Dhammapada verse 81
Chapter 6, The Astute (Paṇḍitavagga) · verses 76–89
“As the wind cannot stir a solid mass of rock, so too blame and praise do not affect the wise.”
Selo yathā ekaghano, vātena na samīrati; Evaṁ nindāpasaṁsāsu, na samiñjanti paṇḍitā.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 81 mean?
Verse 81 belongs to chapter 6, The Astute (Paṇḍitavagga), which gathers verses 76–89 on the astute. It is filed under wisdom & folly. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 80 and verse 82 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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