235
Paṇḍupalāsova dānisi,
Yamapurisāpi ca te upaṭṭhitā;
Uyyogamukhe ca tiṭṭhasi,
Pātheyyampi ca te na vijjati.
You are now like a withered leaf,
and the messengers of death await you;
you stand at the door of departure,
and provisions for the journey are nowhere to be found.
236
So karohi dīpamattano,
Khippaṁ vāyama paṇḍito bhava;
Niddhantamalo anaṅgaṇo,
Dibbaṁ ariyabhūmiṁ upehisi.
Make an island for yourself,
strive swiftly, be wise;
having blown away impurities and free from blemish,
you will arrive at the divine abode of the Noble Ones.
237
Upanītavayo ca dānisi,
Sampayātosi yamassa santikaṁ;
Vāso te natthi antarā,
Pātheyyampi ca te na vijjati.
You are now advanced in age,
headed to the presence of death;
there is no resting place for you in the interval,
and provisions for the journey are nowhere to be found.
238
So karohi dīpamattano,
Khippaṁ vāyama paṇḍito bhava;
Niddhantamalo anaṅgaṇo,
Na punaṁ jātijaraṁ upehisi.
Make an island for yourself,
strive swiftly, be wise;
having blown away impurities and free from blemish,
you will not come again to birth and aging.
239
Anupubbena medhāvī,
thokaṁ thokaṁ khaṇe khaṇe;
Kammāro rajatasseva,
niddhame malamattano.
The discerning one, gradually,
little by little, moment by moment,
should blow away one’s own impurities,
just as a smith blows away the dross of silver.
240
Ayasāva malaṁ samuṭṭhitaṁ,
Tatuṭṭhāya tameva khādati;
Evaṁ atidhonacārinaṁ,
Sāni kammāni nayanti duggatiṁ.
Just as rust arising from iron
corrodes the very metal from which it arose;
in the same way, their own deeds lead
the transgressor to a state of misery;
241
Asajjhāyamalā mantā,
anuṭṭhānamalā gharā;
Malaṁ vaṇṇassa kosajjaṁ,
pamādo rakkhato malaṁ.
Non-recitation is the stain of chants,
non-effort is the stain of households;
laziness is the stain of beauty,
negligence is the stain of a guardian.
242
Malitthiyā duccaritaṁ,
maccheraṁ dadato malaṁ;
Malā ve pāpakā dhammā,
asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
Immorality is the stain of a woman,
stinginess is the stain of a giver;
indeed, harmful qualities are stains,
both in this world and the next.
243
Tato malā malataraṁ,
avijjā paramaṁ malaṁ;
Etaṁ malaṁ pahantvāna,
nimmalā hotha bhikkhavo.
But worse than these stains,
is ignorance—the ultimate stain;
having put an end to this stain,
be spotless, bhikkhus.
244
Sujīvaṁ ahirikena,
kākasūrena dhaṁsinā;
Pakkhandinā pagabbhena,
saṅkiliṭṭhena jīvitaṁ.
Easy is the life of one who is shameless,
brazen as a crow, destructive;
intrusive, brash,
and defiled in livelihood.
245
Hirīmatā ca dujjīvaṁ,
niccaṁ sucigavesinā;
Alīnenāppagabbhena,
suddhājīvena passatā.
Hard is the life of one with a sense of right and wrong,
continuously seeking purity;
not sluggish, unassuming,
living a pure life and seeing clearly.
246
Yo pāṇamatipāteti,
musāvādañca bhāsati;
Loke adinnamādiyati,
paradārañca gacchati.
Whoever takes life,
speaks falsehood;
takes what is not given in the world,
and goes to another’s partner;
247
Surāmerayapānañca,
yo naro anuyuñjati;
Idheva meso lokasmiṁ,
mūlaṁ khaṇati attano.
and the person who indulges
in drinking liquor, wine, and beer—
right here, in this very world,
they uproot their own foundation.
248
Evaṁ bho purisa jānāhi,
pāpadhammā asaññatā;
Mā taṁ lobho adhammo ca,
ciraṁ dukkhāya randhayuṁ.
Know this, O good man:
the unrestrained are of harmful character;
let not greed and wrong-doing
afflict you with suffering for a long time.
249
Dadāti ve yathāsaddhaṁ,
yathāpasādanaṁ jano;
Tattha yo ca maṅku bhavati,
paresaṁ pānabhojane;
Na so divā vā rattiṁ vā,
samādhimadhigacchati.
A person gives according to their faith,
and according to what inspires them;
but whoever is troubled
about others receiving food and drink,
does not attain collectedness,
whether by day or by night.
250
Yassa cetaṁ samucchinnaṁ,
mūlaghaccaṁ samūhataṁ;
Sa ve divā vā rattiṁ vā,
samādhimadhigacchati.
But for one in whom this envy
is cut off at the root, uprooted entirely;
they attain collectedness,
whether by day or by night.
251
Natthi rāgasamo aggi,
natthi dosasamo gaho;
Natthi mohasamaṁ jālaṁ,
natthi taṇhāsamā nadī.
There is no fire like passion,
no grip like aversion;
no net like delusion,
and no river like craving.
252
Sudassaṁ vajjamaññesaṁ,
attano pana duddasaṁ;
Paresaṁ hi so vajjāni,
opunāti yathā bhusaṁ;
Attano pana chādeti,
kaliṁva kitavā saṭho.
It is easy to see the faults of others,
but difficult to see one’s own;
one sifts through the faults of others,
just like chaff;
but hides one’s own faults,
like a crafty gambler conceals a losing throw.
253
Paravajjānupassissa,
niccaṁ ujjhānasaññino;
Āsavā tassa vaḍḍhanti,
ārā so āsavakkhayā.
For one who looks for the faults of others,
always finding something to blame;
their taints increase,
and they are far from the wearing away of the taints.
254
Ākāseva padaṁ natthi,
samaṇo natthi bāhire;
Papañcābhiratā pajā,
nippapañcā tathāgatā.
Just as there is no path in the sky,
there is no ascetic outside; [1]
while people delight in proliferation,
the Tathāgatas are free from proliferation.
255
Ākāseva padaṁ natthi,
samaṇo natthi bāhire;
Saṅkhārā sassatā natthi,
natthi buddhānamiñjitaṁ.
Just as there is no path in the sky,
there is no ascetic outside;
conditioned things are not everlasting,
and the Buddhas never waver.
"Outside" (bāhire) refers specifically to being outside of the Buddha's Dhamma (and more practically, the Noble Eightfold Path). The verse asserts that true spiritual liberation is not found in external, worldly teachings that lack the path to awakening.