Traditions: Pāli Saṁyutta Nikāya; Pāli Dhammapada Motif: Concern for oneself becomes a reason to avoid harm Connection verdict: Related ethical verses in different contexts Article status: Expanded Date: 2026-10-29
Summary
SN 3.8 reports a conversation with King Pasenadi and Mallikā about who is dearest; Dhammapada 129–130 appeals to shared fear of punishment and death.
Read the two scenes
Mallikā answers that no one is dearer to her than herself, and the king realizes the same is true for him. The Buddha’s reply turns that observation outward: others too hold themselves dear, so one should not harm them. Dhammapada 129–130 argues from fear of violence and death toward restraint. The point is not that every desire is virtuous because it is felt strongly. Rather, recognizing one’s own wish not to be harmed becomes a bridge to noticing the vulnerability of others.
What connects—and what does not
The royal conversation begins with each person naming self-concern; the verses generalize from one’s own vulnerability to others’.
The conceptual relation is clear, but the passages need not have a direct quotation relationship.
Why read them side by side?
Self-concern can narrow sympathy, but these passages try to make it the starting point for wider restraint.
Sources and reading notes
- SN 3.8, Mallikā — Pāli Buddhist text and translation; inspect the wider discourse.
- Dhammapada verses 129–130 — Pāli Buddhist text and translation; inspect the wider discourse.
Research limit
A named parallel can establish literary reuse or related tradition; a general resemblance alone cannot prove borrowing. Linked editions and translations vary. Where a source is identified as secondary orientation, the comparison does not claim direct close reading of that tradition’s primary text.