AN 3 The Book of the Threes – Tikanipāta > AN 3.36 Messengers of the Gods

Numbered Discourses 3.36 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.36

4. Messengers of the Gods – 4. Devadūtavagga

AN 3.36 Messengers of the Gods – Devadūtasutta

1.1

“There are, bhikkhū, these three messengers of the gods.

“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, devadūtāni.

1.2

What three?

Katamāni tīṇi?

1.3

Firstly, someone does bad things by way of body, speech, and mind.

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco kāyena duccaritaṁ carati, vācāya duccaritaṁ carati, manasā duccaritaṁ carati.

1.4

When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.

So kāyena duccaritaṁ caritvā, vācāya duccaritaṁ caritvā, manasā duccaritaṁ caritvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.

1.5

Then the wardens of hell take them by the arms and present them to King Yama, saying:

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā nānābāhāsu gahetvā yamassa rañño dassenti:

1.6

‘Your Majesty, this person did not pay due respect to their mother and father, ascetics and brahmins, or honor the elders in the family.

‘ayaṁ, deva, puriso amatteyyo apetteyyo asāmañño abrahmañño, na kule jeṭṭhāpacāyī.

1.7

May Your Majesty punish them!’

Imassa devo daṇḍaṁ paṇetū’ti.

2.1

Then King Yama pursues, presses, and grills them about the first messenger of the gods:

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā paṭhamaṁ devadūtaṁ samanuyuñjati samanugāhati samanubhāsati:

2.2

‘Mister, did you not see the first messenger of the gods that appeared among human beings?’

‘ambho, purisa, na tvaṁ addasa manussesu paṭhamaṁ devadūtaṁ pātubhūtan’ti?

2.3

They say,

So evamāha:

2.4

‘I saw nothing, sir.’

‘nāddasaṁ, bhante’ti.

3.1

Then King Yama says,

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā evamāha:

3.2

‘Mister, 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?’

‘ambho purisa, na tvaṁ addasa manussesu itthiṁ vā purisaṁ vā āsītikaṁ vā nāvutikaṁ vā vassasatikaṁ vā jātiyā jiṇṇaṁ gopānasivaṅkaṁ bhoggaṁ daṇḍaparāyaṇaṁ pavedhamānaṁ gacchantaṁ āturaṁ gatayobbanaṁ khaṇḍadantaṁ palitakesaṁ vilūnaṁ khallitasiraṁ valitaṁ tilakāhatagattan’ti?

3.3

They say,

So evamāha:

3.4

‘I saw that, sir.’

‘addasaṁ, bhante’ti.

4.1

Then King Yama says,

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā evamāha:

4.2

‘Mister, did it not occur to you—being sensible and mature—

‘ambho, purisa, tassa te viññussa sato mahallakassa na etadahosi—

4.3

“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”?’

ahampi khomhi jarādhammo jaraṁ anatīto, handāhaṁ kalyāṇaṁ karomi, kāyena vācāya manasā’ti?

4.4

They say,

So evamāha:

4.5

‘I couldn’t, sir. I was negligent.’

‘nāsakkhissaṁ, bhante. Pamādassaṁ, bhante’ti.

5.1

Then King Yama says,

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā evamāha:

5.2

‘Mister, because you were negligent, you didn’t do good by way of body, speech, and mind.

‘ambho, purisa, pamādatāya na kalyāṇamakāsi kāyena vācāya manasā.

5.3

Indeed, they’ll definitely punish you to fit your negligence.

Taggha tvaṁ, ambho purisa, tathā karissanti yathā taṁ pamattaṁ.

5.4

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 the deities, or by ascetics and brahmins.

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 devatāhi kataṁ, na samaṇabrāhmaṇehi kataṁ;

5.5

That bad deed was done by you alone, and you alone will experience the result.’

atha kho tayāvetaṁ pāpakammaṁ kataṁ, tvaññevetassa vipākaṁ paṭisaṁvedissasī’ti.

6.1

Then King Yama grills them about the second messenger of the gods:

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā paṭhamaṁ devadūtaṁ samanuyuñjitvā samanugāhitvā samanubhāsitvā, dutiyaṁ devadūtaṁ samanuyuñjati samanugāhati samanubhāsati:

6.2

‘Mister, did you not see the second messenger of the gods that appeared among human beings?’

‘ambho purisa, na tvaṁ addasa manussesu dutiyaṁ devadūtaṁ pātubhūtan’ti?

6.3

They say,

So evamāha:

6.4

‘I saw nothing, sir.’

‘nāddasaṁ, bhante’ti.

6.5

Then King Yama says,

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā evamāha:

6.6

‘Mister, 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?’

‘ambho purisa, na tvaṁ addasa manussesu itthiṁ vā purisaṁ vā ābādhikaṁ dukkhitaṁ bāḷhagilānaṁ, sake muttakarīse palipannaṁ semānaṁ, aññehi vuṭṭhāpiyamānaṁ, aññehi saṁvesiyamānan’ti?

