Dhammapada verses 146–156 explore impermanence, the nature of the body, and the inevitability of aging and death. Through metaphors of a world ablaze, a decaying body, the house-builder and a city of bones, they point to life’s transience and the futility of clinging to sensual pleasures. The verses highlight the cultivation of wisdom, detachment, and the pursuit of an unconditioned state beyond constructs, contrasting fleeting youth and inevitable old age with the timeless teachings that lead to liberation.
146
Ko nu hāso kimānando,
niccaṁ pajjalite sati;
Andhakārena onaddhā,
padīpaṁ na gavesatha.
What is the laughter, what is the joy,
when the world is |perpetually ablaze::burning with desire, aversion, and delusion [niccaṁ + pajjalite]|;
Enveloped by |darkness::blindness, ignorance of how things have come to be [andhakāra]|,
why do you not seek the |light::lamp, cultivate wisdom of how things have come to be, ultimate reality [padīpa]|?
147
Passa cittakataṁ bimbaṁ,
arukāyaṁ samussitaṁ;
Āturaṁ bahusaṅkappaṁ,
yassa natthi dhuvaṁ ṭhiti.
Behold this form, a mind-made |adornment::image [bimba]|,
propped up in a body full of sores;
Afflicted, |full of plans::with many intentions, the object of many considerations [bahusaṅkappa]|,
of which, there is nothing |enduring::continuous, regular [dhuva]| or |stable::constant, persistent [ṭhiti]|.
148
Parijiṇṇamidaṁ rūpaṁ,
roganīḷaṁ pabhaṅguraṁ;
Bhijjati pūtisandeho,
maraṇantañhi jīvitaṁ.
This body is |worn out::become old, decayed [parijiṇṇa]|,
a nest of disease, |fragile::perishable [pabhaṅgura]|;
This |putrid accumulation::decaying mass [pūtisandeha]| breaks apart,
for life surely ends in death.
149
Yānimāni apatthāni,
alābūneva sārade;
Kāpotakāni aṭṭhīni,
tāni disvāna kā rati.
Like discarded |bottle gourds::long melon, calabash [alābu]|,
in the |autumn season::season after the rains, when the leaves fall [sārada]|;
Are these greyish bones,
seeing them, what is the delight?
150
Aṭṭhīnaṁ nagaraṁ kataṁ,
maṁsalohitalepanaṁ;
Yattha jarā ca maccu ca,
māno makkho ca ohito.
This body is a city built of bones,
plastered with flesh and blood;
Within it dwell old age and death,
along with |conceit::self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth [māna]| and |contempt::ungratefulness, depreciation, denigration, disrespect, belittlement, disparagement [makkha]|.
151
Jīranti ve rājarathā sucittā,
Atho sarīrampi jaraṁ upeti;
Satañca dhammo na jaraṁ upeti,
Santo have sabbhi pavedayanti.
The beautifully designed royal chariots wear out,
and the body too experiences old age;
But the |teaching of the sages::the teaching of the Buddhas that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [sataṃ + dhamma]| does not age,
the wise |make it known::pass it on, proclaim [pavedayati]| to the virtuous persons.
152
Appassutāyaṁ puriso,
balībaddhova jīrati;
Maṁsāni tassa vaḍḍhanti,
paññā tassa na vaḍḍhati.
A person of |little learning::having ignorance of how things have come to be, not knowing the nature of reality [appassuta]|,
grows old just like an ox;
They grow in mass,
but their wisdom does not grow.
153
Anekajātisaṁsāraṁ,
sandhāvissaṁ anibbisaṁ;
Gahakāraṁ gavesanto,
dukkhā jāti punappunaṁ.
Through countless births in |cyclic existence::wandering on, moving on continuously, passing from one state of existence to another, stream of existence [saṃsāra]|,
I have wandered without finding [a way out];
Seeking the |house-builder [of this body]::creator of the body, the one who constructs the body, a metaphor for craving [gahakāra]|,
experiencing the suffering of birth again and again.
154
Gahakāraka diṭṭhosi,
puna gehaṁ na kāhasi;
Sabbā te phāsukā bhaggā,
gahakūṭaṁ visaṅkhataṁ;
Visaṅkhāragataṁ cittaṁ,
taṇhānaṁ khayamajjhagā.
I have seen you, house-builder,
you will not build a house again;
All your |rafters::beams [phāsukā]| are dismantled,
your |ridgepole::top beam, metaphor for ignorance [gahakūṭa]| is |dismantled::deconstructed [visaṅkhata]|;
The mind has |gone beyond all conditions::become unconditioned, unfabricated, unconstructed [visaṅkhāragata]|,
having |exhausted::wore away, slowly destroyed [khayamajjhagā]| |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]|.
155
Acaritvā brahmacariyaṁ,
aladdhā yobbane dhanaṁ;
Jiṇṇakoñcāva jhāyanti,
khīṇamaccheva pallale.
Not having lived the |spiritual life::a life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures [brahmacariya]|,
and not having obtained wealth in youth;
They |brood::obsess, think moodily [jhāyati]| like |old herons::old cranes [jiṇṇakoñca]|,
in a pond depleted of fish.
156
Acaritvā brahmacariyaṁ,
aladdhā yobbane dhanaṁ;
Senti cāpātikhīṇāva,
purāṇāni anutthunaṁ.
