22. Hell · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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a speaker of falsehoodAbhūtavādī
to hellnirayaṁ
goesupeti,
whoYo
or indeedvāpi
having donekatvā
notna
I dokaromi
and I saycāha;
both indeedUbhopi
theyte
after passing awaypecca
equalsamā
becomebhavanti,
of base deedsNihīnakammā
menmanujā
in the hereafterparattha.
A liar goes to hell, as does one who denies what they did. Both are equal in the hereafter, those men of base deeds.
wearing ocher cloth around the neckKāsāvakaṇṭhā
manybahavo,
wicked-naturedpāpadhammā
unrestrainedasaññatā;
wickedPāpā
by badpāpehi
by deedskammehi,
to hellnirayaṁ
theyte
are rebornupapajjare.
Many who wear a scrap of ocher cloth are unrestrained and wicked. Being wicked, they are reborn in hell due to their bad deeds.
betterSeyyo
iron ballayoguḷo
eatenbhutto,
scorchingtatto
like a flame of fireaggisikhūpamo;
and ifYañce
would eatbhuñjeyya
immoraldussīlo,
unrestrained eater of the country's almsraṭṭhapiṇḍamasaññato.
It’d be better for the immoral and unrestrained to eat an iron ball, scorching, like a burning flame, than to eat the nation’s alms.
fourCattāri
thingsṭhānāni
a mannaro
heedless,pamatto,
befallsĀpajjati
one who sleeps with another's wife;paradārūpasevī;
wickedness,Apuññalābhaṁ
notna
poor sleep,nikāmaseyyaṁ,
ill-repute,Nindaṁ
thirdtatīyaṁ
in hellnirayaṁ
fourth.catutthaṁ.
Four things befall a heedless man who sleeps with another’s wife: wickedness, poor sleep, ill-repute, and rebirth in hell.
accrual of wickednessApuññalābho
andca
destinationgatī
andca
badpāpikā,
of a frightened oneBhītassa
with a frightened onebhītāya
pleasureratī
andca
briefthokikā;
a kingRājā
andca
punishmentdaṇḍaṁ
heavygarukaṁ
imposespaṇeti,
thereforeTasmā
a mannaro
another's wifeparadāraṁ
notna
should sleep withseve.
He accrues wickedness and is reborn in a bad place, all so a frightened couple may snatch a moment’s pleasure, for which rulers impose a heavy punishment. That’s why a man should not sleep with another’s wife.
kusa grassKuso
asyathā
wrongly graspedduggahito,
it cuts the hand onlyhatthamevānukantati;
the ascetic lifeSāmaññaṁ
wrongly taken updupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,
drags to hellnirayāyupakaḍḍhati.
When kusa grass is wrongly grasped it only cuts the hand. So too, the ascetic life, when wrongly taken, drags you to hell.
whateverYaṁ
anykiñci
laxsithilaṁ
actkammaṁ,
and corruptsaṅkiliṭṭhañca
whateveryaṁ
observancevataṁ;
suspiciousSaṅkassaraṁ
spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ,
notna
thattaṁ
ishoti
very fruitfulmahapphalaṁ.
Any lax act, any corrupt observance, or suspicious spiritual life, is not very fruitful.
should doKayirā
ifce
what should be donekayirāthenaṁ,
staunchlydaḷhamenaṁ
one should striveparakkame;
laxSithilo
forhi
one gone forthparibbājo,
all the morebhiyyo
stirs upākirate
dustrajaṁ.
If one is to do what should be done, one should staunchly strive. For the life gone forth when laxly led just stirs up dust all the more.
not doneAkataṁ
bad deeddukkaṭaṁ
betterseyyo,
later onpacchā
it plaguestappati
bad deeddukkaṭaṁ;
and doneKatañca
good deedsukataṁ
betterseyyo,
whichyaṁ
having donekatvā
does not plaguenānutappati.
A bad deed is better left undone, for it will plague you later on. A good deed is better done, one that does not plague you.
a cityNagaraṁ
asyathā
frontierpaccantaṁ,
guardedguttaṁ
inside and outsantarabāhiraṁ;
soEvaṁ
you should wardgopetha
yourselvesattānaṁ,
the momentkhaṇo
for youvo
don'tmā
pass byupaccagā;
who missed the momentKhaṇātītā
forhi
grievesocanti,
in hellnirayamhi
sentsamappitā.
As a frontier city is guarded inside and out, so you should ward yourselves— don’t let the moment pass you by. For if you miss your moment you’ll grieve when sent to hell.
of what is not shamefulAlajjitāye
are ashamedlajjanti,
of what is shamefullajjitāye
notna
are ashamedlajjare;
upholding wrong viewMicchādiṭṭhisamādānā,
beingssattā
gogacchanti
to a bad placeduggatiṁ.
Unashamed of what is shameful, ashamed of what is not shameful; beings who uphold wrong view go to a bad place.
in what is not fearfulAbhaye
seeing fearbhayadassino,
in fearbhaye
and not seeing fearcābhayadassino;
upholding wrong viewMicchādiṭṭhisamādānā,
beingssattā
they gogacchanti
to a bad placeduggatiṁ.
Seeing danger where there is none, and blind to the actual danger, beings who uphold wrong view go to a bad place.
in what is not a faultAvajje
seeing a faultvajjamatino,
in the faultvajje
and blind to the faultcāvajjadassino;
upholding wrong viewMicchādiṭṭhisamādānā,
beingssattā
gogacchanti
to a bad placeduggatiṁ.
Seeing fault where there is none, and blind to the actual fault, beings who uphold wrong view go to a bad place.
fault tooVajjañca
as a faultvajjato
having knownñatvā,
faultless tooavajjañca
as faultlessavajjato;
who uphold right viewSammādiṭṭhisamādānā,
beingssattā
gogacchanti
to a good placesuggatiṁ.
Hell chapterNirayavaggo
twenty-seconddvāvīsatimo.
Knowing a fault as a fault and the faultless as faultless, beings who uphold right view go to a good place.
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