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SN 56.43PTS SN 5.4501 min read

The Great Scorching

Mahāpariḷāhasutta

The Buddha speaks of a hell called the great inferno, and points out that those who do not understand the four noble truths fall into a still fiercer inferno.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 56.43Linked Discourses 56.43
  • 0.25. Papātavagga5. A Cliff

0.3MahāpariḷāhasuttaThe Great Scorching

1.1PTS 5.451“Atthi, bhikkhave, mahāpariḷāho nāma nirayo.“Mendicants, there is a hell called ‘The Great Scorching’.11.2Tattha yaṁ kiñci cakkhunā rūpaṁ passati, aniṭṭharūpaññeva passati no iṭṭharūpaṁ; akantarūpaññeva passati no kantarūpaṁ; amanāparūpaññeva passati no manāparūpaṁ.There, whatever sight you see with your eye is unlikable, not likable; undesirable, not desirable; unpleasant, not pleasant.21.3Yaṁ kiñci sotena saddaṁ suṇāti …pe…Whatever sound you hear … Whatever odor you smell … Whatever flavor you taste …1.4yaṁ kiñci kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusati …pe…Whatever touch you feel …1.5yaṁ kiñci manasā dhammaṁ vijānāti, aniṭṭharūpaññeva vijānāti no iṭṭharūpaṁ; akantarūpaññeva vijānāti no kantarūpaṁ; amanāparūpaññeva vijānāti no manāparūpan”ti.Whatever idea you know with your mind is unlikable, not likable; undesirable, not desirable; unpleasant, not pleasant.”

2.1Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha,2.2“mahā vata so, bhante, pariḷāho, sumahā vata so, bhante, pariḷāho.“Sir, that scorching really is mighty, so very mighty.2.3Atthi nu kho, bhante, etamhā pariḷāhā añño pariḷāho mahantataro ceva bhayānakataro cā”ti?Is there any other scorching more mighty and terrifying than this one?”

2.4“Atthi kho, bhikkhu, etamhā pariḷāhā añño pariḷāho mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti.“There is, mendicant.”

3.1“Katamo pana, bhante, etamhā pariḷāhā añño pariḷāho mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti?“But sir, what is it?”

3.2“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti …pe…“Mendicants, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.3.3‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti …pe…They take pleasure in choices that lead to rebirth …3.4abhiratā …pe… abhisaṅkharonti …pe…They continue to make such choices …3.5abhisaṅkharitvā jātipariḷāhenapi pariḍayhanti, jarāpariḷāhenapi pariḍayhanti, maraṇapariḷāhenapi pariḍayhanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsapariḷāhenapi pariḍayhanti.Having made such choices, they burn with the scorching of rebirth, old age, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.3.6Te na parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi.They’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.3.7‘Na parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.They’re not freed from suffering, I say.

4.1PTS 5.452Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti.There are ascetics and brahmins who truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.4.2Te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti …pe…They don’t take pleasure in choices that lead to rebirth …4.3anabhiratā …pe… nābhisaṅkharonti …pe…They stop making such choices …4.4anabhisaṅkharitvā jātipariḷāhenapi na pariḍayhanti, jarāpariḷāhenapi na pariḍayhanti, maraṇapariḷāhenapi na pariḍayhanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsapariḷāhenapi na pariḍayhanti.Having stopped making such choices, they don’t burn with the scorching of rebirth, old age, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.4.5Te parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi.They’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.4.6‘Parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.They’re freed from suffering, I say.

5.1Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.That’s why you should practice meditation …”

5.2Tatiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. Elsewhere, mahāpariḷāha describes the intense scorching of a pit of burning coals (MN 75:15.10).

    ↩ sn56.43:1.1
  2. This description also at SN 35.135:1.4.

    ↩ sn56.43:1.2