Today's Vedika insight
8 September 2026 · Dhammapada 50
Na paresaṃ vilomāni, na paresaṃ katākataṃ; attano’va avekkheyya, katāni akatāni ca.
na paresaṃ vilomāni | na paresaṃ katākataṃ | attano’va avekkheyya | katāni akatāni ca || 50 ||
“One should not examine the faults of others, nor what others have done or not done. One should examine one’s own deeds—what has been done and what has been left undone.”
Vedika literal rendering checked against the Pāli text and Theravāda translations; the verse’s imperative is self-examination, not denial of others’ conduct.
“Before making another person’s failure the whole story, identify the action, omission or repair that genuinely belongs to you.”
Dhammapada 50
Vedika commentary
Fault-finding can feel like moral seriousness while protecting us from self-examination. Turning attention inward does not make every problem our fault. It simply prevents another person’s responsibility from hiding the part we can actually change.
Vedika distinguishes the original Sanskrit, a literal rendering, and an interpretive paraphrase so that the words of the text are never confused with explanation.
Source
Dhammapada 50
Traditional commentary
Dhammapada 50; Theravāda Pāli text and commentarial tradition
Explanation
Vedika
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