1Sabbe tasanti daṇḍassa,
All tremble at the rod,
2sabbe bhāyanti maccuno;
all fear death.
3Attānaṁ upamaṁ katvā,
Treating others like oneself,
4na haneyya na ghātaye.
neither kill nor incite to kill.
5Sabbe tasanti daṇḍassa,
All tremble at the rod,
6sabbesaṁ jīvitaṁ piyaṁ;
all love life.
7Attānaṁ upamaṁ katvā,
Treating others like oneself,
8na haneyya na ghātaye.
neither kill nor incite to kill.
9Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni,
Creatures love happiness,
10yo daṇḍena vihiṁsati;
so if you harm them with a stick
11Attano sukhamesāno,
in search of your own happiness,
12pecca so na labhate sukhaṁ.
after death you won’t find happiness.
13Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni,
Creatures love happiness,
14yo daṇḍena na hiṁsati;
so if you don’t harm them with a stick
15Attano sukhamesāno,
in search of your own happiness,
16pecca so labhate sukhaṁ.
after death you will find happiness.
17Māvoca pharusaṁ kañci,
Don’t speak harshly,
18vuttā paṭivadeyyu taṁ;
they may speak harshly back.
19Dukkhā hi sārambhakathā,
For aggressive speech is painful,
20paṭidaṇḍā phuseyyu taṁ.
and the rod may spring back on you.
21Sace neresi attānaṁ,
If you still yourself
22kaṁso upahato yathā;
like a broken gong,
23Esa pattosi nibbānaṁ,
you reach extinguishment
24sārambho te na vijjati.
and know no conflict.
25Yathā daṇḍena gopālo,
As a cowherd drives the cows
26gāvo pājeti gocaraṁ;
to pasture with the rod,
27Evaṁ jarā ca maccu ca,
so too old age and death
28āyuṁ pājenti pāṇinaṁ.
drive life from living beings.
29Atha pāpāni kammāni,
The fool does not understand
30karaṁ bālo na bujjhati;
the evil that they do.
31Sehi kammehi dummedho,
But because of those deeds, that simpleton
32aggidaḍḍhova tappati.
is tormented as if burnt by fire.
33Yo daṇḍena adaṇḍesu,
One who violently attacks
34appaduṭṭhesu dussati;
the peaceful and the innocent
35Dasannamaññataraṁ ṭhānaṁ,
swiftly falls
36khippameva nigacchati.
to one of ten bad states:
37Vedanaṁ pharusaṁ jāniṁ,
harsh pain; loss;
38sarīrassa va bhedanaṁ;
the breakup of the body;
39Garukaṁ vāpi ābādhaṁ,
serious illness;
40cittakkhepaṁ va pāpuṇe.
mental distress;
41Rājato vā upasaggaṁ,
hazards from rulers;
42Abbhakkhānaṁ va dāruṇaṁ;
vicious slander;
43Parikkhayaṁ va ñātīnaṁ,
loss of kin;
44Bhogānaṁ va pabhaṅguraṁ.
destruction of wealth;
45Atha vāssa agārāni,
or else their home
46aggi ḍahati pāvako;
is consumed by fire.
47Kāyassa bhedā duppañño,
When their body breaks up, that witless person
48nirayaṁ sopapajjati.
is reborn in hell.
49Na naggacariyā na jaṭā na paṅkā,
Not nudity, nor matted hair, nor mud,
50Nānāsakā thaṇḍilasāyikā vā;
nor fasting, nor lying on bare ground,
51Rajojallaṁ ukkuṭikappadhānaṁ,
nor wearing dust and dirt, or squatting on the heels,
52Sodhenti maccaṁ avitiṇṇakaṅkhaṁ.
will cleanse a mortal not free of doubt.
53Alaṅkato cepi samaṁ careyya,
Dressed up they may be, but if they live well—
54Santo danto niyato brahmacārī;
peaceful, tamed, committed to the spiritual path,
55Sabbesu bhūtesu nidhāya daṇḍaṁ,
having laid aside violence towards all creatures—
56So brāhmaṇo so samaṇo sa bhikkhu.
they are a brahmin, an ascetic, a mendicant.
57Hirīnisedho puriso,
Can a person constrained by conscience
58koci lokasmi vijjati;
be found in the world?
59Yo niddaṁ apabodheti,
Who shies away from blame,
60asso bhadro kasāmiva.
like a fine horse from the whip?
61Asso yathā bhadro kasāniviṭṭho,
Like a fine horse under the whip,
62Ātāpino saṁvegino bhavātha;
be keen and full of urgency.
63Saddhāya sīlena ca vīriyena ca,
With faith, ethics, and energy,
64Samādhinā dhammavinicchayena ca;
immersion, and investigation of principles,
65Sampannavijjācaraṇā patissatā,
accomplished in knowledge and conduct, mindful,
66Jahissatha dukkhamidaṁ anappakaṁ.
give up this vast suffering.
67Udakañhi nayanti nettikā,
While irrigators guide water,
68Usukārā namayanti tejanaṁ;
fletchers shape arrows,
69Dāruṁ namayanti tacchakā,
and carpenters carve timber—
70Attānaṁ damayanti subbatā.
those true to their vows tame themselves.