If on the road you find no companion equal or better than yourself, walk alone with determination; there is no companionship with fools.

Seyyaṃ sadisamattano — better or equal to oneself: the Buddha is pragmatic. He does not prescribe isolation as a norm but as a reasonable alternative when available company does not support growth.

Ekacariyaṃ daḷhaṃ kayirā — walk alone with determination. Daḷha is firm, resolute. The solitary who advances with clarity is preferable to one who travels accompanied but without direction.

Natthi bāle sahāyatā — there is no companionship with fools. Real companionship requires sharing direction and purpose. Without that common orientation, physical presence is mere distraction, not genuine support.

The Buddhist tradition values kalyāṇa-mittatā (noble friendship) as one of the most important factors of the path. This verse does not deny that value — it demands it. When noble friendship is not available, solitude with determination is the only honest option.