Devadūtasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 130

Messengers of the Gods · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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hey‘ambho manpurisa, because of negligencepamādavatāya notna you did goodkalyāṇamakāsi by bodykāyena by speechvācāya by mindmanasā.
indeedTaggha youtvaṁ, heyambho manpurisa, accordinglytathā they will dokarissanti just asyathā thattaṁ negligent onepamattaṁ.
thatTaṁ indeedkho nowpana yourte thisetaṁ bad deedpāpakammaṁ notneva by mothermātarā donekataṁ notna by fatherpitarā donekataṁ notna by brotherbhātarā donekataṁ notna by sisterbhaginiyā donekataṁ notna by friends and colleaguesmittāmaccehi donekataṁ notna by relatives and kinñātisālohitehi donekataṁ notna by ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇehi donekataṁ notna by deitiesdevatāhi donekataṁ, by you alone thistayāvetaṁ bad deedpāpakammaṁ donekataṁ, you alone will experience its resulttvaññevetassa resultvipākaṁ you will experiencepaṭisaṁvedissasī’ti.

‘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. 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 thenTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā seconddutiyaṁ messenger of the godsdevadūtaṁ having grilledsamanuyuñjitvā having examinedsamanugāhitvā having admonishedsamanubhāsitvā thirdtatiyaṁ messenger of the godsdevadūtaṁ grillssamanuyuñjati examinessamanugāhati admonishes:samanubhāsati:
my man‘ambho manpurisa, notna youtvaṁ did you seeaddasa among human beingsmanussesu thirdtatiyaṁ messenger of the godsdevadūtaṁ appearedpātubhūtan’ti?
heSo said thus:evamāha:
I saw nothing‘nāddasaṁ, sir.bhante’ti.
him thenTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā said thus:evamāha:
my man‘ambho manpurisa, notna youtvaṁ did you seeaddasa among human beingsmanussesu a womanitthiṁ orvā a manpurisaṁ orvā sickābādhikaṁ sufferingdukkhitaṁ gravely illbāḷhagilānaṁ in their ownsake urine and fecesmuttakarīse collapsedpalipannaṁ lyingsemānaṁ by someaññehi being picked upvuṭṭhāpiyamānaṁ by othersaññehi being put down?saṁvesiyamānan’ti?
heSo said thus:evamāha:
I saw that‘addasaṁ, sir.bhante’ti.
him thenTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā said thus:evamāha:
my man‘ambho manpurisa, to youtassa youte sensibleviññussa maturesato oldmahallakassa notna did it occuretadahosi—
I tooahampi I am indeedkhomhi liable to become sickbyādhidhammo, sicknessbyādhiṁ not exemptanatīto.
I would ratherHandāhaṁ goodkalyāṇaṁ I dokaromi by bodykāyena by speechvācāya by mind?manasā’ti? heSo said thus:evamāha:
I could not‘nāsakkhissaṁ, sirbhante, I was negligentpamādassaṁ, sir.bhante’ti.
him thenTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā said thus:evamāha:

Then King Yama grills them about the third messenger of the gods: ‘My man, did you not see the third 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, sick, suffering, gravely ill, collapsed in their own urine and feces, being picked up by some and put down by others?’ 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 become sick. I’m not exempt from sickness. 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‘ambho manpurisa, because of negligencepamādavatāya notna you did goodkalyāṇamakāsi by bodykāyena by speechvācāya by mindmanasā.
indeedTaggha youtvaṁ, my manambho manpurisa, accordinglytathā they will dokarissanti asyathā thattaṁ negligentpamattaṁ.
thatTaṁ indeedkho nowpana yourte 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 by relatives and kinñātisālohitehi donekataṁ notna by ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇehi donekataṁ notna by deitiesdevatāhi donekataṁ, by you alone indeed thistayāvetaṁ bad deedpāpakammaṁ donekataṁ, you alone indeed will experience itstvaññevetassa resultvipākaṁ you will experiencepaṭisaṁvedissasī’ti.

Then King Yama grills them about the fourth messenger of the gods: ‘My man, did you not see the fourth 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 when the rulers arrested a bandit, a criminal, and subjected them to various punishments— whipping, caning, and clubbing; cutting off hands or feet, or both; cutting off ears or nose, or both; the ‘porridge pot’, the ‘shell-shave’, the ‘Rāhu’s mouth’, the ‘garland of fire’, the ‘burning hand’, the ‘bulrush twist’, the ‘bark dress’, the ‘antelope’, the ‘meat hook’, the ‘coins’, the ‘caustic pickle’, the ‘twisting bar’, the ‘straw mat’; being splashed with hot oil, being fed to the hounds, being impaled alive, and being beheaded?’

heSo said thisevamāha:
I saw‘addasaṁ, sir, end quotebhante’ti.
himTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā said thisevamāha:
my man‘ambho manpurisa, to youtassa youte sensibleviññussa beingsato maturemahallakassa notna it occurredetadahosi—
whoye it seemskira, sirbho, badpāpakāni deedskammāni dokaronti theyte in this very lifediṭṭheva in the teachingdhamme suchevarūpā variousvividhā punishmentskammakāraṇā are inflictedkarīyanti, how much morekimaṅgaṁ thenpana in the next worldparattha. well, let meHandāhaṁ goodkalyāṇaṁ I dokaromi by bodykāyena by speechvācāya by mindmanasā’ti?
heSo said thisevamāha:
I could not‘nāsakkhissaṁ, sirbhante, I was negligentpamādassaṁ, sir, end quotebhante’ti.
himTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā said thisevamāha:
my man‘ambho manpurisa, because of negligencepamādavatāya notna you did goodkalyāṇamakāsi by bodykāyena by speechvācāya by mindmanasā.
definitelyTaggha youtvaṁ, my manambho manpurisa, thustathā they will dokarissanti just asyathā thattaṁ negligentpamattaṁ.

He says, ‘I saw that, sir.’ King Yama says to them, ‘My man, did it not occur to you—being sensible and mature— “It seems that one who does bad deeds receives such punishment in this very life. What must happen to them in the next? 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 andpana by youte thisetaṁ bad deedpāpakammaṁ notneva by mothermātarā donekataṁ notna by fatherpitarā donekataṁ notna by brotherbhātarā donekataṁ notna by sisterbhaginiyā donekataṁ notna by friends and colleaguesmittāmaccehi donekataṁ notna by relatives and kinñātisālohitehi donekataṁ notna by ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇehi donekataṁ notna by deitiesdevatāhi donekataṁ, by you alone thistayāvetaṁ bad deedpāpakammaṁ donekataṁ, you alone of ittvaññevetassa 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.’

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