[510] Bhikkhus, when King Yama has questioned, pressed, and cross-examined him about the third divine messenger (devadūta), he questions, presses, and cross-examines him about the fourth divine messenger: 'Good man, did you not see the fourth divine messenger appearing among human beings?'
He says: 'I did not see him, venerable sir.'
Then, bhikkhus, King Yama says to him: 'Good man, did you not see among human beings kings, having seized a robber, a wrongdoer, inflicting on him various punishments (kammakāraṇā): flogging him with whips, beating him with canes, beating him with short clubs; cutting off his hand, cutting off his foot, cutting off both hand and foot; cutting off his ear, cutting off his nose, cutting off both ear and nose; subjecting him to the "gruel-pot" (bilaṅgathālika), to the "polished-shell shave" (saṅkhamuṇḍika), to "Rāhu's mouth" (rāhumukha), to the "garland of fire" (jotimālika), to the "flaming hand" (hatthapajjotika), to the "grass-blade twist" (erakavattika), to the "bark-garment" (cīrakavāsika), to the "antelope" (eṇeyyaka), to the "flesh on hooks" (baḷisamaṃsika), to the "coins" (kahāpaṇaka), to the "lye-pickling" (khārāpatacchika), to the "pivoting pin" (palighaparivattika), to the "straw pallet" (palālapīṭhaka); dousing him with boiling oil, having him devoured by dogs, impaling him alive upon a stake, and cutting off his head with a sword?'
He says: 'I saw it, venerable sir.'
Then, bhikkhus, King Yama says to him: 'Good man, being intelligent and mature, did it not occur to you: "Indeed, those who do evil deeds have such various punishments inflicted upon them in this very life—how much more, then, in the life to come! Come now, let me do good by body, by speech, and by mind"?'
He says: 'I was not able, venerable sir; I was negligent, venerable sir.'
Then, bhikkhus, King Yama says to him: 'Good man, through negligence you did not do good by body, by speech, and by mind. Truly, good man, they will deal with you in a way that accords with that negligence of yours. But this evil deed of yours was not done by your mother, not done by your father, not done by your brother, not done by your sister, not done by friends and companions, not done by kinsmen and blood-relatives, not done by ascetics and brahmins, not done by deities: this evil deed was done by you yourself, and you yourself will experience its result.'
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.