The Chapter about the Underworld (DHP306-319)

The one who speaks falsely goes to the underworld,
and he who says: ‘I did not do’ what he has done,
both of these are just the same when they have gone
to the hereafter, they are humans who did base deeds.

Many wearing the monastic robe around their necks are wicked, unrestrained,
the wicked through their wicked deeds re-arisein the underworld.

It’s better to have eaten a glowing iron ball, like a flame of fire,
than that the monastic who is unrestrained and unvirtuous should enjoy the country’s almsfood.

There are four states the man who is heedless,
the man who consorts with other man’s wives, undergoes:
he gains demerit, an uncomfortable bed,
blame as third, and rebirth in the underworld as fourth.

Gaining demerit and a bad destiny,
and only the small delight of a scared man with a scared woman,
and kings who apply heavy punishment,
a man therefore should not consort with another’s wife.

As jagged grass, wrongly grasped, cuts into the hand,
so does the ascetic life, wrongly grasped, drag one down to the underworld.

Whatever lax deed there is and that vow which is defiled,
know that a holy life that is doubtful does not have great fruit for that one.

If he would do what should be done, he should be firm in his effort,
for the wanderer who is lax spreads a lot of impurity.

Better undone is a wrong-doing, a wrong-doing one later regrets,
better done is what is well-done, which, when done, one does not regret.

As a border town is guarded on the inside and the outside,
so one should watch over oneself, and you should not let the moment pass,
for when the chance has passed they grieve when consigned to the underworld.

They are ashamed of what is not shameful, not ashamed of what is shameful,
undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.

Seeing fear in what is not fearful, not seeing fear in what is fearful,
undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.

Finding blame in what is blameless, not seeing blame in what is blameable,
undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.

Knowing blame in what is blameable, and no blame in what is blameless,
undertaking right views, beings go to a good destiny.

Translated by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu.

2nd edition, November 2017.

The text and translation, together with detailed notes and discussions, may be found in multiple formats on the translator’s website, Ancient Buddhist Texts.

Used by kind permission of Bhikkhu Ānandajoti.

The original translation was released under the following licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Aminah Borg-Luck.