The Pairs (Yamaka Vagga)
Verse 5
Pāli Source
Na hi verena verāni sammantīdha kudācanaṃ; averena ca sammanti esa dhammo sanantano.
English Translation
Hostility is never settled by more hostility, not once, not ever. It is settled only by its absence — this is a timeless truth.
Way to Enlightenment draft translation — not yet reviewed for accuracy.
Editorial Note
One of the most widely quoted lines in the Dhammapada. Traditional commentary (Dhammapada-aṭṭhakathā) associates it with a dispute the Buddha addressed by teaching forgiveness rather than retaliation — that commentarial story itself is not reproduced here, as it has not been independently verified for this project.
Source
Pali critical edition: O. von Hinüber & K.R. Norman (Pali Text Society, 1995), digitized by the Dhammakaya Foundation via GRETIL, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0