Dhammapada 54

A flower's scent does not travel against the wind, nor does sandalwood's, tagara's, or jasmine's

A flower's scent does not travel against the wind, nor does sandalwood's, tagara's, or jasmine's. But the scent of the good travels against the wind; a good person spreads fragrance in every direction.

Translated from the Pāli by Banya

In plain words

Ordinary fragrance depends on the direction of the wind. The goodness of a person's conduct is pictured as a fragrance that reaches beyond those limits.

Key words

sappurisa

a good person — Goodness refers to character and conduct, not status.

The story behind the verse

Elder Ananda’s question

In the commentary, One evening Ānanda considered fragrances while meditating. He noticed that ordinary scents travel with the wind, and he wondered whether any fragrance could travel against it as well. He brought the question to the Buddha rather than continuing to speculate alone, and the Buddha described a person who refrains from harm and lives generously. He explained that people and deities speak well of such conduct in many places, and he used that spreading praise as the fragrance of goodness and taught this verse.

Retold by Banya from the traditional commentary, after E. W. Burlingame, Buddhist Legends (1921).

Explanation by Banya. Traditional readings vary.