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:
“Mendicants!”“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Venerable sir,”“Bhadante”ti thosete mendicantsbhikkhū to the Blessed Onebhagavato replied.paccassosuṁ.
The Blessed OneBhagavā said this:etadavoca:

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 enteringpavisantepi leavingnikkhamantepi wandering to and froanucaṅkamantepi 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, wardens of hellnirayapālā by various armsnānābāhāsu having takengahetvā of Yamayamassa of the kingrañño they presentdassenti:
this‘ayaṁ, Your Majestydeva, personpuriso not honoring his motheramatteyyo not honoring his fatherapetteyyo not honoring asceticsasāmañño not honoring brahminsabrāhmañño, notna in the familykule honoring eldersjeṭṭhāpacāyī.
of thisImassa Your Majestydevo punishmentdaṇḍaṁ may He decreepaṇetū’ti.
himTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Yamayamo kingrājā firstpaṭhamaṁ messenger of the godsdevadūtaṁ pursuessamanuyuñjati pressessamanugāhati grillssamanubhāsati:
my man‘ambho manpurisa, notna youtvaṁ did you seeaddasa among human beingsmanussesu firstpaṭhamaṁ messenger of the godsdevadūtaṁ appearedpātubhūtan’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 you sawaddasa among humansmanussesu littledaharaṁ babykumāraṁ tendermandaṁ lying on its backuttānaseyyakaṁ in their ownsake urine and 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 sensibleviññussa beingsato maturemahallakassa notna did it occuretadahosi—
I tooahampi indeed I amkhomhi liable to be bornjātidhammo, from birthjātiṁ not exemptanatīto. 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 you did goodkalyāṇamakāsi 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 by relatives and kinñātisālohitehi donekataṁ notna by ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇehi 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 messenger of the godsdevadūtaṁ having examinedsamanuyuñjitvā having scrutinizedsamanugāhitvā having addressedsamanubhāsitvā seconddutiyaṁ messenger of the godsdevadūtaṁ examinessamanuyuñjati scrutinizessamanugāhati addresses:samanubhāsati:
'my man,‘ambho man,purisa, notna youtvaṁ did seeaddasa among human beingsmanussesu seconddutiyaṁ messenger of the godsdevadūtaṁ 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 bent doublegopānasivaṅkaṁ crookedbhoggaṁ leaning on a staffdaṇḍaparāyanaṁ tremblingpavedhamānaṁ walkinggacchantaṁ ailingāturaṁ past their primegatayobbanaṁ with teeth brokenkhaṇḍadantaṁ hair greypalitakesaṁ scantyvilūnaṁ baldkhalitasiraṁ 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. I'd betterHandāhaṁ 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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