1v.53 "It does not touch one who does not touch,
But then will touch the one who touches.
Therefore it touches the one who touches,
The one who wrongs an innocent man." [n.41] The verse poses a riddle which hinges on two connotations of phusati, "to touch": (i) to acquire a particular kamma, here the grave kamma of wronging an innocent person; and (ii) to reap the result of that kamma when it comes to maturity.

2v.54 "If one wrongs an innocent man,
A pure person without blemish,
The evil falls back on the fool himself
Like fine dust thrown against the wind." [n.42] At Sn662 this verse refers to Kokaliya's calumny of Sāriputta and Moggallana (SN6.10, which includes the story but not this verse). A different, and less credible, background story is told at Dhp-a III 31–33, commenting on Dhp125; see BL 2:282–84. On the kammic result of harming innocents, see Dhp137–140.

1"Nāphusantaṁ phusati ca,
phusantañca tato phuse;
Tasmā phusantaṁ phusati,
appaduṭṭhapadosinan"ti.

2"Yo appaduṭṭhassa narassa dussati,
Suddhassa posassa anaṅgaṇassa;
Tameva bālaṁ pacceti pāpaṁ,
Sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṁva khitto"ti.