Dhammapada verse 77
Chapter 6, The Astute (Paṇḍitavagga) · verses 76–89
“Advise and instruct; curb wickedness: for you shall be loved by the good, and disliked by the bad.”
Ovadeyyānusāseyya, asabbhā ca nivāraye; Satañhi so piyo hoti, asataṁ hoti appiyo.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 77 mean?
Verse 77 belongs to chapter 6, The Astute (Paṇḍitavagga), which gathers verses 76–89 on the astute. It is filed under good & evil. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 76 and verse 78 are part of the same passage.
The astute, the discerning, the one worth following, in fourteen verses. It balances the previous chapter: the wise person is described as one who advises, instructs and steers others away from harm, and the chapter includes the instruction not to keep company with the worst but to keep company with good friends.
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