Dhammapada verse 247
Chapter 18, Stains (Malavagga) · verses 235–255
“and indulges in drinking beer and wine. Right here they dig up the root of their own self.”
Surāmerayapānañca, yo naro anuyuñjati; Idheva meso lokasmiṁ, mūlaṁ khaṇati attano.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 247 mean?
Verse 247 belongs to chapter 18, Stains (Malavagga), which gathers verses 235–255 on stains and their removal. 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 246 and verse 248 are part of the same passage.
Twenty-one verses on stains — the defilements as dirt on a surface that can be cleaned. The chapter lists the specific stains it means, including hardness, carelessness, deceit and jealousy, and it treats purity not as innocence but as the result of scrubbing.