Dhammapada verse 306
Chapter 22, Hell (Nirayavagga) · verses 306–319
“A liar goes to hell, as does one who denies what they did. Both are equal in the hereafter, those men of base deeds.”
Abhūtavādī nirayaṁ upeti, Yo vāpi katvā na karomi cāha; Ubhopi te pecca samā bhavanti, Nihīnakammā manujā parattha.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 306 mean?
Verse 306 belongs to chapter 22, Hell (Nirayavagga), which gathers verses 306–319 on the destination of the guilty. It is filed under no theme. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 305 and verse 307 are part of the same passage.
Fourteen verses on the destination of the person who denies what they have done. The chapter is heavy and deliberately so: it describes the judgement that follows the person who wronged someone without cause, and it is one of the places where the Dhammapada is least interested in consolation.