Dhammapada verse 310
Chapter 22, Hell (Nirayavagga) · verses 306–319
“He accrues wickedness and is reborn in a bad place, all so a frightened couple <j>may snatch a moment’s pleasure, for which rulers impose a heavy punishment. That’s why a man should not <j>sleep with another’s wife.”
Apuññalābho ca gatī ca pāpikā, Bhītassa bhītāya ratī ca thokikā; Rājā ca daṇḍaṁ garukaṁ paṇeti, Tasmā naro paradāraṁ na seve.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 310 mean?
Verse 310 belongs to chapter 22, Hell (Nirayavagga), which gathers verses 306–319 on the destination of the guilty. It is filed under good & evil. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 309 and verse 311 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.
More verses on this