Khuddakanikāya
Translators: sujato
Minor Collection
Dhammapada
Sayings of the Dhamma 306–319
Nirayavagga
22. Hell
Sundarīparibbājikāvatthu
Abhūtavādī nirayaṁ upeti,
A liar goes to hell,
Yo vāpi katvā na karomi cāha;
as does one who denies what they did.
Ubhopi te pecca samā bhavanti,
Both are equal in the hereafter,
Nihīnakammā manujā parattha.
those men of base deeds.
Duccaritaphalapīḷitavatthu
Kāsāvakaṇṭhā bahavo,
Many who wear a scrap of ocher cloth
pāpadhammā asaññatā;
are unrestrained and wicked.
Pāpā pāpehi kammehi,
Being wicked, they are reborn in hell
nirayaṁ te upapajjare.
due to their bad deeds.
Vaggumudātīriyabhikkhuvatthu
Seyyo ayoguḷo bhutto,
It’d be better for the immoral and unrestrained
tatto aggisikhūpamo;
to eat an iron ball,
Yañce bhuñjeyya dussīlo,
scorching, like a burning flame,
raṭṭhapiṇḍamasaññato.
than to eat the nation’s alms.
Khemakaseṭṭhiputtavatthu
Cattāri ṭhānāni naro pamatto,
Four things befall a heedless man
Āpajjati paradārūpasevī;
who sleeps with another’s wife:
Apuññalābhaṁ na nikāmaseyyaṁ,
wickedness, poor sleep,
Nindaṁ tatīyaṁ nirayaṁ catutthaṁ.
ill-repute, and rebirth in hell.
Apuññalābho ca gatī ca pāpikā,
He accrues wickedness and is reborn in a bad place,
Bhītassa bhītāya ratī ca thokikā;
all so a frightened couple <j>may snatch a moment’s pleasure,
Rājā ca daṇḍaṁ garukaṁ paṇeti,
for which rulers impose a heavy punishment.
Tasmā naro paradāraṁ na seve.
That’s why a man should not <j>sleep with another’s wife.
Dubbacabhikkhuvatthu
Kuso yathā duggahito,
When kusa grass is wrongly grasped
hatthamevānukantati;
it only cuts the hand.
Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,
So too, the ascetic life, when wrongly taken,
nirayāyupakaḍḍhati.
drags you to hell.
Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,
Any lax act,
saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;
any corrupt observance,
Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,
or suspicious spiritual life,
na taṁ hoti mahapphalaṁ.
is not very fruitful.
Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,
If one is to do what should be done,
daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;
one should staunchly strive.
Sithilo hi paribbājo,
For the life gone forth when laxly led
bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.
just stirs up dust all the more.
Issāpakataitthivatthu
Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,
A bad deed is better left undone,
pacchā tappati dukkaṭaṁ;
for it will plague you later on.
Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,
A good deed is better done,
yaṁ katvā nānutappati.
one that does not plague you.
Sambahulabhikkhuvatthu
Nagaraṁ yathā paccantaṁ,
As a frontier city
guttaṁ santarabāhiraṁ;
is guarded inside and out,
Evaṁ gopetha attānaṁ,
so you should ward yourselves—
khaṇo vo mā upaccagā;
don’t let the moment pass you by.
Khaṇātītā hi socanti,
For if you miss your moment
nirayamhi samappitā.
you’ll grieve when sent to hell.
Nigaṇṭhavatthu
Alajjitāye lajjanti,
Unashamed of what is shameful,
lajjitāye na lajjare;
ashamed of what is not shameful;
Micchādiṭṭhisamādānā,
beings who uphold wrong view
sattā gacchanti duggatiṁ.
go to a bad place.
Abhaye bhayadassino,
Seeing danger where there is none,
bhaye cābhayadassino;
and blind to the actual danger,
Micchādiṭṭhisamādānā,
beings who uphold wrong view
sattā gacchanti duggatiṁ.
go to a bad place.
Titthiyasāvakavatthu
Avajje vajjamatino,
Seeing fault where there is none,
vajje cāvajjadassino;
and blind to the actual fault,
Micchādiṭṭhisamādānā,
beings who uphold wrong view
sattā gacchanti duggatiṁ.
go to a bad place.
Vajjañca vajjato ñatvā,
Knowing a fault as a fault
avajjañca avajjato;
and the faultless as faultless,
Sammādiṭṭhisamādānā,
beings who uphold right view
sattā gacchanti suggatiṁ.
go to a good place.
Nirayavaggo dvāvīsatimo.