Dhammapada verse 209
Chapter 16, The Beloved (Piyavagga) · verses 209–220
“Applying yourself where you ought not, neglecting what you should be doing, forgetting your goal, you cling to what you hold dear, jealous of those devoted to their heart’s goal.”
Ayoge yuñjamattānaṁ, yogasmiñca ayojayaṁ; Atthaṁ hitvā piyaggāhī, pihetattānuyoginaṁ.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 209 mean?
Verse 209 belongs to chapter 16, The Beloved (Piyavagga), which gathers verses 209–220 on the beloved, and the grief that follows. It is filed under self-discipline. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 208 and verse 210 are part of the same passage.
Twelve verses on the beloved, and this is the chapter that explains grief. Its argument is that sorrow follows from affection — the one you love, the thing you cannot lose — and it does not tell the reader to love less so much as to see what they have taken on. Verses 209–211 are the ones most often quoted.
More verses on this