In short: Chapter 1 of the Dhammapada, Pairs (Yamakavagga), verses 1 to 20. Verses in contrasting pairs: the mind leads, hatred is ended only by love, and the heedful thrive while the heedless decline.
Intention is the leader of things; intention is first, they’re made by intention. If with corrupt intent you speak or act, suffering follows you, like a wheel, the ox’s foot.
Dhammapada 1, the chapter's first verse.
Pāli and English translation by Bhikkhu Sujato, from SuttaCentral. The introduction is ANEW's.
The verses in Pāli and English
| Verse | Pāli | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā, | Intention is the leader of things; |
| manoseṭṭhā manomayā; | intention is first, they’re made by intention. | |
| Manasā ce paduṭṭhena, | If with corrupt intent | |
| bhāsati vā karoti vā; | you speak or act, | |
| Tato naṁ dukkhamanveti, | suffering follows you, | |
| cakkaṁva vahato padaṁ. | like a wheel, the ox’s foot. | |
| 2 | Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā, | Intention is the leader of things; |
| manoseṭṭhā manomayā; | intention is first, they’re made by intention. | |
| Manasā ce pasannena, | If with pure intent | |
| bhāsati vā karoti vā; | you speak or act, | |
| Tato naṁ sukhamanveti, | happiness follows you | |
| chāyāva anapāyinī. | like a shadow that never leaves. | |
| 3 | Akkocchi maṁ avadhi maṁ, | “They abused me, they hit me! |
| ajini maṁ ahāsi me; | They beat me, they robbed me!” | |
| Ye ca taṁ upanayhanti, | For those who bear such a grudge, | |
| veraṁ tesaṁ na sammati. | hatred is never laid to rest. | |
| 4 | Akkocchi maṁ avadhi maṁ, | “They abused me, they hit me! |
| ajini maṁ ahāsi me; | They beat me, they robbed me!” | |
| Ye ca taṁ nupanayhanti, | For those who bear no such grudge, | |
| veraṁ tesūpasammati. | hatred is laid to rest. | |
| 5 | Na hi verena verāni, | For never is hatred |
| sammantīdha kudācanaṁ; | laid to rest by hate, | |
| Averena ca sammanti, | it’s laid to rest by love: | |
| esa dhammo sanantano. | this is an ancient teaching. | |
| 6 | Pare ca na vijānanti, | When others do not understand, |
| mayamettha yamāmase; | let us, who do understand this, | |
| Ye ca tattha vijānanti, | restrain ourselves in this regard; | |
| tato sammanti medhagā. | for that is how conflicts are laid to rest. | |
| 7 | Subhānupassiṁ viharantaṁ, | Those who contemplate the beautiful, |
| indriyesu asaṁvutaṁ; | their faculties unrestrained, | |
| Bhojanamhi cāmattaññuṁ, | immoderate in eating, | |
| kusītaṁ hīnavīriyaṁ; | lazy, lacking energy: | |
| Taṁ ve pasahati māro, | Māra strikes them down | |
| vāto rukkhaṁva dubbalaṁ. | like the wind, a feeble tree. | |
| 8 | Asubhānupassiṁ viharantaṁ, | Those who contemplate the ugly, |
| Indriyesu susaṁvutaṁ; | their faculties well-restrained, | |
| Bhojanamhi ca mattaññuṁ, | eating in moderation, | |
| Saddhaṁ āraddhavīriyaṁ; | faithful and energetic: | |
| Taṁ ve nappasahati māro, | Māra cannot strike them down, | |
| Vāto selaṁva pabbataṁ. | like the wind, a rocky mountain. | |
| 9 | Anikkasāvo kāsāvaṁ, | One who, not free of stains themselves, |
| yo vatthaṁ paridahissati; | would wear the robe stained in ocher, | |
| Apeto damasaccena, | bereft of self-control and truth: | |
| na so kāsāvamarahati. | they are not worthy of the ocher robe. | |
| 10 | Yo ca vantakasāvassa, | One who’s purged all their stains, |
| sīlesu susamāhito; | steady in ethics, | |
| Upeto damasaccena, | possessed of self-control and of truth, | |
