Messengers of the Gods · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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⚠ Glossing did not finish. The original text is shown below.
Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā catutthaṁ devadūtaṁ samanuyuñjitvā samanugāhitvā samanubhāsitvā pañcamaṁ devadūtaṁ samanuyuñjati samanugāhati samanubhāsati: ‘ambho purisa, na tvaṁ addasa manussesu pañcamaṁ devadūtaṁ pātubhūtan’ti? So evamāha: ‘nāddasaṁ, bhante’ti. Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā evamāha: ‘ambho purisa, na tvaṁ addasa manussesu itthiṁ vā purisaṁ vā ekāhamataṁ vā dvīhamataṁ vā tīhamataṁ vā uddhumātakaṁ vinīlakaṁ vipubbakajātan’ti? So evamāha: ‘addasaṁ, bhante’ti. Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā evamāha: ‘ambho purisa, tassa te viññussa sato mahallakassa na etadahosi— ahampi khomhi maraṇadhammo, maraṇaṁ anatīto. Handāhaṁ kalyāṇaṁ karomi kāyena vācāya manasā’ti? So evamāha: ‘nāsakkhissaṁ, bhante, pamādassaṁ, bhante’ti. Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā evamāha: ‘ambho purisa, pamādavatāya na kalyāṇamakāsi kāyena vācāya manasā.
Then King Yama grills them about the fifth messenger of the gods: ‘My man, did you not see the fifth messenger of the gods that appeared among human beings?’ He says, ‘I saw nothing, sir.’ King Yama says to them, ‘My man, did you not see among human beings a woman or a man, dead for one, two, or three days, bloated, livid, and festering?’ He says, ‘I saw that, sir.’ King Yama says to them, ‘My man, did it not occur to you—being sensible and mature— “I, too, am liable to die. I’m not exempt from death. I’d better do good by way of body, speech, and mind”?’ He says, ‘I couldn’t, sir. I was negligent.’ King Yama says to them, ‘My man, because you were negligent, you didn’t do good by way of body, speech, and mind.
Taggha tvaṁ, ambho purisa, tathā karissanti yathā taṁ pamattaṁ. Taṁ kho pana te etaṁ pāpakammaṁ neva mātarā kataṁ na pitarā kataṁ na bhātarā kataṁ na bhaginiyā kataṁ na mittāmaccehi kataṁ na ñātisālohitehi kataṁ na samaṇabrāhmaṇehi kataṁ na devatāhi kataṁ, tayāvetaṁ pāpakammaṁ kataṁ, tvaññevetassa vipākaṁ paṭisaṁvedissasī’ti.
Well, they’ll definitely punish you to fit your negligence. That bad deed wasn’t done by your mother, father, brother, or sister. It wasn’t done by friends and colleagues, by relatives and kin, by ascetics and brahmins, or by the deities. That bad deed was done by you alone, and you alone will experience the result.’
Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā pañcamaṁ devadūtaṁ samanuyuñjitvā samanugāhitvā samanubhāsitvā tuṇhī hoti.
After grilling them about the fifth messenger of the gods, King Yama falls silent.
Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā pañcavidhabandhanaṁ nāma kammakāraṇaṁ karonti— tattaṁ ayokhilaṁ hatthe gamenti, tattaṁ ayokhilaṁ dutiye hatthe gamenti, tattaṁ ayokhilaṁ pāde gamenti, tattaṁ ayokhilaṁ dutiye pāde gamenti, tattaṁ ayokhilaṁ majjheurasmiṁ gamenti. So tattha dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vedeti, na ca tāva kālaṁ karoti yāva na taṁ pāpakammaṁ byantīhoti.
The wardens of hell punish them with the five-fold crucifixion. They drive red-hot stakes through the hands and feet, and another in the middle of the chest. And there they suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings—but they don’t die until that bad deed is eliminated.
Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā saṁvesetvā kuṭhārīhi tacchanti …pe…
The wardens of hell throw them down and hack them with axes. …
tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā uddhampādaṁ adhosiraṁ gahetvā vāsīhi tacchanti …pe…
They hang them upside-down and hack them with hatchets. …
tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā rathe yojetvā ādittāya pathaviyā sampajjalitāya sajotibhūtāya sārentipi, paccāsārentipi …pe…
They harness them to a chariot, and drive them back and forth across burning ground, blazing and glowing. …
tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā mahantaṁ aṅgārapabbataṁ ādittaṁ sampajjalitaṁ sajotibhūtaṁ āropentipi oropentipi …pe…
They make them climb up and down a big mountain of burning coals, blazing and glowing. …
tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā uddhampādaṁ adhosiraṁ gahetvā tattāya lohakumbhiyā pakkhipanti ādittāya sampajjalitāya sajotibhūtāya. So tattha pheṇuddehakaṁ paccati. So tattha pheṇuddehakaṁ paccamāno sakimpi uddhaṁ gacchati, sakimpi adho gacchati, sakimpi tiriyaṁ gacchati. So tattha dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vedeti, na ca tāva kālaṁ karoti yāva na taṁ pāpakammaṁ byantīhoti.
The wardens of hell turn them upside down and throw them in a red-hot copper pot, burning, blazing, and glowing. There they’re seared in boiling scum, and they’re swept up and down and round and round. And there they suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings—but they don’t die until that bad deed is eliminated.
Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā mahāniraye pakkhipanti. So kho pana, bhikkhave, mahānirayo— Catukkaṇṇo catudvāro, vibhatto bhāgaso mito; Ayopākārapariyanto, ayasā paṭikujjito. Tassa ayomayā bhūmi, jalitā tejasāyutā; Samantā yojanasataṁ, pharitvā tiṭṭhati sabbadā.
The wardens of hell toss them into the Great Hell. Now, about that Great Hell: ‘Four are its corners, four its doors, neatly divided section by section. Surrounded by an iron wall, of iron is its roof. The ground is even made of iron, it burns with fierce fire. The heat forever radiates a hundred leagues around.’
Tassa kho pana, bhikkhave, mahānirayassa puratthimāya bhittiyā acci uṭṭhahitvā pacchimāya bhittiyā paṭihaññati, pacchimāya bhittiyā acci uṭṭhahitvā puratthimāya bhittiyā paṭihaññati, uttarāya bhittiyā acci uṭṭhahitvā dakkhiṇāya bhittiyā paṭihaññati, dakkhiṇāya bhittiyā acci uṭṭhahitvā uttarāya bhittiyā paṭihaññati, heṭṭhā acci uṭṭhahitvā upari paṭihaññati, uparito acci uṭṭhahitvā heṭṭhā paṭihaññati. So tattha dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vedeti, na ca tāva kālaṁ karoti yāva na taṁ pāpakammaṁ byantīhoti.
Now in the Great Hell, flames surge out of the walls and crash into the opposite wall: from east to west, from west to east, from north to south, from south to north, from bottom to top, from top to bottom. And there they suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings—but they don’t die until that bad deed is eliminated.
Hoti kho so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ kadāci karahaci dīghassa addhuno accayena tassa mahānirayassa puratthimaṁ dvāraṁ apāpurīyati. So tattha sīghena javena dhāvati. Tassa sīghena javena dhāvato chavimpi ḍayhati, cammampi ḍayhati, maṁsampi ḍayhati, nhārumpi ḍayhati, aṭṭhīnipi sampadhūpāyanti, ubbhataṁ tādisameva hoti. Yato ca kho so, bhikkhave, bahusampatto hoti, atha taṁ dvāraṁ pidhīyati. So tattha dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vedeti, na ca tāva kālaṁ karoti yāva na taṁ pāpakammaṁ byantīhoti. Hoti kho so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ kadāci karahaci dīghassa addhuno accayena tassa mahānirayassa pacchimaṁ dvāraṁ apāpurīyati …pe… uttaraṁ dvāraṁ apāpurīyati …pe… dakkhiṇaṁ dvāraṁ apāpurīyati. So tattha sīghena javena dhāvati.
There comes a time when, after a very long period has passed, the eastern gate of the Great Hell is opened. So they run there as fast as they can. And as they run, their outer skin, inner skin, flesh, and sinews burn and even their bones smoke. Such is their escape; but when they’ve managed to make it most of the way, the gate is slammed shut. And there they suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings—but they don’t die until that bad deed is eliminated. There comes a time when, after a very long period has passed, the western gate … northern gate … southern gate of the Great Hell is opened. So they run there as fast as they can.
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