Dhammapada verse 73
Chapter 5, The Fool (Bālavagga) · verses 60–75
“They’d seek the esteem that they lack, and status among the mendicants; authority over monasteries, and honor among other families.”
Asantaṁ bhāvanamiccheyya, Purekkhārañca bhikkhusu; Āvāsesu ca issariyaṁ, Pūjaṁ parakulesu ca.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 73 mean?
Verse 73 belongs to chapter 5, The Fool (Bālavagga), which gathers verses 60–75 on the fool. 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 72 and verse 74 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.