The Dhammapada is arranged as a concise anthology of verses, gathered into 26 chapters, or *vaggas*, comprising a total of 423 verses. Rather than following a historical or narrative sequence, its structure is thematic, each chapter centering on a particular aspect of the Buddha’s teaching. The verses themselves are typically short, independent aphorisms or couplets, sometimes forming brief sequences around a sub‑theme. This arrangement serves a mnemonic and poetic purpose, making the text especially suitable for memorization and reflection rather than for systematic doctrinal exposition. Within the broader scriptural corpus, it is placed in the Khuddaka Nikāya, the “Minor Collection,” of the Sutta Piṭaka.

Each chapter bears a title that signals its central concern, and these titles themselves offer a kind of map of the path. Early chapters such as the Twin Verses (*Yamaka‑vagga*), On Earnestness (*Appamada‑vagga*), The Mind (*Citta‑vagga*), Flowers (*Puppha‑vagga*), The Fool (*Bala‑vagga*), and The Wise Man (*Pandita‑vagga*) set out contrasts between wisdom and folly, heedfulness and negligence, purity and defilement. Subsequent chapters continue this pattern: The Arahant, The Thousands, Evil, Violence, Old Age, The Self, The World, and The Buddha each gather verses that illuminate their respective themes. Later chapters such as Happiness, Affection, Anger, Impurity, The Righteous, and The Way trace the contours of ethical conduct and spiritual progress. The final sequence—Miscellaneous, The Downward Course, The Elephant, Thirst, The Bhikshu, and The Brahmana—brings together verses on the dangers of unwholesome states, the discipline of the practitioner, and the qualities of the spiritually mature.

Seen as a whole, the structure of the Dhammapada offers a progression from fundamental ethical and psychological insights toward more refined depictions of the awakened life. By grouping related teachings under evocative headings, the text invites repeated contemplation of each facet of the path, much like turning a jewel to catch the light from different angles. The thematic organization allows readers to approach the work either systematically, chapter by chapter, or selectively, according to the spiritual questions that are most pressing at a given time.