In short: Chapter 10 of the Dhammapada, The Rod (Daṇḍavagga), verses 129 to 145. All tremble at the rod, all fear death: putting yourself in another's place, do not harm.
All tremble at the rod, all fear death. Treating others like oneself, neither kill nor incite to kill.
Dhammapada 129, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 129 | Sabbe tasanti daṇḍassa, | All tremble at the rod, |
| sabbe bhāyanti maccuno; | all fear death. | |
| Attānaṁ upamaṁ katvā, | Treating others like oneself, | |
| na haneyya na ghātaye. | neither kill nor incite to kill. | |
| 130 | Sabbe tasanti daṇḍassa, | All tremble at the rod, |
| sabbesaṁ jīvitaṁ piyaṁ; | all love life. | |
| Attānaṁ upamaṁ katvā, | Treating others like oneself, | |
| na haneyya na ghātaye. | neither kill nor incite to kill. | |
| 131 | Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni, | Creatures love happiness, |
| yo daṇḍena vihiṁsati; | so if you harm them with a stick | |
| Attano sukhamesāno, | in search of your own happiness, | |
| pecca so na labhate sukhaṁ. | after death you won’t find happiness. | |
| 132 | Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni, | Creatures love happiness, |
| yo daṇḍena na hiṁsati; | so if you don’t harm them with a stick | |
| Attano sukhamesāno, | in search of your own happiness, | |
| pecca so labhate sukhaṁ. | after death you will find happiness. | |
| 133 | Māvoca pharusaṁ kañci, | Don’t speak harshly, |
| vuttā paṭivadeyyu taṁ; | they may speak harshly back. | |
| Dukkhā hi sārambhakathā, | For aggressive speech is painful, | |
| paṭidaṇḍā phuseyyu taṁ. | and the rod may spring back on you. | |
| 134 | Sace neresi attānaṁ, | If you still yourself |
| kaṁso upahato yathā; | like a broken gong, | |
| Esa pattosi nibbānaṁ, | you reach extinguishment | |
| sārambho te na vijjati. | and know no conflict. | |
| 135 | Yathā daṇḍena gopālo, | As a cowherd drives the cows |
| gāvo pājeti gocaraṁ; | to pasture with the rod, | |
| Evaṁ jarā ca maccu ca, | so too old age and death | |
| āyuṁ pājenti pāṇinaṁ. | drive life from living beings. | |
| 136 | Atha pāpāni kammāni, | The fool does not understand |
| karaṁ bālo na bujjhati; | the evil that they do. | |
| Sehi kammehi dummedho, | But because of those deeds, that simpleton | |
| aggidaḍḍhova tappati. | is tormented as if burnt by fire. | |
| 137 | Yo daṇḍena adaṇḍesu, | One who violently attacks |
| appaduṭṭhesu dussati; | the peaceful and the innocent | |
| Dasannamaññataraṁ ṭhānaṁ, | swiftly falls | |
| khippameva nigacchati. | to one of ten bad states: | |
| 138 | Vedanaṁ pharusaṁ jāniṁ, | harsh pain; loss; |
| sarīrassa va bhedanaṁ; | the breakup of the body; | |
| Garukaṁ vāpi ābādhaṁ, | serious illness; | |
| cittakkhepaṁ va pāpuṇe. | mental distress; | |
| 139 | Rājato vā upasaggaṁ, | hazards from rulers; |
| Abbhakkhānaṁ va dāruṇaṁ; | vicious slander; | |
| Parikkhayaṁ va ñātīnaṁ, | loss of kin; | |
| Bhogānaṁ va pabhaṅguraṁ. | destruction of wealth; | |
| 140 | Atha vāssa agārāni, | or else their home |
| aggi ḍahati pāvako; | is consumed by fire. | |
| Kāyassa bhedā duppañño, | When their body breaks up, that witless person | |
| nirayaṁ sopapajjati. | is reborn in hell. | |
| 141 | Na naggacariyā na jaṭā na paṅkā, | Not nudity, nor matted hair, nor mud, |
| Nānāsakā thaṇḍilasāyikā vā; | nor fasting, nor lying on bare ground, | |
| Rajojallaṁ ukkuṭikappadhānaṁ, | nor wearing dust and dirt, or squatting on the heels, | |
| Sodhenti maccaṁ avitiṇṇakaṅkhaṁ. | will cleanse a mortal not free of doubt. | |
| 142 | Alaṅkato cepi samaṁ careyya, | Dressed up they may be, but if they live well— |
| Santo danto niyato brahmacārī; | peaceful, tamed, committed to the spiritual path, | |
| Sabbesu bhūtesu nidhāya daṇḍaṁ, | having laid aside violence toward all creatures— | |
| So brāhmaṇo so samaṇo sa bhikkhu. | they are a brahmin, an ascetic, a mendicant. | |
| 143 | Hirīnisedho puriso, | Can a person constrained by conscience |
| koci lokasmi vijjati; | be found in the world? | |
| Yo niddaṁ apabodheti, | Who shies away from blame, | |
| asso bhadro kasāmiva. | like a fine horse from the whip? | |
| 144 | Asso yathā bhadro kasāniviṭṭho, | Like a fine horse under the whip, |
| Ātāpino saṁvegino bhavātha; | be keen and full of urgency. | |
| Saddhāya sīlena ca vīriyena ca, | With faith, ethics, and energy, | |
| Samādhinā dhammavinicchayena ca; | immersion, and investigation of principles, | |
| Sampannavijjācaraṇā patissatā, | accomplished in knowledge and conduct, mindful, | |
| Jahissatha dukkhamidaṁ anappakaṁ. | give up this vast suffering. | |
| 145 | Udakañhi nayanti nettikā, | While irrigators guide water, |
| Usukārā namayanti tejanaṁ; | fletchers bend arrows straight, | |
| Dāruṁ namayanti tacchakā, | and carpenters bend timber straight, | |
| Attānaṁ damayanti subbatā. | those true to their vows tame themselves. |
← Chapter 9: Wickedness · Chapter 11: Old Age →
Try it
Choose one verse from this chapter and carry it through today, or make your own teaching card with a verse for how you feel. Or read 10 real Buddha quotes, verified.
Questions people ask
What is chapter 10 of the Dhammapada about?
All tremble at the rod, all fear death: putting yourself in another's place, do not harm.
Which verses are in Dhammapada chapter 10?
Chapter 10, The Rod (Daṇḍavagga), contains verses 129 to 145.