Dhammapada verse 151
Chapter 11, Old Age (Jarāvagga) · verses 146–156
“Fancy chariots of kings wear out, and even this body gets old. But the truth of the good never gets old— so the good proclaim to the good.”
Jīranti ve rājarathā sucittā, Atho sarīrampi jaraṁ upeti; Satañca dhammo na jaraṁ upeti, Santo have sabbhi pavedayanti.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 151 mean?
Verse 151 belongs to chapter 11, Old Age (Jarāvagga), which gathers verses 146–156 on old age. It is filed under no theme. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 150 and verse 152 are part of the same passage.
Eleven verses on old age. Its images are the body as a city built of bones and plastered with flesh, and old age and death driving life the way a cowherd drives cattle. The chapter is not only lament: it also contains the verses telling the reader to make an island of themselves and strive while there is time.