1Abhūtavādī nirayaṁ upeti,
A liar goes to hell,
2Yo vāpi katvā na karomi cāha;
as does one who denies what they did.
3Ubhopi te pecca samā bhavanti,
Both are equal in the hereafter,
4Nihīnakammā manujā parattha.
those men of base deeds.
5Kāsāvakaṇṭhā bahavo,
Many who wear a scrap of ocher cloth
6pāpadhammā asaññatā;
are unrestrained and wicked.
7Pāpā pāpehi kammehi,
Being wicked, they are reborn in hell
8nirayaṁ te upapajjare.
due to their bad deeds.
9Seyyo ayoguḷo bhutto,
It’d be better for the immoral and unrestrained
10tatto aggisikhūpamo;
to eat an iron ball,
11Yañce bhuñjeyya dussīlo,
scorching, like a burning flame,
12raṭṭhapiṇḍamasaññato.
than to eat the nation’s alms.
13Cattāri ṭhānāni naro pamatto,
Four things befall a heedless man
14Āpajjati paradārūpasevī;
who sleeps with another’s wife:
15Apuññalābhaṁ na nikāmaseyyaṁ,
wickedness, poor sleep,
16Nindaṁ tatīyaṁ nirayaṁ catutthaṁ.
ill-repute, and rebirth in hell.
17Apuññalābho ca gatī ca pāpikā,
He accrues wickedness and is reborn in a bad place,
18Bhītassa bhītāya ratī ca thokikā;
all so a frightened couple <j>may snatch a moment’s pleasure,
19Rājā ca daṇḍaṁ garukaṁ paṇeti,
for which rulers impose a heavy punishment.
20Tasmā naro paradāraṁ na seve.
That’s why a man should not <j>sleep with another’s wife.
21Kuso yathā duggahito,
When kusa grass is wrongly grasped
22hatthamevānukantati;
it only cuts the hand.
23Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,
So too, the ascetic life, when wrongly taken,
24nirayāyupakaḍḍhati.
drags you to hell.
25Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,
Any lax act,
26saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;
any corrupt observance,
27Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,
or suspicious spiritual life,
28na taṁ hoti mahapphalaṁ.
is not very fruitful.
29Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,
If one is to do what should be done,
30daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;
one should staunchly strive.
31Sithilo hi paribbājo,
For the life gone forth when laxly led
32bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.
just stirs up dust all the more.
33Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,
A bad deed is better left undone,
34pacchā tappati dukkaṭaṁ;
for it will plague you later on.
35Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,
A good deed is better done,
36yaṁ katvā nānutappati.
one that does not plague you.
37Nagaraṁ yathā paccantaṁ,
As a frontier city
38guttaṁ santarabāhiraṁ;
is guarded inside and out,
39Evaṁ gopetha attānaṁ,
so you should ward yourselves—
40khaṇo vo mā upaccagā;
don’t let the moment pass you by.
41Khaṇātītā hi socanti,
For if you miss your moment
42nirayamhi samappitā.
you’ll grieve when sent to hell.
43Alajjitāye lajjanti,
Unashamed of what is shameful,
44lajjitāye na lajjare;
ashamed of what is not shameful;
45Micchādiṭṭhisamādānā,
beings who uphold wrong view
46sattā gacchanti duggatiṁ.
go to a bad place.
47Abhaye bhayadassino,
Seeing danger where there is none,
48bhaye cābhayadassino;
and blind to the actual danger,
49Micchādiṭṭhisamādānā,
beings who uphold wrong view
50sattā gacchanti duggatiṁ.
go to a bad place.
51Avajje vajjamatino,
Seeing fault where there is none,
52vajje cāvajjadassino;
and blind to the actual fault,
53Micchādiṭṭhisamādānā,
beings who uphold wrong view
54sattā gacchanti duggatiṁ.
go to a bad place.
55Vajjañca vajjato ñatvā,
Knowing a fault as a fault
56avajjañca avajjato;
and the faultless as faultless,
57Sammādiṭṭhisamādānā,
beings who uphold right view
58sattā gacchanti suggatiṁ.
go to a good place.