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MN 130 
Devaduta Sutta 
“The Divine Messengers,” i.e. “On the Great Hell” 
Translated by Bhikkhu Candana 
 
Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2022 
 
I have personally heard this. 
 
At one time, the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapindika at Jeta's 
Grove in the City of Sāvatthi.  
Then, the Blessed One addressed the Bhikkhus gathered there.  
 
“Bhikkhus, just as a man with good eyesight, standing between two houses with doors leading 
inside each, would clearly see people entering, leaving, and roaming in and out of the two 
houses, likewise, with the Divine Eye, that is pure and far superior to that of the human, I see 
beings disappearing and appearing, as they are reborn into inferior and superior states, beautiful 
and ugly, reappearing in good heavenly realms and in miserable hell realms.  
 
“I see clearly and know how beings are reborn as they undergo various experiences all according 
to their actions thus: ‘These beings having done good-intentioned actions with their body, 
speech, and mind, did not disrespect nor spoke ill or blamed the Noble Ones; also, by having and 
developing Right View, they have committed actions based on Right View. As a result, once their 
physical bodies break down, after death, they reappear in a good destination, whether being 
reborn in the heavenly realms or among humans.  
 
Meanwhile, these other beings having done evil-intentioned actions with their body, speech, and 
mind, did not respect and further spoke ill of, while blaming the Noble Ones; instead of 
developing right view, they committed actions stemming from their wrong view. As a result, once 
their physical bodies break down, after death, they reappear in a bad destination, whether being 
reborn in the ghost realms, the animal realms, or in far lower realms, in utter misery, in the 
hells.’  
 
Once there, Bhikkhus, the wardens of hell will grab him by his hands and feet, dragging him to 
meet the King Yāma of the underworld, as they declare: ‘Lord, this person did not honor nor pay 
any respects to their mother and father; he was disrespectful towards recluses and brahmins or 
any of the elders, for he was discourteous and inconsiderate; living a life that sought to separate 
people from each other, being unkind and selfish. May your Highness assign to him the 
punishment he deserves.’ 
 
Then, King Yāma of the underworld cross-questions him, as he interrogates him by asking: ‘You 
sir, did you not see the first divine messenger that showed up among you humans?’  
 
And the man says, ‘Sir, I did not see any messengers!’

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Then, King Yāma of the underworld would ask him, ‘Did you not see a toddler or a baby, who 
has to learn how to stand and walk, and keeps falling down meshed in his own urine and feces?’  
 
Then he replies, ‘Yes Sir, I did see.’ 
 
And King Yāma of the underworld tells him, ‘Well then, being much older and mature than that 
little child, with some common sense, did it not occur to you, ‘Being liable to being born myself, 
seeing that I also am not immune from further rebirth, I should now start doing good actions, 
whether by body, speech, and mind?’  
 
And he would say, ‘Sir, I could not do such actions. I was too busy and negligent.’  
 
King Yāma of the underworld then says, ‘Well, because of your negligence you did not commit 
any good actions and instead, you engaged in evil actions by body, speech, and mind. Now, as a 
result, you will most certainly be punished for these evil actions, which you can see were not 
committed by your mother, father, brother, sister, friends, companions, or blood relatives. 
Similarly, these evil acts were not done by recluses, brahmins or the devas. No, they were all 
done by you and you alone, and therefore, you alone will face their negative results!’ 
 
Bhikkhus, next, King Yāma of the underworld proceeds to interrogate him about the second 
divine messenger, by asking him, ‘You sir, did you not see the second divine messenger that 
showed up among you humans?'  
 
And the man replies, ‘Sir, I did not see the second messenger.’  
 
Then King Yāma of the underworld would ask him, ‘Did you not see among your fellow humans 
a woman or a man, eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old, decayed and bent over like the old 
framework of a roof, going about supporting himself while leaning on a stick, shivering, ill, with 
all signs of youth having left him, with no teeth, grey hair, covered all over with spots on his 
shriveled old skin?’  
 
Then he replies, ‘Yes Sir, I did see.’ 
 
And King Yāma of the underworld tells him, ‘Well then, while already a mature person yourself 
with some common sense, did it not occur to you how: ‘Being liable to old age and decay myself, 
seeing that I also am not immune from getting old, I should now start doing good actions, 
whether by body, speech, and mind?’  
 
To which he responds, ‘Sir, I could not do such actions. I was too busy and negligent.’  
 
