“Rush to do good, shield your mind from evil; for when you’re slow to do good, your thoughts delight in wickedness.”
Abhittharetha kalyāṇe, pāpā cittaṁ nivāraye; Dandhañhi karoto puññaṁ, pāpasmiṁ ramatī mano.
Chapter 9: Wickedness
Pāpavagga
Verses 116–128 · 13 verses · English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0)
Thirteen verses on wickedness and its ripening. The chapter’s repeated claim is that an evil deed is not done in one motion — it is done, then repeated, then made a habit — and that the person who does it grieves in both places, here and after. It is one of the chapters most explicitly concerned with consequence rather than intention.
“If you do something bad, don’t do it again and again, don’t set your heart on it, for piling up evil is suffering.”
Pāpañce puriso kayirā, Na naṁ kayirā punappunaṁ; Na tamhi chandaṁ kayirātha, Dukkho pāpassa uccayo.
“If you do something good, do it again and again, set your heart on it, for piling up goodness is joyful.”
Puññañce puriso kayirā, kayirā naṁ punappunaṁ; Tamhi chandaṁ kayirātha, sukho puññassa uccayo.
“Even the wicked see good things, so long as their wickedness has not ripened. But as soon as that wickedness ripens, then the wicked see wicked things.”
Pāpopi passati bhadraṁ, Yāva pāpaṁ na paccati; Yadā ca paccati pāpaṁ, Atha pāpo pāpāni passati.
“Even the good see wicked things, so long as their goodness has not ripened. But as soon as that goodness ripens, then the good see good things.”
Bhadropi passati pāpaṁ, Yāva bhadraṁ na paccati; Yadā ca paccati bhadraṁ, Atha bhadro bhadrāni passati.
“Think not lightly of evil, that it won’t come back to you. The pot is filled with water falling drop by drop; the fool is filled with wickedness piled up bit by bit.”
Māvamaññetha pāpassa, na mantaṁ āgamissati; Udabindunipātena, udakumbhopi pūrati; Bālo pūrati pāpassa, thokaṁ thokampi ācinaṁ.
“Think not lightly of goodness, that it won’t come back to you. The pot is filled with water falling drop by drop; the attentive one is filled with goodness piled up bit by bit.”
Māvamaññetha puññassa, na mandaṁ āgamissati; Udabindunipātena, udakumbhopi pūrati; Dhīro pūrati puññassa, thokaṁ thokampi ācinaṁ.
“Avoid wickedness, as a merchant with rich cargo and small escort would avoid a dangerous road, or one who loves life would avoid drinking poison.”
Vāṇijova bhayaṁ maggaṁ, appasattho mahaddhano; Visaṁ jīvitukāmova, pāpāni parivajjaye.
“You can carry poison in your hand if it has no wound, for poison does not infect without a wound; nothing bad happens unless you do bad.”
Pāṇimhi ce vaṇo nāssa, hareyya pāṇinā visaṁ; Nābbaṇaṁ visamanveti, natthi pāpaṁ akubbato.
“Whoever wrongs a man who has done no wrong, a pure man who has not a blemish, the evil backfires on the fool, like fine dust thrown upwind.”
Yo appaduṭṭhassa narassa dussati, Suddhassa posassa anaṅgaṇassa; Tameva bālaṁ pacceti pāpaṁ, Sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṁva khitto.
“Some are born in a womb; evildoers go to hell; the virtuous go to heaven; the undefiled are fully extinguished.”
Gabbhameke uppajjanti, nirayaṁ pāpakammino; Saggaṁ sugatino yanti, parinibbanti anāsavā.
“Not in midair, nor mid-ocean, nor hiding in a mountain cleft; you’ll find no place on the planet to escape your wicked deeds.”
Na antalikkhe na samuddamajjhe, Na pabbatānaṁ vivaraṁ pavissa; Na vijjatī so jagatippadeso, Yatthaṭṭhito mucceyya pāpakammā.
“Not in midair, nor mid-ocean, nor hiding in a mountain cleft; you’ll find no place on the planet where you won’t be vanquished by death.”
Na antalikkhe na samuddamajjhe, Na pabbatānaṁ vivaraṁ pavissa; Na vijjatī so jagatippadeso, Yatthaṭṭhitaṁ nappasaheyya maccu. Pāpavaggo navamo.