“Better than a thousand meaningless sayings is a single meaningful saying, hearing which brings you peace.”
Sahassamapi ce vācā, anatthapadasaṁhitā; Ekaṁ atthapadaṁ seyyo, yaṁ sutvā upasammati.
Chapter 8: The Thousands
Sahassavagga
Verses 100–115 · 16 verses · English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0)
Sixteen verses that keep comparing one thing to a thousand. A single meaningful saying beats a thousand meaningless ones, one day of the disciplined life beats a hundred years of the undisciplined, and the chapter turns that arithmetic toward what a person does rather than what they recite.
“Better than a thousand meaningless verses is a single meaningful verse, hearing which brings you peace.”
Sahassamapi ce gāthā, anatthapadasaṁhitā; Ekaṁ gāthāpadaṁ seyyo, yaṁ sutvā upasammati.
“Better than reciting a hundred meaningless verses is a single saying of Dhamma, hearing which brings you peace.”
Yo ca gāthā sataṁ bhāse, anatthapadasaṁhitā; Ekaṁ dhammapadaṁ seyyo, yaṁ sutvā upasammati.
“The supreme conqueror is not he who conquers a million men in battle, but he who conquers a single man: himself.”
Yo sahassaṁ sahassena, saṅgāme mānuse jine; Ekañca jeyyamattānaṁ, sa ve saṅgāmajuttamo.
“It is surely better to conquer oneself than all those other folk. When a person has tamed themselves, always living restrained,”
Attā have jitaṁ seyyo, yā cāyaṁ itarā pajā; Attadantassa posassa, niccaṁ saññatacārino.
“no god nor centaur, nor Māra nor divinity, can undo the victory of such a personage.”
Neva devo na gandhabbo, na māro saha brahmunā; Jitaṁ apajitaṁ kayirā, tathārūpassa jantuno.
“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.”
Māse māse sahassena, yo yajetha sataṁ samaṁ; Ekañca bhāvitattānaṁ, muhuttamapi pūjaye; Sāyeva pūjanā seyyo, yañce vassasataṁ hutaṁ.
“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.”
Yo ca vassasataṁ jantu, aggiṁ paricare vane; Ekañca bhāvitattānaṁ, muhuttamapi pūjaye; Sāyeva pūjanā seyyo, yañce vassasataṁ hutaṁ.
“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.”
Yaṁ kiñci yiṭṭhaṁ va hutaṁ va loke, Saṁvaccharaṁ yajetha puññapekkho; Sabbampi taṁ na catubhāgameti, Abhivādanā ujjugatesu seyyo.
“For one in the habit of bowing, always honoring the elders, four blessings grow: lifespan, beauty, happiness, and strength.”
Abhivādanasīlissa, niccaṁ vuḍḍhāpacāyino; Cattāro dhammā vaḍḍhanti, āyu vaṇṇo sukhaṁ balaṁ.
“Better to live a single day ethical and absorbed in meditation than to live a hundred years unethical and lacking immersion.”
Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve, dussīlo asamāhito; Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo, sīlavantassa jhāyino.
“Better to live a single day wise and absorbed in meditation than to live a hundred years witless and lacking immersion.”
Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve, duppañño asamāhito; Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo, paññavantassa jhāyino.
“Better to live a single day energetic and strong, than to live a hundred years lazy and lacking energy.”
Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve, kusīto hīnavīriyo; Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo, vīriyamārabhato daḷhaṁ.
“Better to live a single day seeing rise and fall than to live a hundred years blind to rise and fall.”
Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve, apassaṁ udayabbayaṁ; Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo, passato udayabbayaṁ.
“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.”
Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve, apassaṁ amataṁ padaṁ; Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo, passato amataṁ padaṁ.
“Better to live a single day seeing the supreme teaching than to live a hundred years blind to the supreme teaching.”
Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve, apassaṁ dhammamuttamaṁ; Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo, passato dhammamuttamaṁ. Sahassavaggo aṭṭhamo.