King Yāma of the underworld then says, ‘Well, because of your negligence you did not commit 
any good actions and instead, you engaged in evil actions by body, speech, and mind. Now, as a 
result, you will most certainly be punished for these evil actions, which you can see were not 
committed by your mother, father, brother, sister, friends, companions, or blood relatives. 
Similarly, these evil acts were not done by recluses, brahmins or the devas. No, they were all 
done by you and you alone, and therefore, you alone will face their negative results!’

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Next, Bhikkhus, King Yāma of the underworld again interrogates him about the third divine 
messenger, by asking, ‘You sir, did you not see the third divine messenger that showed up among 
you humans?'  
 
And the man replies, ‘Sir, I did not see the third messenger.’  
 
Then King Yāma of the underworld asks him, ‘Did you not see among your fellow humans a 
very sick woman or a man; someone who is covered with a foul odor, drenched in their own 
feces and urine, helplessly dependent on others for care and attention; no longer self-reliant nor 
able to move freely anymore, but entirely dependent on others whether in being lifted or placed 
down?’  
 
And he responds, ‘Yes Sir, I did see.’ 
 
Then King Yāma of the underworld tells him, ‘Well then, while already a mature person yourself 
with some common sense, did it not occur to you how: ‘Being liable to getting sick myself, 
seeing that I also am not immune from being struck down with some illness, I should now start 
doing good actions, whether by body, speech, and mind?’  
 
To which he responds, ‘Sir, I could not do such actions. I was too busy and negligent.’  
 
King Yāma of the underworld then says, ‘Well, because of your negligence you did not commit 
any good actions and instead, you engaged in evil actions by body, speech, and mind. Now, as a 
result, you will most certainly be punished for these evil actions, which you can see were not 
committed by your mother, father, brother, sister, friends, companions, or blood relatives. 
Similarly, these evil acts were not done by recluses, brahmins or the devas. No, they were all 
done by you and you alone, and therefore, you alone will face their negative results!’ 
 
Then, Bhikkhus, King Yāma of the underworld interrogates him further, this time about the 
fourth divine messenger, by asking, ‘You sir, did you not see the fourth divine messenger that 
showed up among you humans?'  
 
As the man replies, ‘Sir, I did not see the fourth messenger.’  
Then King Yāma of the underworld asks him, ‘Did you not see among your fellow humans how, 
once the authorities caught a criminal or a thief, they would expose them to all kinds of 
punishments, such as flogging them with lashes, beating with various kinds of sticks and clubs; 
by cutting off their hands or feet, cutting both hands and feet; by cutting the ears or cutting the 
nose, cutting both ears and the nose; by putting them in the porridge of boiling pot, giving them 
the polished-shell shave, putting them in Rahu's mouth, garlanding them with wet flames, 
burning their hands with a torch, beating them until the body is like straw, hanging them up and 
stretching them out like an antelope’s hide, suspending them on meat hooks, cutting squares out 
of their flesh, burning them in acid, driving a spike from ear to ear and then rotating it, having 
them squat over a blazing straw foot stool, sprinkling boiling oil all over the body, throwing 
them to the hungry and vicious dogs to be devoured, or impaling them on a pole until death, or 
cutting off their head with a sword?’

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And the man responds, ‘Yes Sir, I did see.’ 
 
Then King Yāma of the underworld tells him, ‘Well then, while already a mature person yourself 
with some common sense, did it not occur to you how: ‘If someone who does evil actions in their 
present life could receive such harsh punishments, then what kind of horrific consequences must 
be waiting for them once they leave this body? So, let me now start doing good actions, whether 
by body, speech, and mind?’  
 
And he replies, ‘Sir, I could not do such actions. I was too busy and negligent.’  
 
King Yāma of the underworld then says, ‘Well, because of your negligence you did not commit 
any good actions and instead, you engaged in evil actions by body, speech, and mind. Now, as a 
result, you will most certainly be punished for these evil actions, which you can see were not 
committed by your mother, father, brother, sister, friends, companions, or blood relatives. 
Similarly, these evil acts were not done by recluses, brahmins or the devas. No, they were all 
done by you and you alone, and therefore, you alone will face their negative results!’ 
 
Furthermore, Bhikkhus, King Yāma of the underworld interrogates him once more, this time 
about the fifth divine messenger, by asking, ‘You sir, did you not see the fifth divine messenger 
that showed up among you humans?'  
 
