Dhammapada verse 261
Chapter 19, The Just (Dhammaṭṭhavagga) · verses 256–272
“One who is truthful and principled, harmless, restrained, and self-controlled, attentive, purged of stains, is said to be a senior.”
Yamhi saccañca dhammo ca, ahiṁsā saṁyamo damo; Sa ve vantamalo dhīro, “thero” iti pavuccati.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 261 mean?
Verse 261 belongs to chapter 19, The Just (Dhammaṭṭhavagga), which gathers verses 256–272 on what makes a person just. It is filed under self-discipline, purity & stains. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 260 and verse 262 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.
More verses on this