Dhammapada verse 83
Chapter 6, The Astute (Paṇḍitavagga) · verses 76–89
“True persons give up everything, they don’t cajole for the things they desire. Though touched by sadness or happiness, the astute appear neither depressed nor elated.”
Sabbattha ve sappurisā cajanti, Na kāmakāmā lapayanti santo; Sukhena phuṭṭhā atha vā dukhena, Na uccāvacaṁ paṇḍitā dassayanti.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 83 mean?
Verse 83 belongs to chapter 6, The Astute (Paṇḍitavagga), which gathers verses 76–89 on the astute. It is filed under craving & attachment, happiness, giving & merit. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 82 and verse 84 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.
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