धम्मपदम् — षड्विंशतिः वर्गाः त्रयश्चतुर्विंशत्यधिकशतगाथाः च
धम्मपदं बौद्धनैतिकसाहित्यस्य मूर्धन्यरत्नम्, यस्मिन् षड्विंशतिवर्गेषु त्रयश्चतुर्विंशत्यधिकशतं (423) उदात्तगाथाः सन्ति। चित्तशुद्ध्याः प्रारम्भिकयमकवर्गात् सत्यब्राह्मणस्य अन्तिमवर्णनपर्यन्तं, प्रत्येकं वर्गं ध्यानस्य सावधानजीवनस्य च शाश्वतं मार्गदर्शनं प्रदत्ते।
वर्गः
यमकवर्गः
Ten contrasting pairs demonstrating how mind precedes all experience: defiled thought brings suffering like a cartwheel following the ox, while purified mind brings joy like an inseparable shadow.
अप्रमादवर्गः
Exalts heedfulness and vigilance as the path to the Deathless (Nibbāna), while heedlessness is the path to spiritual death.
चित्तवर्गः
Explores the wavering, restless nature of the mind like a fish quivering out of water, teaching that a tamed mind brings true peace.
पुष्पवर्गः
Uses the imagery of flowers to illustrate life: just as bees take nectar without harming the flower, the wise move through life; the perfume of virtue travels against the wind.
बालवर्गः
Analyzes the tragic traits of the foolish person: long is the night to the sleepless, long is samsara to the fool; a spoon never tastes the soup, just as a fool never understands Dhamma.
पण्डितवर्गः
Praises the qualities of the truly wise: like a solid rock unshakeable by the wind, the wise remain unmoved by blame or praise, serene like a deep calm lake.
अरहन्तवर्गः
Portrays the state of the fully enlightened Arahants who have traversed the journey, ended suffering, untied all bonds, and fly through the sky of voidness unattached like swans.
सहस्रवर्गः
Better than a thousand meaningless words is one word that brings peace; better than conquering a thousand men in battle is conquering oneself.
पापवर्गः
Hasten towards good and restrain mind from evil; drop by drop water pot fills, drop by drop the fool accumulates evil; nowhere in the universe can one escape the fruit of evil deeds.
दण्डवर्गः
All tremble at punishment, all fear death; seeing others as oneself, one should neither kill nor cause to kill; the golden rule of universal empathy.
जरावर्गः
Contemplates the inevitable decay of youth and beauty: this painted puppet body, a heap of sores, decays; looking upon bleached bones cast away like gourds in autumn, what delight is there?
आत्मवर्गः
One is one's own master, what other master could there be? By self-taming one gains a master difficult to find; by oneself is evil done, by oneself is one purified.
लोकवर्गः
Look upon the world as a bubble, look upon it as a mirage; the king of death does not see the one who looks upon the world thus; better than ruling the earth is the fruit of stream-entry.
बुद्धवर्गः
Whose victory cannot be undone, trackless like birds in the sky; difficult is birth as a human, rare is the arising of a Buddha; to refrain from all evil, to cultivate the good, to purify one's mind—this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
सुखवर्गः
How joyfully we live, free from hatred among the hating, free from greed among the greedy; health is the greatest gain, contentment the greatest wealth, trust the best relation, and Nibbāna the supreme bliss.
प्रियवर्गः
From affection springs grief, from affection springs fear; for one freed from affection there is no grief, whence fear? Overcoming attachment brings true freedom.
क्रोधवर्गः
Conquer anger with non-anger, conquer evil with good, conquer the stingy with giving, conquer the liar with truth; whoever checks rising anger like a rolling chariot is a true charioteer.
मलवर्गः
Like a withered leaf you stand, the messengers of death draw near; blow away your impurities gradually like a smith blows away the dross of silver; ignorance is the greatest impurity.
धर्मस्थवर्गः
Not by arbitrariness is one righteous; one who judges impartially with Dhamma is established in righteousness; grey hair alone does not make an elder, but truth and harmlessness.
मार्गवर्गः
Of paths the Eightfold is the best; you yourself must make the effort, the Buddhas are only teachers; by insight seeing all conditioned things as impermanent, one crosses suffering.
प्रकीर्णकवर्गः
If by renouncing a lesser pleasure one sees a greater joy, the wise man renounces the lesser; ever wakeful and mindful by day and night are Gotama's disciples.
निरयवर्गः
The liar goes to hell, and also the one who having done wrong says 'I did not do it'; seeing danger where there is none and blindness to true danger leads to woeful realms.
नागवर्गः
Like an elephant enduring arrows in battle, I shall endure abuse, for the world is ill-behaved; better it is to walk alone than with a fool, solitary like the Matanga elephant in the forest.
तृष्णावर्गः
The craving of a thoughtless man grows like a creeper; cut off the stream of craving, cut down the forest of desire; the gift of Dhamma excels all gifts, the flavor of Dhamma excels all flavors.
भिक्षुवर्गः
Restraint of eye is good, restraint of ear is good, restraint of mind is good; the monk calm in body, calm in speech, calm in mind, who has relinquished worldly joys, is truly peaceful.
ब्राह्मणवर्गः
Not by matted hair, nor by lineage, nor by birth is one a holy person; in whom there is truth and Dhamma, he is pure, he is a true Brahmin; who is harmless, detached, and free from desire.