As the man replies, ‘Sir, I did not see the fifth messenger.’  
Then King Yāma of the underworld asks him, ‘Did you not see among your fellow humans 
someone who died, or a corpse that is one, two, or three days’ old, bloated, turned black and 
blue, or festering with worms?’  
And the man responds, ‘Yes Sir, I did see.’ 
 
Then King Yāma of the underworld tells him, ‘Well then, while already a mature person yourself 
with some common sense, did it not occur to you how: ‘Being subject to death myself, seeing that 
I also am not immune from dying as my body turns into such a corpse, I should now start doing 
good actions, whether by body, speech, and mind?’ 
 
And he replies, ‘Sir, I could not do such actions. I was too busy and negligent.’  
 
King Yāma of the underworld then says, ‘Well, because of your negligence you did not commit 
any good actions and instead, you engaged in evil actions by body, speech, and mind. Now, as a 
result, you will most certainly be punished for these evil actions, which you can see were not 
committed by your mother, father, brother, sister, friends, companions, or blood relatives. 
Similarly, these evil acts were not done by recluses, brahmins or the devas. No, they were all 
done by you and you alone, and therefore, you alone will face their negative results!’ 
 
Bhikkhus, at this point, King Yāma of the underworld, having finished his cross-questioning, 
done with his interrogation about the fifth divine messenger, suddenly falls silent and speaks no 
more.

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This is immediately followed by the wardens of hell beginning to inflict unimaginable pain on 
him by punishing him through the “fivefold torture.” Thus, they start by driving two hot iron 
spikes through his two palms, and two other hot spikes through his two feet and a fifth hot iron 
spike through the middle of his chest. But, although he experiences excruciating pain throughout, 
that is so severe and unbearably more than the mind and the body could ever stand, he still does 
not die from it. That is, until the severity of evil actions committed by him is fully dissipated and 
finished. 
Next, the wardens of hell repeatedly hit and strike him, throwing him around as they hammer 
him with heavy blows and start cutting and slashing him up with their large blades. But, 
although he experiences excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe and unbearably more than 
the mind and the body could ever stand, he still does not die from it. That is, until the severity of 
evil actions committed by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
Next, the wardens of hell hang him upside down and ruthlessly start cutting him up with 
hatchets. But, although he experiences excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe and 
unbearably more than the mind and the body could ever stand, he still does not die from it. That 
is, until the severity of evil actions committed by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
Next, the wardens of hell tie him up to a chariot and drag him repeatedly back and forth over an 
uneven ground that is ablaze, as he burns constantly with their unrelenting flames. But, although 
he experiences excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe and unbearably more than the 
mind and the body could ever stand, he still does not die from it. That is, until the severity of evil 
actions committed by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
Next, the wardens of hell force him to ceaselessly climb up and down an immense mountain that 
is completely covered with blazing red-hot coals. But, although he experiences excruciating pain 
throughout, that is so severe and unbearably more than the mind and the body could ever stand, 
he still does not die from it. That is, until the severity of evil actions committed by him is fully 
dissipated and finished. 
Next, the wardens of hell pull and drag him by his feet and throw him face down into a massive 
red-hot copper pot, where he is boiled in its molten scum. While there, he is pushed down to its 
bottom, pulled up again, and churned around in the molten pot. But, although he experiences 
excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe and unbearably more than the mind and the body 
could ever stand, he still does not die from it. That is, until the severity of evil actions committed 
by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
This is followed by the wardens of hell dragging and tossing him into the Great Hell, which has 
four sides, with four immense gates and is divided into two massive sections. 
 
The Great Hell is surrounded by giant iron walls and is covered with a huge iron lid as its roof. 
Even its ground is made of iron, and spreads for seven hundred miles, as it blazes and burns with 
flames continuously, without any rest.

