Milindapañha
Translators: kelly
Milinda's Questions
Nibbānavagga
Nibbāna Chapter
6. Nerayikaggiuṇhabhāvapañha
Question on the Nature of Heat in the Fires of Hell
Rājā āha—
The king said:
“bhante nāgasena, tumhe bhaṇatha—
“Venerable Nāgasena, you say
‘pākatikaaggito nerayiko aggi mahābhitāpataro hoti, khuddakopi pāsāṇo pākatike aggimhi pakkhitto divasampi paccamāno na vilayaṁ gacchati, kūṭāgāramattopi pāsāṇo nerayikaggimhi pakkhitto khaṇena vilayaṁ gacchatī’ti, etaṁ vacanaṁ na saddahāmi, evañca pana vadetha ‘ye ca tattha uppannā sattā, te anekānipi vassasahassāni niraye paccamānā na vilayaṁ gacchantī’ti, tampi vacanaṁ na saddahāmī”ti.
that the heat of hell has a far greater intensity than that of a normal fire, and that a small stone placed in a normal fire cooking all day would not be dissolved, whereas a stone the size of a gabled house placed in the fire of hell would be dissolved in a moment. I do not believe this assertion. And then you say that those various beings who have arisen in hell, cooking in that hell for thousands of years are not dissolved. That assertion too I do not believe.”
Thero āha—
The elder asked,
“taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, yā tā santi makariniyopi susumāriniyopi kacchapiniyopi moriniyopi kapotiniyopi, kiṁ nu tā kakkhaḷāni pāsāṇāni sakkharāyo ca khādantī”ti?
“What do you think, your majesty, do those female sharks, crocodiles, turtles, pea-hens, and pigeons eat hard stones and gravel?”
“Āma, bhante, khādantī”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir, they eat them.”
“Kiṁ pana tāni tāsaṁ kucchiyaṁ koṭṭhabbhantaragatāni vilayaṁ gacchantī”ti?
“But then when these have gone down into their abdomens and stomachs are they dissolved?”
“Āma, bhante, vilayaṁ gacchantī”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir, they are dissolved.”
“Yo pana tāsaṁ kucchiyaṁ gabbho, sopi vilayaṁ gacchatī”ti?
“But then is an embryo in their abdomens dissolved?”
“Na hi, bhante”ti.
“Certainly not, venerable sir.”
“Kena kāraṇenā”ti?
“For what reason?”
“Maññāmi, bhante, kammādhikatena na vilayaṁ gacchatī”ti.
“I think, venerable sir, due to the workings of kamma it would not dissolve.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, kammādhikatena nerayikā sattā anekānipi vassasahassāni niraye paccamānā na vilayaṁ gacchanti.
“In the same way, your majesty, those various beings in hell, cooking in that hell for thousands of years are not dissolved.
Bhāsitampetaṁ, mahārāja, bhagavatā—
And this too, your majesty, was said by the Blessed One:
‘so na tāva kālaṁ karoti, yāva na taṁ pāpakammaṁ byantīhotī’”ti.
‘One does not complete one’s time until there is an end to one’s evil kamma.’”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, yā tā santi sīhiniyopi byagghiniyopi dīpiniyopi kukkuriniyopi, kiṁ nu tā kakkhaḷāni aṭṭhikāni maṁsāni khādantī”ti?
“What do you think, your majesty, do female lions, tigers, panthers, and dogs eat hard bones and flesh?”
“Āma, bhante, khādantī”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir, they eat them.”
“Kiṁ pana tāni tāsaṁ kucchiyaṁ koṭṭhabbhantaragatāni vilayaṁ gacchantī”ti?
“But then when these have gone down into their abdomens and stomachs are they dissolved?”
“Āma, bhante, vilayaṁ gacchantī”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir, they are dissolved.”
“Yo pana tāsaṁ kucchiyaṁ gabbho, sopi vilayaṁ gacchatī”ti?
“But then is an embryo in their abdomens dissolved?”
“Na hi, bhante”ti.
“Certainly not, venerable sir.”
“Kena kāraṇenā”ti?
“For what reason?”
“Maññāmi, bhante, kammādhikatena na vilayaṁ gacchatī”ti.
“I think, venerable sir, due to the workings of kamma it would not dissolve.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, kammādhikatena nerayikā sattā anekānipi vassasahassāni niraye paccamānā na vilayaṁ gacchantī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, those various beings in hell, cooking in that hell for thousands of years are not dissolved.
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, yā tā santi yonakasukhumāliniyopi khattiyasukhumāliniyopi brāhmaṇasukhumāliniyopi gahapatisukhumāliniyopi, kiṁ nu tā kakkhaḷāni khajjakāni maṁsāni khādantī”ti?
“What do you think, your majesty, do those delicate Bactrian Greek women, noble women, brahmin women, and householder women eat hard cakes and meat?”
“Āma, bhante, khādantī”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir, they eat them.”
“Kiṁ pana tāni tāsaṁ kucchiyaṁ koṭṭhabbhantaragatāni vilayaṁ gacchantī”ti?
“But then when those have gone down into their abdomens and stomachs are they dissolved?”
“Āma, bhante, vilayaṁ gacchantī”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir, they are dissolved.”
“Yo pana tāsaṁ kucchiyaṁ gabbho sopi vilayaṁ gacchatī”ti?
“But then is an embryo in their abdomens dissolved?”
“Na hi, bhante”ti.
“Certainly not, venerable sir.”
“Kena kāraṇenā”ti?
“For what reason?”
“Maññāmi, bhante, kammādhikatena na vilayaṁ gacchatī”ti.
“I think, venerable sir, due to the workings of kamma it would not dissolve.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, kammādhikatena nerayikā sattā anekānipi vassasahassāni niraye paccamānā na vilayaṁ gacchanti.
“In the same way, your majesty, those various beings in hell, cooking in that hell for thousands of years are not dissolved.
Bhāsitampetaṁ, mahārāja, bhagavatā—
And this too, your majesty, was said by the Blessed One:
‘so na tāva kālaṁ karoti, yāva na taṁ pāpakammaṁ byantīhotī’”ti.
‘One does not complete one’s time until there is an end to one’s evil kamma.’”
“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena.”
Nerayikaggiuṇhabhāvapañho chaṭṭho.
Question on the Nature of Heat in the Fires of Hell sixth