Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
Tena kho pana samayena kokāliko bhikkhu ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.
Now at that time the mendicant Kokālika was sick, suffering, gravely ill.
Atha kho turū paccekabrahmā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena kokāliko bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vehāsaṁ ṭhito kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:
Then, late at night, the glorious independent divinity Tudu, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the mendicant Kokālika, and standing in the air he said to him,
“pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ.
“Kokālika, have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,
Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.
they’re good monks.”
“Kosi tvaṁ, āvuso”ti?
“Who are you, reverend?”
“Ahaṁ turū paccekabrahmā”ti.
“I am Tudu the independent divinity.”
“Nanu tvaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā anāgāmī byākato, atha kiñcarahi idhāgato?
“Didn’t the Buddha declare you a non-returner? So what then are you doing back here?
Passa, yāvañca te idaṁ aparaddhan”ti.
See how far you have strayed!”
“Purisassa hi jātassa,
“A man is born
kuṭhārī jāyate mukhe;
with an axe in his mouth.
Yāya chindati attānaṁ,
A fool cuts themselves with it
bālo dubbhāsitaṁ bhaṇaṁ.
when they say bad words.
Yo nindiyaṁ pasaṁsati,
When you praise someone worthy of criticism,
Taṁ vā nindati yo pasaṁsiyo;
or criticize someone worthy of praise,
Vicināti mukhena so kaliṁ,
you choose a losing hand with your own mouth:
Kalinā tena sukhaṁ na vindati.
you’ll never find happiness that way.
Appamattako ayaṁ kali,
A losing hand at dice is a trivial thing,
Yo akkhesu dhanaparājayo;
if all you lose is your money
Sabbassāpi sahāpi attanā,
and all you own, even yourself.
Ayameva mahantataro kali;
What’s a really terrible hand
Yo sugatesu manaṁ padosaye.
is to hate the holy ones.
Sataṁ sahassānaṁ nirabbudānaṁ,
For a hundred thousand times a hundred million,
Chattiṁsati pañca ca abbudāni;
times five hundred and thirty-six times a thousand times ten million years
Yamariyagarahī nirayaṁ upeti,
a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell,
Vācaṁ manañca paṇidhāya pāpakan”ti.
having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.”
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
At Sāvatthī.
Now at that time the mendicant Kokālika was sick, suffering, gravely ill.
Then, late at night, the glorious independent divinity Tudu, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the mendicant Kokālika, and standing in the air he said to him,
“Kokālika, have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,
they’re good monks.”
“Who are you, reverend?”
“I am Tudu the independent divinity.”
“Didn’t the Buddha declare you a non-returner? So what then are you doing back here?
See how far you have strayed!”
“A man is born
with an axe in his mouth.
A fool cuts themselves with it
when they say bad words.
When you praise someone worthy of criticism,
or criticize someone worthy of praise,
you choose a losing hand with your own mouth:
you’ll never find happiness that way.
A losing hand at dice is a trivial thing,
if all you lose is your money
and all you own, even yourself.
What’s a really terrible hand
is to hate the holy ones.
For a hundred thousand times a hundred million,
times five hundred and thirty-six times a thousand times ten million years
a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell,
having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.”
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
Tena kho pana samayena kokāliko bhikkhu ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.
Atha kho turū paccekabrahmā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena kokāliko bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vehāsaṁ ṭhito kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:
“pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ.
Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.
“Kosi tvaṁ, āvuso”ti?
“Ahaṁ turū paccekabrahmā”ti.
“Nanu tvaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā anāgāmī byākato, atha kiñcarahi idhāgato?
Passa, yāvañca te idaṁ aparaddhan”ti.
“Purisassa hi jātassa,
kuṭhārī jāyate mukhe;
Yāya chindati attānaṁ,
bālo dubbhāsitaṁ bhaṇaṁ.
Yo nindiyaṁ pasaṁsati,
Taṁ vā nindati yo pasaṁsiyo;
Vicināti mukhena so kaliṁ,
Kalinā tena sukhaṁ na vindati.
Appamattako ayaṁ kali,
Yo akkhesu dhanaparājayo;
Sabbassāpi sahāpi attanā,
Ayameva mahantataro kali;
Yo sugatesu manaṁ padosaye.
Sataṁ sahassānaṁ nirabbudānaṁ,
Chattiṁsati pañca ca abbudāni;
Yamariyagarahī nirayaṁ upeti,
Vācaṁ manañca paṇidhāya pāpakan”ti.