經律異相 21.31

21.31

The Bhagavat was in the city of Śrāvastī, at the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada's park. He addressed the monks, "There are four great Nirayas (hells). First, the great Niraya of Tiṣya: flames issuing from his body are twenty cubits long. Second, the great Niraya of Kokālika: flames issuing from his body are thirty cubits long. Third, the great Niraya of Devadatta: flames issuing from his body are forty cubits long. Fourth, the great Niraya of Maskarin: flames issuing from his body are sixty cubits long. If there are people who, wishing to seek relief [for him] and obtain a breeze for him, were to pour the water of twenty great oceans upon his body, that ocean water would be exhausted and the fire still not extinguished. It is like molten copper: if someone were to pour twenty ocean drops of water onto molten copper, the water drops would vanish instantly, yet the flames of the monk Tiṣya would not be extinguished. If there were someone who wished to seek relief [for him] and achieve its purpose, and again poured twenty great oceans of water upon his body, that water would vanish swiftly. The monk Tiṣya, a foolish man, hindered the monastic Saṅgha so that they were unable to eat for a day; this caused the monk Tiṣya to enter the great hell. As for the monk Kokālika, if someone wished to bring him relief and achieve its purpose, pouring ocean water upon his body, that ocean water would vanish swiftly. It is like copper that has been melted for two days: if someone puts [the water of] thirty oceans into the molten copper, it is completely consumed. Kokālika the monk was a foolish man; if someone were to arise wishing to bring him relief, and poured thirty great oceans of water upon his body, the water of the great oceans would vanish swiftly. Kokālika the monk, a foolish man, slandered the monks Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana, and when his body broke up at the end of life, he was born in the three evil destinies, falling into the Padma hell. The monk Kokālika entered the great Niraya. As for the great Niraya of Devadatta, if someone wished to bring him relief, and again poured forty great oceans of water upon his body, those great oceans would vanish swiftly, yet that fire would not be extinguished. It is like copper that has been melted for three days: if someone puts forty drops of water into the molten copper, it is instantly consumed without remainder. Devadatta was a foolish man; if someone were to arise wishing to bring him relief, pouring forty great oceans of water upon his body, that ocean water would vanish swiftly, yet that fire would not be extinguished. Why is this? Devadatta, a foolish man, wished to harm the Tathāgata, killed an arhat nun, and brought discord and ruin to the monastic Saṅgha; when his body broke up at the end of life, he was born into the three evil destinies, in the Avīci hell. The monk Devadatta entered the great hell, and flames issuing from his body are forty cubits long. Monks, as for the great Niraya of Maskarin: if someone wished to bring him relief and poured sixty great oceans of water upon his body, the ocean water would vanish swiftly, yet that fire would not be extinguished. It is like copper that has been melted for four days: if someone puts sixty drops of water into the molten copper, it is instantly consumed. Maskarin is just like this: if one pours sixty great oceans of water upon his body, the great ocean water vanishes swiftly, but this fire is not extinguished. This Maskarin, a foolish man, taught a hundred koṭis of people, causing them to practice wrong views." (Extracted from the *Sūtra on the Four Nirayas*)