Dhammapada verse 84
Chapter 6, The Astute (Paṇḍitavagga) · verses 76–89
“Never wish for success by unjust means, for your own sake or that of another, desiring children, wealth, or nation; rather, be virtuous, wise, and just.”
Na attahetu na parassa hetu, Na puttamicche na dhanaṁ na raṭṭhaṁ; Na iccheyya adhammena samiddhimattano, Sa sīlavā paññavā dhammiko siyā.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 84 mean?
Verse 84 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 83 and verse 85 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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