| sa ve kāsāvamarahati. | they are truly worthy of the ocher robe. | |
| 11 | Asāre sāramatino, | Thinking the inessential is essential, |
| sāre cāsāradassino; | seeing the essential as inessential; | |
| Te sāraṁ nādhigacchanti, | they don’t realize the essential, | |
| micchāsaṅkappagocarā. | for wrong thoughts are their habitat. | |
| 12 | Sārañca sārato ñatvā, | Having known the essential as essential, |
| asārañca asārato; | and the inessential as inessential; | |
| Te sāraṁ adhigacchanti, | they realize the essential, | |
| sammāsaṅkappagocarā. | for right thoughts are their habitat. | |
| 13 | Yathā agāraṁ ducchannaṁ, | Just as rain seeps into |
| vuṭṭhī samativijjhati; | a poorly roofed house, | |
| Evaṁ abhāvitaṁ cittaṁ, | lust seeps into | |
| rāgo samativijjhati. | an undeveloped mind. | |
| 14 | Yathā agāraṁ suchannaṁ, | Just as rain doesn’t seep into |
| vuṭṭhī na samativijjhati; | a well roofed house, | |
| Evaṁ subhāvitaṁ cittaṁ, | lust doesn’t seep into | |
| rāgo na samativijjhati. | a well developed mind. | |
| 15 | Idha socati pecca socati, | Here they grieve, hereafter they grieve, |
| Pāpakārī ubhayattha socati; | an evildoer grieves in both places. | |
| So socati so vihaññati, | They grieve and fret, | |
| Disvā kammakiliṭṭhamattano. | seeing their own corrupt deeds. | |
| 16 | Idha modati pecca modati, | Here they rejoice, hereafter they rejoice, |
| Katapuñño ubhayattha modati; | one who does good rejoices in both places. | |
| So modati so pamodati, | They rejoice and celebrate, | |
| Disvā kammavisuddhimattano. | seeing their own pure deeds. | |
| 17 | Idha tappati pecca tappati, | Here they’re tormented, hereafter they’re tormented, |
| Pāpakārī ubhayattha tappati; | an evildoer is tormented in both places. | |
| “Pāpaṁ me katan”ti tappati, | They’re tormented thinking of bad things they’ve done; | |
| Bhiyyo tappati duggatiṁ gato. | when gone to a bad place, they’re tormented all the more. | |
| 18 | Idha nandati pecca nandati, | Here they delight, hereafter they delight, |
| Katapuñño ubhayattha nandati; | one who does good delights in both places. | |
| “Puññaṁ me katan”ti nandati, | They delight thinking of good things they’ve done; | |
| Bhiyyo nandati suggatiṁ gato. | when gone to a good place, they delight all the more. | |
| 19 | Bahumpi ce saṁhita bhāsamāno, | Much though they may recite scripture, |
| Na takkaro hoti naro pamatto; | if a negligent person does not apply them, | |
| Gopova gāvo gaṇayaṁ paresaṁ, | then, like a cowherd who counts the cattle of others, | |
| Na bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti. | they miss out on the blessings of the ascetic life. | |
| 20 | Appampi ce saṁhita bhāsamāno, | Little though they may recite scripture, |
| Dhammassa hoti anudhammacārī; | if they live in line with the teaching, | |
| Rāgañca dosañca pahāya mohaṁ, | having given up greed, hate, and delusion, | |
| Sammappajāno suvimuttacitto; | with deep understanding and heart well freed, | |
| Anupādiyāno idha vā huraṁ vā, | not grasping to this life or the next, | |
| Sa bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti. | they share in the blessings of the ascetic life. |
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Questions people ask
What is chapter 1 of the Dhammapada about?
Verses in contrasting pairs: the mind leads, hatred is ended only by love, and the heedful thrive while the heedless decline.
Which verses are in Dhammapada chapter 1?
Chapter 1, Pairs (Yamakavagga), contains verses 1 to 20.