6.7

They say,

So evamāha:

6.8

‘I saw that, sir.’

‘addasaṁ, bhante’ti.

7.1

Then King Yama says,

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā evamāha:

7.2

‘Mister, did it not occur to you—being sensible and mature—

‘ambho purisa, tassa te viññussa sato mahallakassa na etadahosi:

7.3

“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”?’

“ahampi khomhi byādhidhammo byādhiṁ anatīto, handāhaṁ kalyāṇaṁ karomi kāyena vācāya manasā”’ti?

7.4

They say,

So evamāha:

7.5

‘I couldn’t, sir. I was negligent.’

‘nāsakkhissaṁ, bhante. Pamādassaṁ, bhante’ti.

8.1

Then King Yama says,

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā evamāha:

8.2

‘Mister, because you were negligent, you didn’t do good by way of body, speech, and mind.

‘ambho purisa, pamādatāya na kalyāṇamakāsi kāyena vācāya manasā.

8.3

Well, they’ll definitely punish you to fit your negligence.

Taggha tvaṁ, ambho purisa, tathā karissanti yathā taṁ pamattaṁ.

8.4

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 the deities, or by ascetics and brahmins.

8.5

That bad deed was done by you alone, and you alone will experience the result.’

atha kho tayāvetaṁ pāpakammaṁ kataṁ. Tvaññevetassa vipākaṁ paṭisaṁvedissasī’ti.

9.1

Then King Yama grills them about the third messenger of the gods:

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā dutiyaṁ devadūtaṁ samanuyuñjitvā samanugāhitvā samanubhāsitvā, tatiyaṁ devadūtaṁ samanuyuñjati samanugāhati samanubhāsati:

9.2

‘Mister, did you not see the third messenger of the gods that appeared among human beings?’

‘ambho purisa, na tvaṁ addasa manussesu tatiyaṁ devadūtaṁ pātubhūtan’ti?

9.3

They say,

So evamāha:

9.4

‘I saw nothing, sir.’

‘nāddasaṁ, bhante’ti.

10.1

Then King Yama says,

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā evamāha:

10.2

‘Mister, did you not see among human beings a woman or a man, dead for one, two, or three days, bloated, livid, and festering?’

‘ambho purisa, na tvaṁ addasa manussesu itthiṁ vā purisaṁ vā ekāhamataṁ vā dvīhamataṁ vā tīhamataṁ vā uddhumātakaṁ vinīlakaṁ vipubbakajātan’ti?

10.3

They say,

So evamāha:

10.4

‘I saw that, sir.’

‘addasaṁ, bhante’ti.

11.1

Then King Yama says,

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā evamāha:

11.2

‘Mister, did it not occur to you—being sensible and mature—

‘ambho purisa, tassa te viññussa sato mahallakassa na etadahosi—

11.3

“I, too, am liable to die. I’m not exempt from death. I’d better do good by way of body, speech, and mind”?’

ahampi khomhi maraṇadhammo maraṇaṁ anatīto, handāhaṁ kalyāṇaṁ karomi kāyena vācāya manasā’ti?

11.4

They say,

So evamāha:

11.5

‘I couldn’t, sir. I was negligent.’

‘nāsakkhissaṁ, bhante. Pamādassaṁ, bhante’ti.

12.1

Then King Yama says,

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā evamāha:

12.2

‘Mister, because you were negligent, you didn’t do good by way of body, speech, and mind.

‘ambho purisa, pamādatāya na kalyāṇamakāsi kāyena vācāya manasā.

12.3

Well, they’ll definitely punish you to fit your negligence.

Taggha tvaṁ, ambho purisa, tathā karissanti yathā taṁ pamattaṁ.

12.4

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 the deities, or by ascetics and brahmins.

12.5

That bad deed was done by you alone, and you alone will experience the result.’

atha kho tayāvetaṁ pāpakammaṁ kataṁ. Tvaññevetassa vipākaṁ paṭisaṁvedissasī’”ti.

13.1

Then, after grilling them about the third messenger of the gods, King Yama falls silent.

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, yamo rājā tatiyaṁ devadūtaṁ samanuyuñjitvā samanugāhitvā samanubhāsitvā tuṇhī hoti.

13.2

Then the wardens of hell punish them with the five-fold crucifixion.

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā pañcavidhabandhanaṁ nāma kāraṇaṁ karonti.

13.3

They drive red-hot stakes through the hands and feet, and another in the middle of the chest.

Tattaṁ ayokhilaṁ hatthe gamenti. Tattaṁ ayokhilaṁ dutiyasmiṁ hatthe gamenti. Tattaṁ ayokhilaṁ pāde gamenti. Tattaṁ ayokhilaṁ dutiyasmiṁ pāde gamenti. Tattaṁ ayokhilaṁ majjhe urasmiṁ gamenti.

13.4

And there they suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings—but they don’t die until that bad deed is eliminated.

So tattha dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vediyati, na ca tāva kālaṁ karoti yāva na taṁ pāpakammaṁ byantīhoti.

