The fool thinks poison is honey as long as the evil does not ripen. But when the evil ripens, then the fool falls into suffering.

Madhuṃ va maññati — considers as honey: the fool perceives his harmful actions as honey — delicious in the present, with no apparent consequences. This perception is the fundamental illusion sustaining harmful behavior.

Yāva pāpaṃ na paccati — while the evil does not ripen: paccati comes from the root to cook/mature. The metaphor of karma as fruit that ripens is central: actions do not necessarily produce immediate consequences. The period of latency confuses the fool.

Yadā ca paccati pāpaṃ — but when the evil ripens: sooner or later, the fruit reaches maturity. The law of karma is not divine punishment but the natural continuity of cause and effect.

Dukkhaṃ nigacchati — falls into suffering: nigacchati is “to fall into.” The fool not only suffers the consequences — is overtaken by them. The temporal distance may be long, but the law operates like the river that always reaches the sea.