Devadūtasuttaṃ [MN 130, PTS 3.179–3.187]

10.

The Discourse on the Divine Messengers

261. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus: "Monks." "Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:

"Just as, monks, there are two houses with doors facing each other, there a man with good eyesight, standing in the middle, might see people entering the house and leaving, walking back and forth and wandering about; so too, monks, with the divine eye, which is pure and surpasses the human, I see beings passing away and arising, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and I understand beings according to their actions - 'These beings indeed, sirs, endowed with bodily good conduct, endowed with verbal good conduct, endowed with mental good conduct, not revilers of the noble ones, holding right views, undertaking actions based on right views; upon the body's collapse at death, they have arisen in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world. But these beings, sirs, endowed with bodily good conduct, endowed with verbal good conduct, endowed with mental good conduct, not revilers of the noble ones, holding right views, undertaking actions based on right views; upon the body's collapse at death, they have arisen among human beings. These beings indeed, sirs, endowed with bodily misconduct, endowed with verbal misconduct, endowed with mental misconduct, revilers of the noble ones, holding wrong views, undertaking actions based on wrong views; upon the body's collapse at death, they have arisen in the sphere of ghosts. But these beings, sirs, endowed with bodily misconduct, endowed with verbal misconduct, endowed with mental misconduct, revilers of the noble ones, holding wrong views, undertaking actions based on wrong views; upon the body's collapse at death, they have arisen in the animal realm. But these beings, sirs, endowed with bodily misconduct, endowed with verbal misconduct, endowed with mental misconduct, revilers of the noble ones, holding wrong views, undertaking actions based on wrong views; upon the body's collapse at death, they have arisen in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell.'"

262. "Then, monks, the guardians of hell, having seized him by both arms, show him to King Yama - 'This man, Sire, was disrespectful towards his mother, irreverent towards his father, disrespectful towards ascetics, disrespectful towards brahmins, not honouring the elders in the family. Let the Sire decree punishment for him.' Then, monks, King Yama cross-questions, asks for reasons, and admonishes him about the first divine messenger - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings the first divine messenger that appeared?' He speaks thus: 'I did not see, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings a young infant boy, helpless, lying on his back, fallen into his own urine and excrement, lying there?' He speaks thus: 'I saw, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did it not occur to you, being intelligent, mindful, and elderly - I too am subject to birth, not gone beyond birth. Come, let me do good by body, speech, and mind?' He speaks thus: 'I was not able, venerable sir, I was heedless, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, through heedlessness you did not do good by body, speech, and mind. Truly, hey man, they will deal with you according to your heedlessness. But this evil deed of yours was not done by your mother, not done by your father, not done by your brother, not done by your sister, not done by friends and colleagues, not done by relatives and blood-relations, not done by ascetics and brahmins, not done by deities; this evil deed was done by you yourself, and you yourself will experience its result.'

263. "Then, monks, King Yama, having cross-questioned, asked for reasons, and admonished him about the first divine messenger, cross-questions, asks for reasons, and admonishes him about the second divine messenger - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings the second divine messenger that appeared?' He speaks thus: 'I did not see, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings a woman or a man, old, bent like a roof beam, broken, leaning on a stick, trembling as they walked, afflicted, past their youth, with broken teeth, grey hair, scanty hair, bald-headed, wrinkled, with limbs blotched with spots?' He speaks thus: 'I saw, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did it not occur to you, being intelligent, mindful, and elderly - I too am subject to ageing, not gone beyond ageing. Come, let me do good by body, speech, and mind?' He speaks thus: 'I was not able, venerable sir, I was heedless, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, through heedlessness you did not do good by body, speech, and mind. Truly, hey man, they will deal with you according to your heedlessness. But this evil deed of yours was not done by your mother, not done by your father, not done by your brother, not done by your sister, not done by friends and colleagues, not done by relatives and blood-relations, not done by ascetics and brahmins, not done by deities; this evil deed was done by you yourself, and you yourself will experience its result.'

