Dhammapada verse 331
Chapter 23, Elephants (Nāgavagga) · verses 320–333
“A friend in need is a blessing; it’s a blessing to be content with whatever; good deeds are a blessing at the end of life, and giving up all suffering is a blessing.”
Atthamhi jātamhi sukhā sahāyā, Tuṭṭhī sukhā yā itarītarena; Puññaṁ sukhaṁ jīvitasaṅkhayamhi, Sabbassa dukkhassa sukhaṁ pahānaṁ.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 331 mean?
Verse 331 belongs to chapter 23, Elephants (Nāgavagga), which gathers verses 320–333 on the elephant, and companionship. It is filed under anger & peace, good & evil, happiness, suffering & grief, giving & merit. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 330 and verse 332 are part of the same passage.
Fourteen verses that use the elephant as their figure — the elephant in battle, the untamed elephant, the elephant that carries its own load. It is also the chapter about companionship: it contains the verses on finding an alert friend to travel with and on walking alone when no such friend can be found.
More verses on this