Dhammapada, Dhamma Verses (KN 2)

4: The Chapter about Flowers – 32
Candanaṁ tagaraṁ vā pi, uppalaṁ atha vassikī,
Sandalwood, pinwheel, then water lily and striped jasmine,
etesaṁ gandhajātānaṁ sīlagandho anuttaro. [55]
amongst these kinds of fragrance virtue’s fragrance is unsurpassed.
Appamatto ayaṁ gandho yāyaṁ tagaracandanī,
Pinwheel and sandalwood fragrance are insignificant,
yo ca sīlavataṁ gandho vāti devesu uttamo. [56]
but the fragrance of one who has virtue flutters 1 supreme amongst the gods.
Tesaṁ sampannasīlānaṁ, appamādavihārinaṁ,
* Māra cannot find the path 2 of those endowed with virtue, who live heedfully,
sammad-aññāvimuttānaṁ, Māro maggaṁ na vindati. [57]
and who are freed through complete and deep knowledge. 3
Yathā saṅkāradhānasmiṁ ujjhitasmiṁ mahāpathe
Just as in a forsaken and discarded heap along the highway
padumaṁ tattha jāyetha, sucigandhaṁ manoramaṁ, [58]
a lotus might arise 4 in that place, with a pure fragrance, delighting the mind,
evaṁ saṅkārabhūtesu, andhabhūte puthujjane
* so amongst the forsaken, the Perfect Sambuddha’s disciple
atirocati paññāya Sammāsambuddhasāvako. [59]
outshines the blind and ordinary folk through his wisdom. 5
Pupphavaggo Catuttho
The Chapter about Flowers, the Fourth
1
Vāti means both blow, flutter and weave, and in the commentarial story Sakka takes the form of a
weaver.
2
This is a common simile in the discourses also, as Māra can only find what is still inside the
rounds of birth and death.
3
Again this verse has no connection to flowers, there may be word-collocation on sīla in the
previous verse attracting into this position.
4
Jāyetha is 3rd singular optative in the middle voice.
5
The verse lacks the symmetry we might expect.