Devaduta Sutta: Messengers of the Gods | Calm Mind

Devaduta Sutta: The Divine Messengers and the Urgency of Practicing Good

Introduction

    The Devaduta Sutta (The Messengers of the Gods) is a powerful teaching from the Buddha that serves as a warning against engaging in unwholesome deeds. It reminds us that life is short, and the consequences of our actions are inescapable. Many people believe they have time to change, to be better, to start practicing Dhamma but the truth is, time is running out. The Devaduta Sutta urges us to stop sinning and cultivate virtue immediately, before it's too late.

• Numbered Discourses 3.36
• 
  
• Messengers of the Gods

“There are, mendicants, these three messengers of the gods. What three?

Firstly, someone does bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. The wardens of hell take them by the arms and present them to King Yama, saying: ‘Your Majesty, this person did not pay due respect to their mother and father, ascetics and brahmins, or honor the elders in the family. May Your Majesty punish them!’

Then King Yama pursues, presses, and grills them about the first messenger of the gods: ‘Mister, did you not see the first messenger of the gods that appeared among human beings?’

They say, ‘I saw nothing, sir.’

King Yama says to them, ‘Mister, did you not see among human beings an elderly woman or a man eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old bent double, crooked, leaning on a staff, trembling as they walk, ailing, past their prime, with teeth broken, hair grey and scanty or bald, skin wrinkled, and limbs blotchy?’

They say, ‘I saw that, sir.’

King Yama says to them, ‘Mister, did it not occur to you being sensible and mature “I, too, am liable to grow old. I’m not exempt from old age. I’d better do good by way of body, speech, and mind”?’

They say, ‘I couldn’t, sir. I was negligent.’

King Yama says to them, ‘Mister, because you were negligent, you didn’t do good by way of body, speech, and mind. Indeed, they’ll definitely punish you to fit your negligence. That bad deed wasn’t done by your mother, father, brother, or sister. It wasn’t done by friends and colleagues, by relatives and kin, by the deities, or by ascetics and brahmins. That bad deed was done by you alone, and you alone will experience the result.’

Then King Yama grills them about the second messenger of the gods: ‘Mister, did you not see the second messenger of the gods that appeared among human beings?’

They say, ‘I saw nothing, sir.’ King Yama says to them, ‘Mister, did you not see among human beings a woman or a man, sick, suffering, gravely ill, collapsed in their own urine and feces, being picked up by some and put down by others?’

They say, ‘I saw that, sir.’

King Yama says to them, ‘Mister, did it not occur to you being sensible and mature “I, too, am liable to become sick. I’m not exempt from sickness. I’d better do good by way of body, speech, and mind”?’

They say, ‘I couldn’t, sir. I was negligent.’

King Yama says to them, ‘Mister, because you were negligent, you didn’t do good by way of body, speech, and mind. Well, they’ll definitely punish you to fit your negligence. That bad deed wasn’t done by your mother, father, brother, or sister. It wasn’t done by friends and colleagues, by relatives and kin, by the deities, or by ascetics and brahmins. That bad deed was done by you alone, and you alone will experience the result.’

Then King Yama grills them about the third messenger of the gods: ‘Mister, did you not see the third messenger of the gods that appeared among human beings?’

They say, ‘I saw nothing, sir.’

King Yama says to them, ‘Mister, did you not see among human beings a woman or a man, dead for one, two, or three days, bloated, livid, and festering?’

They say, ‘I saw that, sir.’

King Yama says to them, ‘Mister, did it not occur to you being sensible and mature “I, too, am liable to die. I’m not exempt from death. I’d better do good by way of body, speech, and mind”?’

They say, ‘I couldn’t, sir. I was negligent.’

King Yama says to them, ‘Mister, because you were negligent, you didn’t do good by way of body, speech, and mind. Well, they’ll definitely punish you to fit your negligence. That bad deed wasn’t done by your mother, father, brother, or sister. It wasn’t done by friends and colleagues, by relatives and kin, by the deities, or by ascetics and brahmins. That bad deed was done by you alone, and you alone will experience the result.’

After grilling them about the third messenger of the gods, King Yama falls silent. The wardens of hell punish them with the five-fold crucifixion. They drive red-hot stakes through the hands and feet, and another in the middle of the chest. And there they suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings  but they don’t die until that bad deed is eliminated.

