, asma loka param gatam; Punnani patiganhanti, piyam nativa agatam.

What it means

Even so, when one who has done good merits passes from this world to the next, his good deeds welcome him, like loving kinsmen welcoming a dear friend who has returned.

Verse 12

Background

This chapter belongs to the Pali Dhammapada (Khuddaka Nikaya, Pali Canon), Piya Vagga, verses 209–220. Delivered across Sāvatthi, Rājagaha, and Kapilavatthu, this chapter responds to visceral human tragedies caused by bereavement and obsessive attachment. The Atthakathā commentary details poignant grief-stricken parents who lost only sons, Visākhā grieving her beloved granddaughter, and the householder who wept beside his dead child until the Buddha taught him that love without wisdom is an open door to sorrow. Verses 219–220 celebrated the joyful arrival in heaven of the generous householder Nandiya.

About this Text

Composed by: Gautama Buddha · Founder of Buddhism · c. 5th–6th century BCE, Northern India/Nepal

Born Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini, he attained enlightenment and spent the rest of his life teaching the Dhamma across northern India. His discourses (Suttas), preserved orally for generations before being written down in the Pali Canon, form the doctrinal foundation of Buddhism.

More by Gautama Buddha

The Three Refuges: Taking Refuge in the Triple Gem The Discourse on Loving-Kindness (Mettā Sutta)A Dedication of Merit to Departed Relatives The Chapter on the Mind (Cittavagga)The Discourse on the Jewels (Ratana Sutta)The Twin Verses (Yamaka Vagga) from the Dhammapada

Did You Know?

The Pentad of Attachment (Verses 212–216)

Grief and fear arise from five linked emotions: from what is dear (piya), from affection (pema), from sensual delight (rati), from lust (kāma), and from craving (taṇhā). Free yourself from them, and sorrow and fear vanish.

Neither Loved nor Unloved (Verses 210–211)

Do not entangle yourself in either what is loved or unloved; not meeting the loved is agony, and meeting the unloved is torment. Those who transcend both hold no fetters.

Beloved of the World (Verse 217)

One who is perfected in moral virtue and insight, firm in truth, and dedicated to fulfilling his own spiritual duty is universally cherished by mankind.

The Upward Stream (Verse 218)

One whose mind aspires toward the Ineffable (Nibbāna), whose thoughts are saturated with it, and whose heart is untangled from sensual lusts, is honored as 'one who streams upward' (uddhaṃsoto).

Welcome Home by Merits (Verses 219–220)

When a long-lost traveler returns safely from afar, his loved ones rejoice; identically, when a righteous person departs this world, his accumulated merits greet him in the next world like loving kinsmen embracing a dear friend.

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