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Dhammapada 100–115

Sahassavagga

8. The Thousands · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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even a thousandSahassamapi ifce sayingsvācā,
full of meaningless wordsanatthapadasaṁhitā;
oneEkaṁ meaningful wordatthapadaṁ betterseyyo,
whichyaṁ having heardsutvā one is pacifiedupasammati.

Better than a thousand meaningless sayings is a single meaningful saying, hearing which brings you peace.

even a thousandSahassamapi ifce versesgāthā,
connected with meaningless wordsanatthapadasaṁhitā;
oneEkaṁ verse-wordgāthāpadaṁ betterseyyo,
whichyaṁ having heardsutvā becomes calmupasammati.

Better than a thousand meaningless verses is a single meaningful verse, hearing which brings you peace.

whoeverYo andca versesgāthā a hundredsataṁ would recitebhāse,
connected with meaningless wordsanatthapadasaṁhitā;
oneEkaṁ saying of Dhammadhammapadaṁ betterseyyo,
whichyaṁ having heardsutvā brings peaceupasammati.

Better than reciting a hundred meaningless verses is a single saying of Dhamma, hearing which brings you peace.

whoeverYo a thousandsahassaṁ with a thousandsahassena,
in battlesaṅgāme menmānuse would conquerjine;
and oneEkañca would conquer himselfjeyyamattānaṁ,
hesa indeedve supreme battle-conquerorsaṅgāmajuttamo.

The supreme conqueror is not he who conquers a million men in battle, but he who conquers a single man: himself.

selfAttā surelyhave conqueredjitaṁ betterseyyo,
thatyā and thiscāyaṁ otheritarā folkpajā;
of self-tamed oneAttadantassa of personposassa,
alwaysniccaṁ living restrainedsaññatacārino.

It is surely better to conquer oneself than all those other folk. When a person has tamed themselves, always living restrained,

not evenNeva a goddevo norna a centaurgandhabbo,
norna Māramāro withsaha divinitybrahmunā;
victoryJitaṁ undefeatedapajitaṁ can makekayirā,
of such a personagetathārūpassa of a personjantuno.

no god nor centaur, nor Māra nor divinity, can undo the victory of such a personage.

month after monthMāse month after monthmāse with a thousandsahassena,
whoeveryo would sacrificeyajetha a hundredsataṁ for a full centurysamaṁ;
and oneEkañca who has developed themselvesbhāvitattānaṁ,
even for an hourmuhuttamapi should honorpūjaye;
that very offeringSāyeva worshippūjanā is betterseyyo,
and whateveryañce a century-longvassasataṁ sacrificedhutaṁ.

Rather than a thousandfold sacrifice, every month for a full century, it’s better to honor for a single hour one who has developed themselves. That offering is better than the hundred year sacrifice.

whoeverYo andca a hundred yearsvassasataṁ a personjantu,
the flameaggiṁ should serveparicare in the forestvane;
but oneEkañca who has developed themselvesbhāvitattānaṁ,
even for a momentmuhuttamapi should honorpūjaye;
that very offeringSāyeva honoringpūjanā betterseyyo,
than that whichyañce a hundred yearsvassasataṁ sacrificedhutaṁ.

Rather than serve the sacred flame in the forest for a hundred years, it’s better to honor for a single hour a personage who has developed themselves. That offering is better than the hundred year sacrifice.

whateverYaṁ anykiñci sacrificeyiṭṭhaṁ orva offeringhutaṁ orva in the worldloke,
for a yearSaṁvaccharaṁ may makeyajetha a seeker of meritpuññapekkho;
all of itSabbampi thattaṁ notna is worth a quartercatubhāgameti,
bowingAbhivādanā to the sincereujjugatesu betterseyyo.

Whatever sacrifice or offering in the world a seeker of merit may make for a year, none of it is worth a quarter of bowing to the sincere.

for one whose habit is bowingAbhivādanasīlissa,
alwaysniccaṁ for one honoring eldersvuḍḍhāpacāyino;
fourCattāro dhammasdhammā growvaḍḍhanti,
lifespanāyu beautyvaṇṇo happinesssukhaṁ strengthbalaṁ.

For one in the habit of bowing, always honoring the elders, four blessings grow: lifespan, beauty, happiness, and strength.

whoeverYo andca a hundred yearsvassasataṁ were to livejīve,
unethicaldussīlo lacking immersionasamāhito;
a single day'sEkāhaṁ lifejīvitaṁ betterseyyo,
of one ethicalsīlavantassa absorbed in meditationjhāyino.

Better to live a single day ethical and absorbed in meditation than to live a hundred years unethical and lacking immersion.

whoeverYo andca a hundred yearsvassasataṁ might livejīve,
witlessduppañño lacking immersionasamāhito;
a single dayEkāhaṁ lifejīvitaṁ betterseyyo,
of one wisepaññavantassa absorbed in meditationjhāyino.

Better to live a single day wise and absorbed in meditation than to live a hundred years witless and lacking immersion.

whoYo andca a hundred yearsvassasataṁ would livejīve,
lazykusīto lacking energyhīnavīriyo;
a single dayEkāhaṁ lifejīvitaṁ betterseyyo,
energeticvīriyamārabhato strongdaḷhaṁ.

Better to live a single day energetic and strong, than to live a hundred years lazy and lacking energy.

whoeverYo andca a hundred yearsvassasataṁ should livejīve,
not seeingapassaṁ rise and falludayabbayaṁ;
a single dayEkāhaṁ lifejīvitaṁ betterseyyo,
for one seeingpassato rise and falludayabbayaṁ.

Better to live a single day seeing rise and fall than to live a hundred years blind to rise and fall.

whoeverYo andca a hundred yearsvassasataṁ should livejīve,
not seeingapassaṁ death-freeamataṁ statepadaṁ;
a single dayEkāhaṁ lifejīvitaṁ betterseyyo,
seeingpassato death-freeamataṁ statepadaṁ.

Better to live a single day seeing the state free of death than to live a hundred years blind to the state free of death.

whoYo andca a hundred yearsvassasataṁ would livejīve,
not seeingapassaṁ the supreme teachingdhammamuttamaṁ;
a single dayEkāhaṁ lifejīvitaṁ betterseyyo,
seeingpassato the supreme teachingdhammamuttamaṁ.
the Thousands chapterSahassavaggo eighthaṭṭhamo.

Better to live a single day seeing the supreme teaching than to live a hundred years blind to the supreme teaching.

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