The wardens of hell throw them down and hack them with axes. …

They hang them upside-down and hack them with hatchets. …

They harness them to a chariot, and drive them back and forth across burning ground, blazing and glowing. …

They make them climb up and down a huge mountain of burning coals, blazing and glowing. …

The wardens of hell turn them upside down and throw them in a red-hot copper pot, burning, blazing, and glowing. There they’re seared in boiling scum, and they’re swept up and down and round and round. And there they suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings but they don’t die until that bad deed is eliminated. The wardens of hell toss them into the Great Hell.

Now, about that Great Hell:

‘Four are its corners, four its doors,neatly divided in equal parts.Surrounded by an iron wall,of iron is its roof.

The ground is even made of iron,it burns with fierce fire.The heat forever radiatesa hundred leagues around.’

Once upon a time, King Yama thought, ‘Those who do such bad deeds in the world receive these many different punishments. Oh, I hope I may be reborn as a human being! And that a Realized One a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha arises in the world! And that I may pay homage to the Buddha! Then the Buddha can teach me Dhamma, so that I may understand his teaching.’

Now, I don’t say this because I’ve heard it from some other ascetic or brahmin. I only say it because I’ve known, seen, and realized it for myself.

When warned by the gods’ messengers,those people who are negligentsorrow for a long timewhen they go to that wretched place.

When warned by the gods’ messengers,the good and true persons here,never neglectthe teaching of the Noble One.

Seeing the peril in grasping,the origin of birth and death,the unattached are freedwith the ending of birth and death.

Happy, they’ve come to a safe place,quenched in this very life.They’ve gone beyond all threats and perils,and risen above all suffering.”

Understanding the Devaduta Sutta

The Devaduta Sutta is found in the Anguttara Nikaya (Numerical Discourses 3.36). It tells the story of a person who, after committing evil deeds, is taken by the wardens of hell to King Yama, the ruler of the afterlife. There, King Yama interrogates them about whether they saw the divine messengers old age, sickness, and death  during their life. When they admit they ignored these warnings, they are condemned to hell, where they face severe punishment for their past misdeeds.

The First Divine Messenger – Old Age

King Yama asks the sinner, “Did you not see old people bent over, trembling, with grey hair and wrinkled skin?” The sinner admits to seeing them but failed to reflect on their own inevitable aging. This negligence led them to live a reckless life, not preparing for the consequences of their actions.

The Second Divine Messenger – Sickness

Next, King Yama asks, “Did you not see people suffering from sickness, helpless and in pain?” Again, the sinner confesses to witnessing illness but ignoring its warning. They did not consider that they too would fall sick and suffer one day.

The Third Divine Messenger – Death

Finally, King Yama asks, “Did you not see the dead, bloated and lifeless?” The sinner saw death many times but never took it as a sign to change their ways. Because of their negligence, they now face the full force of their karma.

Consequences of Ignoring the Divine Messengers

Those who ignore these messengers are bound for great suffering. The wardens of hell carry out punishments that match the severity of their sins, showing that karma is personal no one else can take responsibility for our actions.

The Urgency to Stop Sinning and Accumulate Merit

Since old age, sickness, and death can strike at any moment, there is no time to delay practicing Dhamma. The Buddha emphasizes that we must act now to cultivate good karma by practicing generosity, morality, and meditation.

The Path to Becoming a ‘Sappurisa’ (A Noble Person)

A Sappurisa is someone who follows the Noble Eightfold Path right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. This path purifies the mind and leads to true happiness.

The Devaduta Sutta in Modern Life

Today, we still encounter the divine messengers. Seeing elderly parents, sick relatives, or attending funerals should remind us of impermanence. We must use these moments to reflect and start living a virtuous life.

Conclusion – Take Action Before It’s Too Late

The Devaduta Sutta is a wake-up call. Life is fleeting, and delaying good deeds can lead to immense suffering. Let us abandon sin and walk the path of wisdom, kindness, and mindfulness before our time runs out.

FAQs

1. What is the main message of the Devaduta Sutta?
   It teaches that old age, sickness, and death are warnings for us to live virtuously.

2. Why does King Yama question the sinner?
   To remind them that they ignored the warnings and are now facing the results of their actions.

3. How can we avoid the fate described in the Sutta?
   By practicing morality, generosity, and meditation regularly.

4. What are some practical ways to accumulate merit?
   By helping others, speaking kindly, following precepts, and developing mindfulness.

5. Can we change our karma by starting good deeds now?
   Yes, our future is shaped by our present actions begin practicing Dhamma today!

Namo Buddhaya!