Devadūtasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 130

Messengers of the Gods · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā at Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa monastery.ārāme.
thereTatra indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā the mendicantsbhikkhū addressed:āmantesi:
mendicant + quotation marker“bhikkhavo”ti.
venerable sir + quotation marker“Bhadante”ti thosete mendicantsbhikkhū to the Blessed Onebhagavato replied.paccassosuṁ.
The Blessed OneBhagavā this + sayetadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

suppose“Seyyathāpi, mendicantsbhikkhave, twodve housesagārā with doorssadvārā, theretattha with clear eyescakkhumā personpuriso in betweenmajjhe standingṭhito would seepasseyya humansmanusse housegehaṁ into·enterpavisantepi out·leavenikkhamantepi along·wanderanucaṅkamantepi wandering aboutanuvicarantepi;

“Mendicants, suppose there were two houses with doors. A person with clear eyes standing in between them would see humans entering and leaving a house and wandering to and fro.

In the same way, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, I see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. I understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds: ‘These dear beings did good things by way of body, speech, and mind. They never denounced the noble ones; they had right view; and they chose to act out of that right view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm, or among humans. These dear beings did bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. They denounced the noble ones; they had wrong view; and they chose to act out of that wrong view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in the ghost realm, the animal realm, or in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.’

himTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, hell·wardennirayapālā various·armnānābāhāsu having takengahetvā of Yamayamassa of the kingrañño they presentdassenti:
this‘ayaṁ, Your Majestydeva, personpuriso not·honoring motheramatteyyo not·honoring fatherapetteyyo not·honoring asceticsasāmañño not·honoring brahminsabrāhmañño, notna in the familykule elder·honoringjeṭṭhāpacāyī.
of thisImassa Your Majestydevo punishmentdaṇḍaṁ may He decreepaṇetū’ti.
himTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā firstpaṭhamaṁ god·messengerdevadūtaṁ together·along·engagesamanuyuñjati together·along·presssamanugāhati together·along·speaksamanubhāsati:
my man‘ambho manpurisa, notna youtvaṁ did you seeaddasa among human beingsmanussesu firstpaṭhamaṁ god·messengerdevadūtaṁ visible·becamepātubhūtan’ti?
heSo speaks thusevamāha:
I did not see‘nāddasaṁ, sirbhante’ti.

The wardens of hell take them by the arms and present them to King Yama, saying, ‘Your Majesty, this person did not pay due respect to their mother and father, ascetics and brahmins, or honor the elders in the family. May Your Majesty punish them!’ King Yama pursues, presses, and grills them about the first messenger of the gods: ‘My man, did you not see the first messenger of the gods that appeared among human beings?’ He says, ‘I saw nothing, sir.’

himTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā speaks thusevamāha:
my man‘ambho manpurisa, notna youtvaṁ past·seeaddasa among humansmanussesu littledaharaṁ babykumāraṁ tendermandaṁ supine·lyinguttānaseyyakaṁ in their ownsake urine·fecesmuttakarīse collapsedpalipannaṁ lying?semānan’ti?
heSo speaks thusevamāha:
I saw‘addasaṁ, sir.bhante’ti.
himTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā speaks thusevamāha:
my man‘ambho manpurisa, to youtassa to youte discerning·knowingviññussa beingsato maturemahallakassa notna that·giveetadahosi—
I·tooahampi indeed·bekhomhi birth·naturejātidhammo, from birthjātiṁ not·passed beyondanatīto. now·IHandāhaṁ goodkalyāṇaṁ I dokaromi by bodykāyena by speechvācāya by mind?manasā’ti?
heSo speaks thusevamāha:
I could not‘nāsakkhissaṁ, sir,bhante, I was negligentpamādassaṁ, sir.bhante’ti.
himTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā speaks thusevamāha:
my man‘ambho manpurisa, because of negligencepamādavatāya notna good·didkalyāṇamakāsi by bodykāyena by speechvācāya by mind.manasā.
wellTaggha theytvaṁ, my manambho man,purisa, sotathā they will punishkarissanti asyathā youtaṁ negligent.pamattaṁ.

King Yama says to them, ‘My man, did you not see among human beings a little baby collapsed in their own urine and feces?’ 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 be born. I’m not exempt from rebirth. 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. Well, they’ll definitely punish you to fit your negligence.

thatTaṁ indeedkho nowpana by youte thisetaṁ bad·deedpāpakammaṁ not indeedneva by mothermātarā donekataṁ notna by fatherpitarā donekataṁ notna by brotherbhātarā donekataṁ notna by sisterbhaginiyā donekataṁ notna by friends and colleaguesmittāmaccehi donekataṁ notna relative·kinñātisālohitehi donekataṁ notna ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇehi donekataṁ notna by deitiesdevatāhi done,kataṁ, by you alone thistayāvetaṁ bad·deedpāpakammaṁ done,kataṁ, and you alone of thistvaññevetassa resultvipākaṁ will experiencepaṭisaṁvedissasī’ti.

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.’

him, then,Tamenaṁ, monks,bhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā firstpaṭhamaṁ god·messengerdevadūtaṁ together·along·joinsamanuyuñjitvā together·along·graspsamanugāhitvā together·along·speaksamanubhāsitvā seconddutiyaṁ god·messengerdevadūtaṁ together·along·joinsamanuyuñjati together·along·graspsamanugāhati addresses:samanubhāsati:
'my man,‘ambho man,purisa, notna youtvaṁ did seeaddasa among human beingsmanussesu seconddutiyaṁ god·messengerdevadūtaṁ that appeared?'pātubhūtan’ti?
HeSo says thus:evamāha:
'I saw nothing,‘nāddasaṁ, sir.'bhante’ti.
him, then,Tamenaṁ, monks,bhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā says thus:evamāha:
'my man,‘ambho man,purisa, notna youtvaṁ did seeaddasa among human beingsmanussesu womanitthiṁ orvā manpurisaṁ orvā (…)(…) oldjiṇṇaṁ rafter·bentgopānasivaṅkaṁ crookedbhoggaṁ staff·dependingdaṇḍaparāyanaṁ tremblingpavedhamānaṁ walkinggacchantaṁ ailingāturaṁ gone·youthgatayobbanaṁ broken·toothkhaṇḍadantaṁ grey·hairpalitakesaṁ scantyvilūnaṁ bald·headkhalitasiraṁ wrinkledvalinaṁ with limbs blotchy?'tilakāhatagattan’ti?
HeSo says thus:evamāha:
'I saw that,‘addasaṁ, sir.'bhante’ti.
him, then,Tamenaṁ, monks,bhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā says thus:evamāha:
'my man,‘ambho man,purisa, of thattassa youte sensibleviññussa beingsato maturemahallakassa notna did it occur—etadahosi—
I + tooahampi indeed amkhomhi liable to grow old,jarādhammo, old agejaraṁ not exempt from.anatīto. better + IHandāhaṁ goodkalyāṇaṁ dokaromi by way of body,kāyena speech,vācāya mind?'manasā’ti?
HeSo says thus:evamāha:
'I couldn't,‘nāsakkhissaṁ, sir.bhante, I was negligent,pamādassaṁ, sir.'bhante’ti.
him, then,Tamenaṁ, monks,bhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā says thus:evamāha:

Then King Yama grills them about the second messenger of the gods: ‘My man, did you not see the second 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 an elderly woman or a man—eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old—bent double, crooked, leaning on a staff, trembling as they walk, ailing, past their prime, with teeth broken, hair grey and scanty or bald, skin wrinkled, and limbs blotchy?’ 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 grow old. I’m not exempt from old age. 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,

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