14.1

Then the wardens of hell throw them down and hack them with axes. …

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā saṁvesetvā kudhārīhi tacchanti.

14.2

So tattha dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vediyati, na ca tāva kālaṁ karoti yāva na taṁ pāpakammaṁ byantīhoti.

15.1

They hang them upside-down and hack them with hatchets. …

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā uddhampādaṁ adhosiraṁ gahetvā vāsīhi tacchanti …pe…

15.2

They harness them to a chariot, and drive them back and forth across burning ground, blazing and glowing. …

tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā rathe yojetvā ādittāya bhūmiyā sampajjalitāya sajotibhūtāya sārentipi paccāsārentipi …pe…

15.3

They make them climb up and down a huge mountain of burning coals, blazing and glowing. …

tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā mahantaṁ aṅgārapabbataṁ ādittaṁ sampajjalitaṁ sajotibhūtaṁ āropentipi oropentipi …pe…

15.4

Then the wardens of hell turn them upside down and throw them in a red-hot copper pot, burning, blazing, and glowing.

tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā uddhampādaṁ adhosiraṁ gahetvā tattāya lohakumbhiyā pakkhipanti, ādittāya sampajjalitāya sajotibhūtāya. (…)

15.5

There they’re seared in boiling scum, and they’re swept up and down and round and round.

So tattha pheṇuddehakaṁ paccamāno sakimpi uddhaṁ gacchati, sakimpi adho gacchati, sakimpi tiriyaṁ gacchati.

15.6

And there they suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings—but they don’t die until that bad deed is eliminated.

So tattha dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vediyati, na ca tāva kālaṁ karoti yāva na taṁ pāpakammaṁ byantīhoti.

15.7

Then the wardens of hell toss them into the Great Hell.

Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayapālā mahāniraye pakkhipanti.

15.8

Now, about that Great Hell:

So kho pana, bhikkhave, mahānirayo—

16.1

‘Four are its corners, four its doors,

Catukkaṇṇo catudvāro,

16.2

neatly divided in equal parts.

vibhatto bhāgaso mito;

16.3

Surrounded by an iron wall,

Ayopākārapariyanto,

16.4

of iron is its roof.

ayasā paṭikujjito.

17.1

The ground is even made of iron,

Tassa ayomayā bhūmi,

17.2

it burns with fierce fire.

Jalitā tejasā yutā;

17.3

The heat forever radiates

Samantā yojanasataṁ,

17.4

a hundred leagues around.’

Pharitvā tiṭṭhati sabbadāti.

18.1

Once upon a time, King Yama thought,

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, yamassa rañño etadahosi:

18.2

‘Those who do such bad deeds in the world receive these many different punishments.

‘ye kira, bho, loke pāpakāni kammāni karonti te evarūpā vividhā kammakāraṇā karīyanti.

18.3

Oh, I hope I may be reborn as a human being! And that a Realized One—a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha—arises in the world! And that I may pay homage to the Buddha!

Aho vatāhaṁ manussattaṁ labheyyaṁ, tathāgato ca loke uppajjeyya arahaṁ sammāsambuddho, tañcāhaṁ bhagavantaṁ payirupāseyyaṁ.

18.4

Then the Buddha can teach me Dhamma, so that I may understand his teaching.’

So ca me bhagavā dhammaṁ deseyya, tassa cāhaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ ājāneyyan’ti.

18.5

Now, I don’t say this because I’ve heard it from some other ascetic or brahmin. I only say it because I’ve known, seen, and realized it for myself.

Taṁ kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, na aññassa samaṇassa vā brāhmaṇassa vā sutvā evaṁ vadāmi, api ca kho, bhikkhave, yadeva me sāmaṁ ñātaṁ sāmaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sāmaṁ viditaṁ tadevāhaṁ vadāmīti.

19.1

Those people who are negligent,

Coditā devadūtehi,

19.2

when warned by the gods’ messengers:

ye pamajjanti māṇavā;

19.3

a long time they sorrow,

Te dīgharattaṁ socanti,

19.4

when they go to that wretched place.

hīnakāyūpagā narā.

20.1

But those good and peaceful people,

Ye ca kho devadūtehi,

20.2

when warned by the god’s messengers,

santo sappurisā idha;

20.3

never neglect

Coditā nappamajjanti,

20.4

the teaching of the noble ones.

ariyadhamme kudācanaṁ.

21.1

Seeing the peril in grasping,

Upādāne bhayaṁ disvā,

21.2

the origin of birth and death,

jātimaraṇasambhave;

21.3

the unattached are freed

Anupādā vimuccanti,

21.4

with the ending of birth and death.

jātimaraṇasaṅkhaye.

22.1

Happy, they’ve come to a safe place,

Te appamattā sukhino,

22.2

extinguished in this very life.

diṭṭhadhammābhinibbutā;

22.3

They’ve gone beyond all threats and perils,

Sabbaverabhayātītā,

22.4

and risen above all suffering.”

sabbadukkhaṁ upaccagun”ti.

22.5

Chaṭṭhaṁ.