264. "Then, monks, King Yama, having cross-questioned, asked for reasons, and admonished him about the second divine messenger, cross-questions, asks for reasons, and admonishes him about the third divine messenger - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings the third divine messenger that appeared?' He speaks thus: 'I did not see, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings a woman or a man who was sick, suffering, severely ill, fallen into their own urine and excrement, lying down, being lifted up by some, being laid down by others?' He speaks thus: 'I saw, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did it not occur to you, being intelligent, mindful, and elderly - I too am subject to disease, not gone beyond disease. Come, let me do good by body, speech, and mind?' He speaks thus: 'I was not able, venerable sir, I was heedless, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, through heedlessness you did not do good by body, speech, and mind. Truly, hey man, they will deal with you according to your heedlessness. But this evil deed of yours was not done by your mother, not done by your father, not done by your brother, not done by your sister, not done by friends and colleagues, not done by relatives and blood-relations, not done by ascetics and brahmins, not done by deities; this evil deed was done by you yourself, and you yourself will experience its result.'

265. "Then, monks, King Yama, having cross-questioned, asked for reasons, and admonished him about the third divine messenger, cross-questions, asks for reasons, and admonishes him about the fourth divine messenger - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings the fourth divine messenger that appeared?' He speaks thus: 'I did not see, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings kings, having seized a thief, a criminal, inflicting various bodily punishments - flogging with whips, flogging with canes, flogging with half-clubs, cutting off his hand, cutting off his foot, cutting off his hand and foot, cutting off his ear, cutting off his nose, cutting off his ear and nose, inflicting the "gruel pot" torture, inflicting the "shell-tonsure" torture, inflicting the "Rāhu's mouth" torture, inflicting the "fire garland" torture, inflicting the "hand torch" torture, inflicting the "grass-strip" torture, inflicting the "bark-dress" torture, inflicting the "antelope" torture, inflicting the "flesh-hook" torture, inflicting the "coin-cutting" torture, inflicting the "lye-pickling" torture, inflicting the "pivot-turning" torture, inflicting the "straw-chair" torture, pouring boiling oil on him, having him eaten by dogs, impaling him alive on a stake, cutting off his head with a sword?' He speaks thus: 'I saw, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did it not occur to you, being intelligent, mindful, and elderly - "It is said, friend, that those who do evil deeds, upon them such various bodily punishments are inflicted in this very life, far less then in the hereafter! Come, let me do good by body, speech, and mind?' He speaks thus: 'I was not able, venerable sir, I was heedless, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, through heedlessness you did not do good by body, speech, and mind. Truly, hey man, they will deal with you according to your heedlessness. But this evil deed of yours was not done by your mother, not done by your father, not done by your brother, not done by your sister, not done by friends and colleagues, not done by relatives and blood-relations, not done by ascetics and brahmins, not done by deities; this evil deed was done by you yourself, and you yourself will experience its result.'

266. "Then, monks, King Yama, having cross-questioned, asked for reasons, and admonished him about the fourth divine messenger, cross-questions, asks for reasons, and admonishes him about the fifth divine messenger - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings the fifth divine messenger that appeared?' He speaks thus: 'I did not see, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings a woman or a man, dead for one day, or dead for two days, or dead for three days, bloated, discoloured, festering?' He speaks thus: 'I saw, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did it not occur to you, being intelligent, mindful, and elderly - I too am subject to death, not gone beyond death. Come, let me do good by body, speech, and mind?' He speaks thus: 'I was not able, venerable sir, I was heedless, venerable sir.'

"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, through heedlessness you did not do good by body, speech, and mind. Truly, hey man, they will deal with you according to your heedlessness. But this evil deed of yours was not done by your mother, not done by your father, not done by your brother, not done by your sister, not done by friends and colleagues, not done by relatives and blood-relations, not done by ascetics and brahmins, not done by deities; this evil deed was done by you yourself, and you yourself will experience its result.'

267. "Then, monks, King Yama, having cross-questioned, asked for reasons, and admonished him about the fifth divine messenger, becomes silent. Then, monks, the guardians of hell inflict on him the torture called the fivefold binding - they drive a red-hot iron stake into his hand, they drive a red-hot iron stake into his other hand, they drive a red-hot iron stake into his foot, they drive a red-hot iron stake into his other foot, they drive a red-hot iron stake into the middle of his chest. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is brought to an end. Then, monks, the guardians of hell lay him down and plane him with axes... etc... Then, monks, the guardians of hell, having seized him feet up and head down, plane him with adzes... etc... Then, monks, the guardians of hell, having yoked him to a chariot, drive him back and forth over ground that is blazing, in flames, aglow... etc... Then, monks, the guardians of hell make him climb up and down a great mountain of embers, blazing, in flames, aglow... etc... Then, monks, the guardians of hell, having seized him feet up and head down, throw him into a red-hot copper cauldron, blazing, in flames, aglow. There he is cooked, throwing up foam. There, being cooked, throwing up foam, he goes up once, he goes down once, he goes across once. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is brought to an end. Then, monks, the guardians of hell throw him into the great hell. Now, monks, that great hell -

268. "Now, monks, from the eastern wall of that great hell a flame arises and strikes against the western wall; from the western wall a flame arises and strikes against the eastern wall; from the northern wall a flame arises and strikes against the southern wall; from the southern wall a flame arises and strikes against the northern wall; from below a flame arises and strikes above; from above a flame arises and strikes below. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is brought to an end.

