Dhammapada verse 174
Chapter 13, The World (Lokavagga) · verses 167–178
“Blind is the world, few are those who clearly see. Only a handful go to heaven, like a bird freed from a net.”
Andhabhūto ayaṁ loko, tanukettha vipassati; Sakuṇo jālamuttova, appo saggāya gacchati.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 174 mean?
Verse 174 belongs to chapter 13, The World (Lokavagga), which gathers verses 167–178 on the world, and not following it. 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 173 and verse 175 are part of the same passage.
Twelve verses on the world and on not following it. The chapter contrasts the person who sees the world as a bubble or a mirage with the crowd that does not, and it holds the line that the world is blind and only a few see clearly.