Even the virtuous see evil as long as good has not matured. But when good matures, the virtuous see good.

Direct contrast to the previous verse (119) — the same logical structure but with inverted poles. The pair 119-120 forms a teaching on karma maturation in both directions.

Bhadropi passati pāpaṃ — even the virtuous see evil: the virtuous person may face difficulties, experience suffering, see how their good actions seem not to bear fruit. This is the test of practice.

Yāva bhadraṃ na paccati — as long as good has not matured: like the farmer who sows and waits, the practitioner must trust the maturation process even when fruits are not visible yet.

Atha bhadro bhadrāni passati — then the virtuous see good: when positive karma matures, the virtuous experience its natural fruit. Virtue is not a guarantee of immediate prosperity but of a trajectory of positive maturation.

This pair of verses is one of the most honest responses in the Buddhist canon to the problem of the suffering of the just and the prosperity of the unjust.