caranti bālā dummedhā amitteṇa-r-iva āttanā । karontā pāpakaṁ kammaṁ yaṁ hoti kaṭukapphalaṁ ।।Stupid fools live having themselves as their own foes, committing wicked deeds, which produce bitter fruit.

kathañ ca taṁ kare kaṁmaṁ yaṁ kattā anutappati । yassa aṁśumukho rodaṁ vipākaṁ paṭisevati ।।How could he do that deed, which, having done, one has regret, for which he has tears on his face, as the result follows him round.

taṁ ca kaṁmaṁ kataṁ sādhu yaṁ kattā nānutappati । yassa pratīto sumano vipākaṁ paṭisevati ।।But that deed is well done, which, having done, one has no regret, for which he is pleased and happy, as the result follows him round.

yāvad eva anatthāya ñāttaṁ bālassa jāyati । hanti bālassa śukrāṅggaṁ (?) muddham assa nipātaye ।।As far as learning arises for a fool, it is only to his disadvantage, it destroys the fool’s good quality, and it will destroy his head.

asatāṁ bhāvanam icchanti purekkhārañ ca bhikkhusu । āvāsesu ca essariyaṁ pūjāṁ parakulesu ca ।।He wishes for the respect that is lacking, and status amongst the monastics, for control in the living quarters, and worship amongst good families:

mameva katamannentu gṛhī pravrajitā ca ye । na me pratibalā assa kiccā ’kiccesu kesuci ।।“Householders and renunciants should think this was done by me, let none be a match for me, in all to be done and not done”,

iti bālassa saṁkappo icchāmāno ca vaddhati । aṁñā hi lābhopaniśā aṁñā nibbāṇagāminī ।।so does the fool think, meanwhile his desires and conceit increase. for the means to gains is one thing, the path going to Nibbāna another,

evam etaṁ yathābhūtaṁ paśśaṁ buddhassa sāvako । sakkāraṁ nābhinandeyā vivekam anubrūhaye ।।thus seeing this as it really is the disciple of the Buddha should not delight in honours, but practise in solitude.

jayaṁ ve manyate bālo vācāya paruṣaṁ bhaṇaṁ । satāṁ hesa jayo hoti yā titikkhā vijānato ।।The fool thinks there is success, when he speaks words that are rough, but for the one who knows, endurance is the success of the good.

abalaṁ tassa balaṁ hoti yassa bālabalaṁ balaṁ । balassa dhammaguttassa paṭivattā na vijjati ।।Without power is the power of him whose power is the power of a fool, reproach is not found for the powerful one, protected by Dhamma.

yo bālo bālamānī paṇḍito cāpi tattha so । bālo tu paṇḍitamānī sa ve bālo ti vuccati ।।The fool who conceives he is a fool, is at least wise in that matter, the fool who is proud of his wisdom, he is said to be a fool indeed.

drīghā assupato rātrī drīghaṁ śāntassa yojanaṁ । drīgho bālānā saṁsāro saddhaṁmam avijānatāṁ ।।Long is the night for one who sleeps not, long is a league for one tired, long is the round of births and deaths for fools who know not True Dhamma.

pūtimacche kuśāggreṇa yo naro upanahyati । kuśā pi pūtiṁ vāyanti evaṁ bālopasevanā ।।That man who wraps up rotting fish with the best fragrant grass, makes the fragrant grass smell rotten, and so with those who associate with fools.

tagarañ ca palāśamhi yo naro upanahyati । pattaṁ pi surabhiṁ vāti evaṁ dhīropasevanā ।।That man who wraps up pinwheel in flame-tree leaves, makes even the leaf fragrant, and so with those who associate with the wise.

akaronto pi ce pāpaṁ karonte upasevati । śaṅkiyo hoti pāpamhi avaṇṇo cāssa rūhati ।।If one who does no wickedness associates with those who do, he is suspected of wickedness, and his disrepute increases.

sevamāno sevamāne saṁpuṭṭho saṁphusaṁ pare । śaro litto kalāpe vā alitte upaliṁpati ।An associate associating with others who are touched by contacts, like a smeared arrow in a bunch, smears that which is unsmeared, upalepabhayā dhīro neva pāpasakhā siyā ।।fearing being smeared the wise one will not have wicked friends.

tassā phalapuṭasseva ñāyyā saṁpākam āttano । asanto nopaseveyā santo seveya paṇḍito ।।Therefore knowing the result for oneself of the fruit container, he should not follow the bad one, the wise one should associate with the good one.

yāvaj jīvaṁ pi ce bālo paṇḍite payirupāsati । neva dhammaṁ vijānāti dravvī sūparasān iva ।।Even if a fool attends on a wise man for his whole life long, he does not learn Dhamma, like the spoon learns not the taste of curry.

muhuttam api ce praṁño paṇḍite payirupāsati । khipraṁ dhammaṁ vijānāti jivhā sūparasān iva ।।If a perceptive man attends on a wise man even for a second, he quickly learns Dhamma, like the tongue learns the taste of curry.

nāppaṁ pāpassa maṁñeyā na me taṁ āgamiṣyati । udabindunipātena udakuṁbho pi pūrati ।।One should not despise a little wickedness thinking: it will not come to me, through the falling of water drops the water-pot is quickly filled, pūrate bālo pāpassa thokathokaṁ pi ācinaṁ ।the fool, gathering bit by bit, becomes full of wickedness.

nāppaṁ puṁñassa manyeyā na me taṁ āgamiṣyati ।। udabindunipātena udakumbho pi pūrati ।One should not despise little merit thinking: it will not come to me, through the falling of water drops the water-pot is quickly filled, pūrate praṁño puṁñassa thokathokaṁ pi ācinaṁ ।। bālavarggaḥthe wise one, gathering bit by bit, becomes full of merit. the Chapter about Fools