Dhammapada verse 98
Chapter 7, The Perfected Ones (Arahantavagga) · verses 90–99
“Whether in village or wilderness, in a valley or the uplands, wherever the perfected ones live is a delightful place.”
Gāme vā yadi vāraññe, Ninne vā yadi vā thale; Yattha arahanto viharanti, Taṁ bhūmirāmaṇeyyakaṁ.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 98 mean?
Verse 98 belongs to chapter 7, The Perfected Ones (Arahantavagga), which gathers verses 90–99 on the perfected ones. 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 97 and verse 99 are part of the same passage.
Ten verses on the perfected ones — those whose defilements are ended, who are unattached, whose minds are peaceful. It is the shortest chapter and the most compressed: most of its verses consist of a single portrait rather than an argument, and it ends on the figure of one who has crossed over and is free of sorrow.