ເທວະທູດ ໝາຍເຖິງ ສື່ແຈ້ງຂ່າວມະຣຶຕະຍູ ເປັນສັນຍານທີ່ເຕືອນໃຫ້ລະນຶກເຖິງຄະຕິທໍາມະດາຂອງຊີວິດ ບໍ່ໃຫ້ປະໝາດ ໄດ້ແກ່ ຄວາແກ່, ຄວາມເຈັບ ແລະຄວາມຕາຍ ປາກົດເໝືອນເທວະດາຊົງເຄື່ອງປະດັບມາຍືນໃນອາກາດແລ້ວເຕືອນວ່າ “ວັນນັ້ນ ທ່ານຈັກຕາຍ”. ພະພຸດທະເຈົ້າຊົງສະແດງທໍາເລື່ອງເທວະທູຕະສູດນີ້ແກ່ເຈົ້າພິກຂຸທັງຫຼາຍທີ່ວັດເຊະຕວັນ ເມືອງສາວັດຖີ ຊົງຕັດວ່າ ພະພຸດທະອົງເຫັນສັດທັງຫຼາຍກໍາລັງຈຸຕິ, ກໍາລັງອຸບັດ, ຫຍາບ, ປານີດ, ມີຜິວພັນດີ, ມີຜີວພັນຫຍາບ, ໄດ້ດີ, ຕົກຍາກ ດ້ວຍທິບພະຈັກຂຸອັນບໍລິສຸດ ລ່ວງຈັກຂຸຂອງມະນຸດ ຍ່ອມຊາບຊັດເຊິ່ງໝູ່ສັດເຫຼົ່ານັ້ນຜູ້ທີ່ປະກອບກໍາດີ ເມື່ອຕາຍໄປ ຍ່ອມໄປອຸບັດໃນໂລກສະຫວັນ ຜູ້ທີ່ປະກອບກໍາຊົ່ວຍອມເຂົ້າເຖິງອະບາຍ ທຸຄະຕິ ວິນິບາດ ແລະນະຮົກ. ຊົງຕັດເຖິງນາຍນິລະຍະບານ ຜູ້ທໍາໜ້າທີ່ລົງໂທດສັດນະຮົກ, ທີ່ຈັບໄປສະແດງແກ່ພະຍາຍົມ, ພະຍາຍົມຜູ້ທໍາໜ້າສອບສວນແລະຕັດສິນລົງໂທດສັດນະຮົກ. ຄໍາລົງທ້າຍ: ລານທີ່ ໒໘ ໜ້າ ໑: ຈຸນລະສັງກາດຣາຊາໄດ້ ໒໔໗໔ ກົດສະງ້າ ເດືອນ ໘ ແຮມ ໘ ຄໍ່າ ວັນ ໑ ຍາມກອງງາຍ ໝາຍມີ ແມ່ອອກເປັ້ງ ບ້ານຢູ່ເທິງວັດໃໝ່ແລະລູກເຕົ້າພີ່ນ້ອງຊູ່ຄົນ ພ້ອມກັນໃສໃຈແຈ້ງສະຫວ່າງຮຸ່ງເຮືອງ ໃນພະພຸດທະສາສະໜາ ພະເຈົ້າໂຄຕະມະເຮົາດຽວນີ້ ຈິ່ງພ້ອມກັນສ້າງໜັງສືເທວະທູດຕະສູດ ມັດນີ້ ໄວ້ກັບສາສະໜາ ຂໍໃຫ້ໄດ້ດັ່ງຄໍາມັກຄໍາປາດຖະໜາ ທຸກສິ່ງທຸກອັນ ຕາບຕໍ່ເທົ້າເຂົ້າ ນີຣະພານ ແດ່ກໍຂ້າເທີ້ນ ສາທຸ ສາທຸ ອະນຸໂມທາມິ.
Devaduta means the midia conveying the deadly news. It is a signal that reminds us of the common mottos of life not to be careless, namely old age, sickness and death appearing as if an angel with ornaments stood in the air, warning that “that day you will die”. The Buddha preached a sermon on this Devadutasutta to his disciples at the Jetavana monastery in Savatthi. Saying that, I – by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human – see beings passing away and re-appearing, and I discern how they are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their actions. Those who have good actions, after death, will appear in the heavenly world. Those who have bad actions will have re-appeared in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell. The Buddha said about the hell-wardents who punish the hell-being, present the hell-being to King Yama. King Yama makes the investigation and judgment to the hell-being. Colophon: Folio 28 on the recto side: Chunlasangkatrasa 2474, a kot sanga year, the eighth day of the waxing moon of the eighth lunar month, the first day of the week (Sunday), [the writing was accomplished] at the time of kòng ngai (between 7.30–9.00 o’clock). Mae-òk Peng who lives in a house which is located at the above side of Vat Mai and her children had the glorious faith in the Teachings of Gotama Buddha, they all sponsored the making of this manuscript [entitled] Thevathuttasut, this bundle, to support the Teachings of the Buddha. May all our wishes come true to last until we attain Nibbāna. Amen, amen, we rejoice!.
Extent: 1 palm-leaf manuscript containing 26 leaves.
Size and dimensions of original material: Hight 4.4 cm, width 55.5 cm, depth 1.1 cm.
Condition of original material: Good.
Alternative calendar and date: Lao, BE 2474, a kot sanga year
Author(s)/Creator(s): Unidentified.
Scribe(s): Unidentified.
Original institution reference: Manuscript Box no. 4.
