Dhp: Warrior noble in shining armor ablaze with jhāna

all Dhammapada verses on jhāna

Dhp ²³ (jhāna all the time leads to nirvana)

Dhp ²⁷ (negligent contrast with assiduous jhāna meditator)

Dhp ¹¹⁰ (single day with jhāna and virtue better than 100 years without)

Dhp ¹¹¹ (single day with jhāna and discernment better than 100 years without)

Dhp ¹⁵⁵ (obsessive jhāna level focus on food)

Dhp ¹⁸¹ (gods envious of Buddhas engaged in jhāna)

Dhp ²⁷⁶ (Buddha points way but you have to work, jhāna meditators freed from Māra)

Dhp ³⁷¹ (not doing jhāna is negligent)

Dhp ³⁷² (need both jhāna and discernment for nirvana)

Dhp ³⁸⁶ (sitting in jhāna, dustless, arahant)

Dhp ³⁸⁷ (warrior shines in armor and jhāna)

Dhp ³⁹⁵ (brahman does jhāna alone in forest)

Dhp ⁴¹⁴ (arahant in jhāna, unperturbed, nirvana’d)

23 - (jhāna all the time leads to nirvana)

♦ te jhāyino sātatikā,	Those who do jhāna all the time,
niccaṃ daḷha-parakkamā.	constant and firm in their effort,
♦ phusanti dhīrā nibbānaṃ,	those wise ones reach nirvana,
Yoga-k-khemaṃ an-uttaraṃ.	the un-surpassed release from all bonds.

27 - (negligent contrast with assiduous jhāna meditator)

♦ mā pamādam-anuyuñjetha,	Don’t devote yourself to negligence,
mā kāma-rati-santhavaṃ VAR .	don’t delight in sexual intimacy and sensual pleasures.
♦ appamatto hi jhāyanto,	for the assiduous jhāna meditator
pappoti vipulaṃ sukhaṃ.	certainly will attain abundant pleasure.

110 - (single day with jhāna and virtue better than 100 years without)

♦ 110.
♦ yo ca vassa-sataṃ jīve,	(rather than) live one hundred years
du-s-sīlo a-samāhito.	with corrupt virtue and without undistractible-lucidity
♦ ekāhaṃ jīvitaṃ seyyo,	it is better to live a single day
sīlavantassa jhāyino.	with virtue and jhāna.

111 - (single day with jhāna and discernment better than 100 years without)

♦ 111.
♦ yo ca vassa-sataṃ jīve,	(rather than) live one hundred years
du-p-pañño a-samāhito.	with corrupt discernment and without undistractible-lucidity
♦ ekāhaṃ jīvitaṃ seyyo,	it is better to live a single day
paññavantassa jhāyino.	with discernment and jhāna.

155 – (cranes with obsessive jhāna level focus on food)

♦ 155.
♦ acaritvā brahmacariyaṃ,	Those who in youth have not led the holy life,
a-laddhā yobbane dhanaṃ.	or have failed to acquire wealth,
♦ jiṇṇa-koñcāva jhāyanti,	obsessively [search for food] like old cranes
Khīṇa-maccheva pallale.	in the pond without fish.

jhāna = singular focus, obsessive focus, doesn't always mean four jhānas, can also refer to obsessive focus based on 5 hindrances, such as tantric sex, animals focused on hunting prey, brooding depression, worry and regret. Cranes in above verse could arguably be brooding with regret, rather than hunting for food.

156 - (gives some more context to previous verse)

♦ acaritvā brahmacariyaṃ,	Those who in youth have not lead the holy life,
aladdhā yobbane dhanaṃ.	or have failed to acquire wealth,
♦ senti cāpātikhīṇāva,	lie sighing over the past,
purāṇāni anutthunaṃ.	like worn out arrows (shot from) a bow.

181 - (gods envious of Buddhas engaged in jhāna)

♦ 181.
♦ ye jhāna-pasutā dhīrā,	Those wise ones who are engaged-in-jhāna
Nekkhamm-ūpasame ratā.	and relish peace and renunciation,
♦ devāpi tesaṃ pihayanti,	even the gods are envious of them,
Sam-buddhānaṃ satīmataṃ.	the buddhas who remember [and actualize the Dharma].

276 - (Buddha points way but you have to work, jhāna meditators freed from Māra)

♦ 276.
♦ tumhehi kiccamātappaṃ,	You yourselves must strive;
akkhātāro tathāgatā.	the Buddhas only point the way.
♦ paṭipannā pamokkhanti,	Those Jhāna-meditators who tread the path
jhāyino māra-bandhanā.	are released from Mara’s-bonds.

371 – (not doing jhāna is negligent)

♦ 371.
♦ jhāya bhikkhu VAR mā pamādo VAR,	Do Jhāna, O monk! Do not be heedless.
mā te kāmaguṇe ramessu VAR cittaṃ.	do not let your mind relish [the five] cords of sensual pleasure.
♦ mā lohaguḷaṃ gilī pamatto,	Don’t be Heedless, swallow a red-hot iron ball,
mā kandi “dukkhamidan”ti ḍayhamāno.	lest you cry when burning, “O this is painful!”

372 - (need both jhāna and discernment for nirvana)

♦ 372.
♦ n-atthi jhānaṃ a-paññassa,	There’s no jhāna for those without discernment,
paññā n-atthi a-jhāyato.	For those with no discernment there is no jhāna.
♦ yamhi jhānañca paññā ca,	Those who have both jhāna and discernment
sa ve nibbāna-santike.	are definitely close to nirvana.

386 - (sitting in jhāna, dustless, arahant)

♦ 386.
♦ jhāyiṃ virajam-āsīnaṃ,	sitting in jhāna, dustless,
Kata-kiccam-an-āsavaṃ.	their task completed, without asinine-inclinations,
♦ uttam-attham-anuppattaṃ,	arrived at the highest goal:
tam-ahaṃ brūmi brāhmaṇaṃ.	that’s who I call a brahmin.

387 - (warrior shines in armor and jhāna)

♦ 387.
♦ divā tapati ādicco,	The sun shines by day,
Rattim-ābhāti candimā.	the moon illuminates at night.
♦ sannaddho khattiyo tapati,	The warrior-noble shines in armor,
jhāyī tapati brāhmaṇo.	the holy man shines in jhāna.
♦ atha sabbam-ahorattiṃ VAR,	But all day and all night
buddho tapati tejasā.	the Buddha shines with glory.

395 - (brahman does jhāna alone in forest)

♦ 395.
♦ paṃsukūladharaṃ jantuṃ,	That one who wears discarded clothes,
kisaṃ dhamanisanthataṃ.	who is lean with protruding veins,
♦ ekaṃ vanasmiṃ jhāyantaṃ,	who does-jhāna alone in the forest,
tamahaṃ brūmi brāhmaṇaṃ.	that one I say is a brahmin.

414 - (arahant in jhāna, unperturbed, nirvana’d)

♦ 414.
♦ yomaṃ VAR palipathaṃ duggaṃ,	He who has crossed the difficult and dangerous path
saṃsāraṃ mohamaccagā.	through births and deaths and delusion,
♦ tiṇṇo pāragato VAR jhāyī,	the jhāna-meditator who has crossed over to the further shore,
anejo akathaṃkathī.	unperturbed and free of doubt,
♦ anupādāya nibbuto,	unattached and [cooled down] in nirvana,
tamahaṃ brūmi brāhmaṇaṃ.	that one I say is a brahmin.

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