"There comes a time, monks, when at some time after a very long period has passed, the eastern door of that great hell opens. There he runs with swift speed. As he runs with swift speed, his outer skin is burnt, his hide is burnt, his flesh is burnt, his sinews are burnt, even his bones send forth steam; when pulled out it is just the same. But when, monks, he has arrived far, then that door closes. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is brought to an end.

"There comes a time, monks, when at some time after a very long period has passed, the western door of that great hell opens. Etc. the northern door opens. Etc. the southern door opens. There he runs with swift speed. As he runs with swift speed, his outer skin is burnt, his hide is burnt, his flesh is burnt, his sinews are burnt, even his bones send forth steam; when pulled out it is just the same. But when, monks, he has arrived far, then that door closes. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is brought to an end.

"There comes a time, monks, when at some time after a very long period has passed, the eastern door of that great hell opens. There he runs with swift speed. As he runs with swift speed, his outer skin is burnt, his hide is burnt, his flesh is burnt, his sinews are burnt, even his bones send forth steam; when pulled out it is just the same. He goes out through that door.

269. "Now, monks, immediately contiguous to that great hell there is together with it a great excrement hell. He falls there. Now, monks, in that excrement hell, needle-mouthed creatures cut the skin, having cut the skin they cut the hide, having cut the hide they cut the flesh, having cut the flesh they cut the sinews, having cut the sinews they cut the bones, having cut the bones they eat the bone marrow. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is brought to an end.

"Now, monks, immediately contiguous to that excrement hell there is together with it a great hot ashes hell. He falls there. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is brought to an end.

"Now, monks, immediately contiguous to that hot ashes hell there is together with it a great silk-cotton tree forest, rising up a yojana high, with thorns sixteen finger-breadths long, blazing, in flames, aglow. There they make him climb up and climb down. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is brought to an end.

"Now, monks, immediately contiguous to that silk-cotton tree forest there is together with it a great sword-leaf forest. He enters there. The leaves stirred by the wind, having fallen, cut off his hand, cut off his foot, cut off his hand and foot, cut off his ear, cut off his nose, cut off his ear and nose. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is brought to an end.

"Now, monks, immediately contiguous to that sword-leaf forest there is together with it a great river of caustic water. He falls there. There he is carried downstream, he is carried upstream, he is carried downstream and upstream. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is brought to an end.

270. "Then, monks, the guardians of hell, having pulled him up with a hook and established him on dry ground, said thus - 'Hey man, what do you wish?' He speaks thus: 'I am hungry, venerable sir.' Then, monks, the guardians of hell, having opened his mouth with a red-hot iron spike, blazing, in flames, aglow, throw into his mouth a red-hot metal ball, blazing, in flames, aglow. That burns his lips, burns his mouth, burns his throat, burns his chest, and taking along his intestines and mesentery, passes out below. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is brought to an end.

"Then, monks, the guardians of hell said thus - 'Hey man, what do you wish?' He speaks thus: 'I am thirsty, venerable sir.' Then, monks, the guardians of hell, having opened his mouth with a red-hot iron spike, blazing, in flames, aglow, pour into his mouth red-hot copper, blazing, in flames, aglow. That burns his lips, burns his mouth, burns his throat, burns his chest, and taking along his intestines and mesentery, passes out below. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is brought to an end. Then, monks, the guardians of hell throw him again into the great hell.

"Once in the past, monks, this occurred to King Yama - 'It is said, friend, that those who do evil, unwholesome deeds in the world, upon them such various bodily punishments are inflicted. Oh, may I attain human existence. And may a Truth-finder arise in the world, a Worthy One, a Perfectly Enlightened One. And may I attend upon that Blessed One. And may that Blessed One expound to me the Teaching. And may I understand the Teaching of that Blessed One.' But this, monks, I do not say having heard it from another ascetic or brahmin, but rather whatever I myself have known, myself have seen, myself have understood, that alone I say."

271. This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this -

The Discourse on the Divine Messengers is concluded as tenth.