Dhammapada verse 72
Chapter 5, The Fool (Bālavagga) · verses 60–75
“Whatever fame a fool may get, it only gives rise to harm. Whatever good features they have it ruins, and blows their head into bits.”
Yāvadeva anatthāya, ñattaṁ bālassa jāyati; Hanti bālassa sukkaṁsaṁ, muddhamassa vipātayaṁ.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 72 mean?
Verse 72 belongs to chapter 5, The Fool (Bālavagga), which gathers verses 60–75 on the fool. It is filed under anger & peace, wisdom & folly, giving & merit. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 71 and verse 73 are part of the same passage.
The fool, in sixteen verses. The chapter is not kind about it: the fool who knows they are a fool is at least partly wise, the fool who thinks they are wise is beyond help, and the harm a fool does lands on themselves first. It includes the image of evil tasting sweet until it ripens.
More verses on this