9. WickednessPāpavagga

Rush to do good,Abhittharetha kalyāṇe, shield your mind from evil;pāpā cittaṁ nivāraye; for when you’re slow to do good,Dandhañhi karoto puññaṁ, your thoughts delight in wickedness.pāpasmiṁ ramatī mano.

If you do something bad,Pāpañce puriso kayirā, don’t do it again and again,Na naṁ kayirā punappunaṁ; don’t set your heart on it,Na tamhi chandaṁ kayirātha, for piling up evil is suffering.Dukkho pāpassa uccayo.

If you do something good,Puññañce puriso kayirā, do it again and again,kayirā naṁ punappunaṁ; set your heart on it,Tamhi chandaṁ kayirātha, for piling up goodness is joyful.sukho puññassa uccayo.

Even the wicked see good things,Pāpopi passati bhadraṁ, so long as their wickedness has not ripened.Yāva pāpaṁ na paccati; But as soon as that wickedness ripens,Yadā ca paccati pāpaṁ, then the wicked see wicked things.Atha pāpo pāpāni passati.

Think not lightly of evil,Māvamaññetha pāpassa, that it won’t come back to you.na mantaṁ āgamissati; The pot is filled with waterUdabindunipātena, falling drop by drop;udakumbhopi pūrati; the fool is filled with wickednessBālo pūrati pāpassa, piled up bit by bit.thokaṁ thokampi ācinaṁ.

Think not lightly of goodness,Māvamaññetha puññassa, that it won’t come back to you.na mandaṁ āgamissati; The pot is filled with waterUdabindunipātena, falling drop by drop;udakumbhopi pūrati; the attentive one is filled with goodnessDhīro pūrati puññassa, piled up bit by bit.thokaṁ thokampi ācinaṁ.

Avoid wickedness,Vāṇijova bhayaṁ maggaṁ, as a merchant with rich cargo and small escortappasattho mahaddhano; would avoid a dangerous road,Visaṁ jīvitukāmova, or one who loves life would avoid drinking poison.pāpāni parivajjaye.

You can carry poison in your handPāṇimhi ce vaṇo nāssa, if it has no wound,hareyya pāṇinā visaṁ; for poison does not infect without a wound;Nābbaṇaṁ visamanveti, nothing bad happens unless you do bad.natthi pāpaṁ akubbato.

Whoever wrongs a man who has done no wrong,Yo appaduṭṭhassa narassa dussati, a pure man who has not a blemish,Suddhassa posassa anaṅgaṇassa; the evil backfires on the fool,Tameva bālaṁ pacceti pāpaṁ, like fine dust thrown upwind.Sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṁva khitto.

Some are born in a womb;Gabbhameke uppajjanti, evildoers go to hell;nirayaṁ pāpakammino; the virtuous go to heaven;Saggaṁ sugatino yanti, the undefiled are fully extinguished.parinibbanti anāsavā.

Not in midair, nor mid-ocean,Na antalikkhe na samuddamajjhe, nor hiding in a mountain cleft;Na pabbatānaṁ vivaraṁ pavissa; you’ll find no place on the planetNa vijjatī so jagatippadeso, to escape your wicked deeds.Yatthaṭṭhito mucceyya pāpakammā.

Not in midair, nor mid-ocean,Na antalikkhe na samuddamajjhe, nor hiding in a mountain cleft;Na pabbatānaṁ vivaraṁ pavissa; you’ll find no place on the planetNa vijjatī so jagatippadeso, where you won’t be vanquished by death.Yatthaṭṭhitaṁ nappasaheyya maccu.