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There are flames that gush out from within these massive iron walls, whereby a fire shoots out 
from the eastern wall of the Great Hell that reaches out to and scorches the western wall. A fire 
shoots out from the western wall that reaches out to and scorches the eastern wall. A fire shoots 
out from the northern wall that reaches out to and scorches the southern wall. A fire shoots out 
from the southern wall that reaches out to and scorches the northern wall. A fire shoots out from 
the bottom that reaches out to and scorches the iron ceiling above, and a fire shoots out down 
from the top, raining down and scorching the vast iron floor, at the bottom. But, although he 
experiences excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe and unbearably more than the mind 
and the body could ever stand, he still does not die from it. That is, until the severity of evil 
actions committed by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
Bhikkhus, after a vast amount of time has elapsed, suddenly he notices how finally the Great 
Hell’s Eastern Gate opens. Seeing this, he rushes towards it with great speed, but as he does so 
he burns his outer skin, his inner skin, his flesh, ligaments, and tendons all burn in the flames, 
where even his bones begin releasing smoke, burning alive as he does on his mad dash for 
escape. Yet, although having suffered so much to have gotten that far, even if he gets close to it, 
the immense gate is again slammed shut, as he finds himself yet again trapped inside the Great 
Hell. But, although he experiences excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe and unbearably 
more than the mind and the body could ever stand, he still does not die from it. That is, until the 
severity of evil actions committed by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
Further, Bhikkhus, after a vast amount of time has elapsed, suddenly he notices how finally the 
Great Hell’s Western Gate opens. Seeing this, he rushes towards it with great speed, but as he 
does so he burns his outer skin, his inner skin, his flesh, ligaments, and tendons all burn in the 
flames, where even his bones begin releasing smoke, burning alive as he does on his mad dash 
for escape. Yet, although having suffered so much to have gotten that far, even if he gets close to 
it, the immense gate is again slammed shut, as he finds himself yet again trapped inside the Great 
Hell. But, although he experiences excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe and unbearably 
more than the mind and the body could ever stand, he still does not die from it. That is, until the 
severity of evil actions committed by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
Further, Bhikkhus, after a vast amount of time has elapsed, suddenly he notices how finally the 
Great Hell’s Northern Gate opens. Seeing this, he rushes towards it with great speed, but as he 
does so he burns his outer skin, his inner skin, his flesh, ligaments, and tendons all burn in the 
flames, where even his bones begin releasing smoke, burning alive as he does on his mad dash 
for escape. Yet, although having suffered so much to have gotten that far, even if he gets close to 
it, the immense gate is again slammed shut, as he finds himself yet again trapped inside the Great 
Hell. But, although he experiences excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe and unbearably 
more than the mind and the body could ever stand, he still does not die from it. That is, until the 
severity of evil actions committed by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
Further, Bhikkhus, after a vast amount of time has elapsed, suddenly he notices how finally the 
Great Hell’s Southern Gate opens. Seeing this, he rushes towards it with great speed, but as he 
does so he burns his outer skin, his inner skin, his flesh, ligaments, and tendons all burn in the 
flames, where even his bones begin releasing smoke, burning alive as he does on his mad dash 
for escape. Yet, although having suffered so much to have gotten that far, even if he gets close to

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it, the immense gate is again slammed shut, as he finds himself yet again trapped inside the Great 
Hell. But, although he experiences excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe and unbearably 
more than the mind and the body could ever stand, he still does not die from it. That is, until the 
severity of evil actions committed by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
But eventually, Bhikkhus, after a vast amount of time has elapsed, suddenly he notices how 
finally the Great Hell’s Eastern Gate opens again. Seeing this, he rushes towards it with great 
speed, but as he does so he burns his outer skin, his inner skin, his flesh, ligaments, and tendons 
all burn in the flames, where even his bones begin releasing smoke, burning alive as he does on 
his mad dash for escape. This time, however, he finds himself outside the enormous gate of the 
Great Hell.  
But right next to the Great Hell, he quickly notices that, although now being outside of it, he 
finds himself within the vast Hell of Feces, which he falls into. He quickly discovers how he is 
overwhelmed by countless beings that are ferociously digging into his flesh with their needle-
like mouths, piercing his outer skin, his inner skin, and after ravaging his flesh, going for the 
ligaments, tendons, nerves, and even tearing into his bones as they reach into and start devouring 
his bone marrow. But, although he experiences excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe 
and unbearably more than the mind and the body could ever stand, he still does not die from it. 
That is, until the severity of evil actions committed by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
Now Bhikkhus, parallel to and together with the Hell of Feces is found the Hell of Hot Coals and 
Ashes as they rain upon him. This is where he falls into next. But, although he experiences 
excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe and unbearably more than the mind and the body 
could ever stand, he still does not die from it. That is, until the severity of evil actions committed 
by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
Further, Bhikkhus, parallel to and together with the Hell of Hot Coals, where hot ashes rain, is 
found the Simbali Forest, the Hell Forest of Red Silk-Cottonwood, where each tree is more than 
seven miles in height. They are covered with sharp, flesh-tearing thorns that extend out to sixteen 
inches, burning and ablaze with flames. And as the wardens continuously force him to climb up 
these trees, he suffers much while being mangled by these thorns from all sides. But, although he 
experiences excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe and unbearably more than the mind 
and the body could ever stand, he still does not die from it. That is, until the severity of evil 
actions committed by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
Further, Bhikkhus, parallel to and together with the Simbali forest is the Hell Forest of Sword-
Leaf Wood. And as soon as he rushes into it, the sharp sword-like leaves blown by the wind fall 
upon his body from all sides, cutting his feet, cutting his hands, both his feet and hands together, 
his ears, his nose, both his ears and nose together. But, although he experiences excruciating pain 
throughout, that is so severe and unbearably more than the mind and the body could ever stand, 
he still does not die from it. That is, until the severity of evil actions committed by him is fully 
dissipated and finished. 
Further, Bhikkhus, parallel to and together with the Simbali forest is the Great River of Acid 
Hell, which he falls into next. There, he is carried mercilessly upstream and downstream, as he is

