Dhammapada Verse 15
Cundasukarika Vatthu
Idha socati pecca socati
papakari ubhayattha socati
so socati so vihannati
disva kammakilitthamattano.
Verse 15: Here he grieves, hereafter he grieves; the evil-doer
grieves in both existences. He grieves and he suffers anguish when he sees the
depravity of his own deeds.
The Story of Cundasukarika
While residing at the Veluvana monastery in Rajagaha, the Buddha uttered
Verse (15) of this book, with reference to Cunda, the pork-butcher.
Once, in a village not far away from the Veluvana monastery, there lived a
very cruel and hard-hearted pork-butcher, by the name of Cunda. Cunda was a
pork-butcher for over fifty-five years; all this time he had not done a single
meritorious deed. Before he died, he was in such great pain and agony that he
was grunting and squealing and kept on moving about on his hands and knees like
a pig for seven whole days. In fact, even before he died, he was suffering as if
he were in Niraya*. On the seventh day, the pork-butcher died and was reborn in
Avici Niraya. Thus, the evil-doer must always suffer for the evil deeds done by
him; he suffers in this world as well as in the next.
In this connection, the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
| Verse 15: Here he grieves, hereafter he grieves; the evil-doer
grieves in both existences. He grieves and he suffers anguish when he
sees the depravity of his own deeds. |
* Niraya or Naraka: a place of continuous torment sometimes
compared with hell; but it is different from hell because suffering in Niraya is
not everlasting like suffering in hell. Avici Niraya is the most fearful of all
Nirayas.