Not having fulfilled the spiritual life,
and not having obtained wealth in youth;
They sit, |spent and exhausted::worn out [cāpātikhīṇa]|,
|lamenting over::moaning about, sighing about [anutthunanta]| the |past::old times [purāṇa]|.
146
What is the laughter, what is the joy,
when the world is |perpetually ablaze::burning with desire, aversion, and delusion [niccaṁ + pajjalite]|;
Enveloped by |darkness::blindness, ignorance of how things have come to be [andhakāra]|,
why do you not seek the |light::lamp, cultivate wisdom of how things have come to be, ultimate reality [padīpa]|?
147
Behold this form, a mind-made |adornment::image [bimba]|,
propped up in a body full of sores;
Afflicted, |full of plans::with many intentions, the object of many considerations [bahusaṅkappa]|,
of which, there is nothing |enduring::continuous, regular [dhuva]| or |stable::constant, persistent [ṭhiti]|.
148
This body is |worn out::become old, decayed [parijiṇṇa]|,
a nest of disease, |fragile::perishable [pabhaṅgura]|;
This |putrid accumulation::decaying mass [pūtisandeha]| breaks apart,
for life surely ends in death.
149
Like discarded |bottle gourds::long melon, calabash [alābu]|,
in the |autumn season::season after the rains, when the leaves fall [sārada]|;
Are these greyish bones,
seeing them, what is the delight?
150
This body is a city built of bones,
plastered with flesh and blood;
Within it dwell old age and death,
along with |conceit::self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth [māna]| and |contempt::ungratefulness, depreciation, denigration, disrespect, belittlement, disparagement [makkha]|.
151
The beautifully designed royal chariots wear out,
and the body too experiences old age;
But the |teaching of the sages::the teaching of the Buddhas that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [sataṃ + dhamma]| does not age,
the wise |make it known::pass it on, proclaim [pavedayati]| to the virtuous persons.
152
A person of |little learning::having ignorance of how things have come to be, not knowing the nature of reality [appassuta]|,
grows old just like an ox;
They grow in mass,
but their wisdom does not grow.
153
Through countless births in |cyclic existence::wandering on, moving on continuously, passing from one state of existence to another, stream of existence [saṃsāra]|,
I have wandered without finding [a way out];
Seeking the |house-builder [of this body]::creator of the body, the one who constructs the body, a metaphor for craving [gahakāra]|,
experiencing the suffering of birth again and again.
154
I have seen you, house-builder,
you will not build a house again;
All your |rafters::beams [phāsukā]| are dismantled,
your |ridgepole::top beam, metaphor for ignorance [gahakūṭa]| is |dismantled::deconstructed [visaṅkhata]|;
The mind has |gone beyond all conditions::become unconditioned, unfabricated, unconstructed [visaṅkhāragata]|,
having |exhausted::wore away, slowly destroyed [khayamajjhagā]| |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]|.
155
Not having lived the |spiritual life::a life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures [brahmacariya]|,
and not having obtained wealth in youth;
They |brood::obsess, think moodily [jhāyati]| like |old herons::old cranes [jiṇṇakoñca]|,
in a pond depleted of fish.
156
Not having fulfilled the spiritual life,
and not having obtained wealth in youth;
They sit, |spent and exhausted::worn out [cāpātikhīṇa]|,
|lamenting over::moaning about, sighing about [anutthunanta]| the |past::old times [purāṇa]|.
Ko nu hāso kimānando,
niccaṁ pajjalite sati;
Andhakārena onaddhā,
padīpaṁ na gavesatha.
Passa cittakataṁ bimbaṁ,
arukāyaṁ samussitaṁ;
Āturaṁ bahusaṅkappaṁ,
yassa natthi dhuvaṁ ṭhiti.
Parijiṇṇamidaṁ rūpaṁ,
roganīḷaṁ pabhaṅguraṁ;
Bhijjati pūtisandeho,
maraṇantañhi jīvitaṁ.
Yānimāni apatthāni,
alābūneva sārade;
Kāpotakāni aṭṭhīni,
tāni disvāna kā rati.
Aṭṭhīnaṁ nagaraṁ kataṁ,
maṁsalohitalepanaṁ;
Yattha jarā ca maccu ca,
māno makkho ca ohito.
Jīranti ve rājarathā sucittā,
Atho sarīrampi jaraṁ upeti;
Satañca dhammo na jaraṁ upeti,
Santo have sabbhi pavedayanti.
Appassutāyaṁ puriso,
balībaddhova jīrati;
Maṁsāni tassa vaḍḍhanti,
paññā tassa na vaḍḍhati.
Anekajātisaṁsāraṁ,
sandhāvissaṁ anibbisaṁ;
Gahakāraṁ gavesanto,
dukkhā jāti punappunaṁ.
Gahakāraka diṭṭhosi,
puna gehaṁ na kāhasi;
Sabbā te phāsukā bhaggā,
gahakūṭaṁ visaṅkhataṁ;
Visaṅkhāragataṁ cittaṁ,
taṇhānaṁ khayamajjhagā.
Acaritvā brahmacariyaṁ,
aladdhā yobbane dhanaṁ;
Jiṇṇakoñcāva jhāyanti,
khīṇamaccheva pallale.
Acaritvā brahmacariyaṁ,
aladdhā yobbane dhanaṁ;
Senti cāpātikhīṇāva,
purāṇāni anutthunaṁ.