Brāhmaṇavagga · The Brahmin · Gāthā 408
Yo ve silena sampanno, adantena damena ca; Uddharattānaṃ sīlena, sīlaṃ tassa na hīyati.
Yo ve silena sampanno, adantena damena ca; uddharattānaṃ sīlena, sīlaṃ tassa na hīyati.
Who is complete in virtue, through self-discipline; having elevated the self with virtue, one’s virtue does not decay.
Fourth repetition. The Dhammapada sometimes repeats verses to emphasize fundamentals. Sīla is one of those fundamentals.
Virtue is not conformity with external norms — it is internal coherence that makes mental clarity possible.