Dhammapada verse 315
Chapter 22, Hell (Nirayavagga) · verses 306–319
“As a frontier city is guarded inside and out, so you should ward yourselves— don’t let the moment pass you by. For if you miss your moment you’ll grieve when sent to hell.”
Nagaraṁ yathā paccantaṁ, guttaṁ santarabāhiraṁ; Evaṁ gopetha attānaṁ, khaṇo vo mā upaccagā; Khaṇātītā hi socanti, nirayamhi samappitā.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 315 mean?
Verse 315 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 314 and verse 316 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.