Dhammapada verse 257
Chapter 19, The Just (Dhammaṭṭhavagga) · verses 256–272
“A wise one judges others without haste, justly and impartially; that guardian of the law is said to be just.”
Asāhasena dhammena, samena nayatī pare; Dhammassa gutto medhāvī, “dhammaṭṭho”ti pavuccati.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 257 mean?
Verse 257 belongs to chapter 19, The Just (Dhammaṭṭhavagga), which gathers verses 256–272 on what makes a person just. 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 256 and verse 258 are part of the same passage.
Seventeen verses on the just person. Most of the chapter is a series of distinctions: you do not become just by passing hasty judgment, by seniority, by eloquence, or by complexion. The chapter defines the just person by what they weigh, not by what they claim.
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