Dhammapada verse 232
Chapter 17, Anger (Kodhavagga) · verses 221–234
“Guard against ill-tempered words, be restrained in speech. Giving up bad verbal conduct, conduct yourself well in speech.”
Vacīpakopaṁ rakkheyya, vācāya saṁvuto siyā; Vacīduccaritaṁ hitvā, vācāya sucaritaṁ care.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 232 mean?
Verse 232 belongs to chapter 17, Anger (Kodhavagga), which gathers verses 221–234 on anger. It is filed under self-discipline, speech, giving & merit. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 231 and verse 233 are part of the same passage.
Fourteen verses on anger. The chapter gives the practical instruction to overcome anger with kindness and to give up what feeds it, and it describes the angry person as one who loses their own good. It also holds the verse about giving rather than taking as the way anger is dissolved.
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