Dhammapada verse 78
Chapter 6, The Astute (Paṇḍitavagga) · verses 76–89
“Don’t mix with bad friends, nor with the worst of men. Mix with spiritual friends, and with the best of men.”
Na bhaje pāpake mitte, na bhaje purisādhame; Bhajetha mitte kalyāṇe, bhajetha purisuttame.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 78 mean?
Verse 78 belongs to chapter 6, The Astute (Paṇḍitavagga), which gathers verses 76–89 on the astute. It is filed under no theme. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 77 and verse 79 are part of the same passage.
The astute, the discerning, the one worth following, in fourteen verses. It balances the previous chapter: the wise person is described as one who advises, instructs and steers others away from harm, and the chapter includes the instruction not to keep company with the worst but to keep company with good friends.