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swept by the currents within it, burning alive in its caustic waters. But, although he experiences 
excruciating pain throughout, that is so severe and unbearably more than the mind and the body 
could ever stand, he still does not die from it. That is, until the severity of evil actions committed 
by him is fully dissipated and finished. 
Then, the wardens of hell reach in and pull him out with a hook, and after dropping him onto dry 
ground they ask him, ‘You there, what is it you desire?’  
 
And he cries out, ‘Sir, I’m hungry!’ 
At this, the wardens of hell forcefully pry his mouth wide with hot iron spikes as they shove into 
his mouth burning red-hot and flaming iron balls. These burn his lips, his whole mouth, throat, 
chest, stomach, the intestines, the lower intestines, and finally burrow and burn their way out of 
his body, dragging behind them his entrails. But, although he experiences excruciating pain 
throughout, that is so severe and unbearably more than the mind and the body could ever stand, 
he still does not die from it. That is, until the severity of evil actions committed by him is fully 
dissipated and finished. 
Then, the wardens of hell ask him further, ‘You there, what is it you desire?’ 
And he cries out to them, ‘Sir, I'm thirsty!’ 
And again, the wardens of hell forcefully pry his mouth wide with hot iron spikes as they pour 
burning and blazing molten copper into his mouth. This burns his lips, his whole mouth, throat, 
chest, stomach, the intestines, the lower intestines, and finally gushes out as it burns its way out 
of his body, dragging his entrails behind it. But, although he experiences excruciating pain 
throughout, that is so severe and unbearably more than the mind and the body could ever stand, 
he still does not die from it. That is, until the severity of evil actions committed by him is fully 
dissipated and finished. 
Afterwards, the wardens of hell drag him and eventually toss him back into the Great Hell.  
 
Some time ago, Bhikkhus, King Yāma of the Under World began reflecting: “Those who do 
horrible and evil actions in the world, inevitably do face their consequences in the form of all 
these punishments. Oh! My wish is that I may be reborn one day as a human being, and I wish 
that during that lifespan, a Tathāgata may appear, a Perfectly Awakened One, into the world! Oh, 
I so wish that I may encounter and pay my respects to such a Buddha, attending to Him, as He 
teaches me and I learn from Him, as I come to know and directly understand the Dhamma He 
teaches.  
“Bhikkhus, you must know this full-well, that I do not say this having heard it from another 
source, or as some other recluse or brahmin’s account.  
This, Bhikkhus, is what I have personally witnessed; having known it myself by seeing and 
realizing it directly that I now speak these words to you.” 
 
Having spoken thus about the hells, the Blessed One continued by adding these words:

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“Those heedless human beings living in negligence, 
Despite being repeatedly warned by the divine messengers 
Grieve for such a long time, as they reappear in lower births 
Finding only punishment and torture 
In one miserable realm after another.  
 
But those heedful human beings who live peacefully within themselves 
The worthy ones who leave ignorance behind, 
Heeding the warnings of the divine messengers, 
Live with diligence, never neglecting the Noble Dhamma. 
 
They see danger in the drive to grab and hold, 
For those are the source of birth, death and becoming, 
And as a result, release themselves by giving up and relinquishing 
While destroying both birth and death. 
 
They are the ones who live appeased and contented, 
They rest secured, while being extinguished here, in this very life. 
Finally safe, and gone beyond the reach of all terrors and dangers, 
Never to be touched by suffering, ever again.” 
 
Sadhu    Sadhu    Sadhu
