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8. Jānantājānantapāpakaraṇapañha

Question on Doing Evil Knowingly or Not Knowingly

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, yo jānanto pāpakammaṁ karoti, yo ajānanto pāpakammaṁ karoti, kassa bahutaraṁ apuññan”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, for whom is the greater demerit, one who knowingly does evil, or one who does evil unknowingly?”

Thero āha “yo kho, mahārāja, ajānanto pāpakammaṁ karoti, tassa bahutaraṁ apuññan”ti.
The elder replied: “Indeed, great king, for him who does evil unknowingly is the greater demerit”.

“Tena hi, bhante nāgasena, yo amhākaṁ rājaputto vā rājamahāmatto vā ajānanto pāpakammaṁ karoti, taṁ mayaṁ diguṇaṁ daṇḍemā”ti?
“In that case, venerable Nāgasena, that one who is our prince or king’s chief minister who unknowingly does evil, we should doubly punish him?”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, tattaṁ ayoguḷaṁ ādittaṁ sampajjalitaṁ sajotibhūtaṁ eko jānanto gaṇheyya, eko ajānanto gaṇheyya, katamo balavataraṁ ḍayheyyā”ti.
“What do you think, your majesty, who would get burned more, one who knowingly picks up a hot iron ball, ablaze and glowing, or one who unknowingly picks it up?”

“Yo kho, bhante, ajānanto gaṇheyya, so balavataraṁ ḍayheyyā”ti.
“Indeed, venerable sir, he who unknowingly picks it up would get burned more”.

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yo ajānanto pāpakammaṁ karoti, tassa bahutaraṁ apuññan”ti.
“Indeed, your majesty, in the same way the greater demerit is for him who does evil unknowingly”.

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena.”

Jānantājānantapāpakaraṇapañho aṭṭhamo.
Question on Doing Evil Knowingly or Unknowingly eighth