Verse 165: By oneself indeed is evil done and by oneself is one defiled; by oneself is evil not done and by oneself is one purified. Purity and impurity depend entirely on oneself; no one can purify another.

The Story of Culakala Upasaka

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (165) of this book, with reference to Culakala, a lay disciple.

Culakala, a lay disciple, observed the Uposatha precepts on a certain sabbath day and spent the night at the Jetavana monastery, listening to religious discourses all through the night. Early in the morning, as he was washing his face at the pond near the monastery, some thieves dropped a bundle near him. The owners seeing him with the stolen property took him for a thief and beat him hard. Fortunately some slave girls who had come to fetch water testified that they knew him and that he was not the thief. So Culakala was let off.

When the Buddha was told about it, he said to Culakala, “You have been let off not only because the slave girls said that you were not the thief but also because you did not steal and was therefore innocent. Those who do evil go to niraya, but those who do good are reborn in the deva worlds or else realize Nibbana.”

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 165: By oneself indeed is evil done and by oneself is one defiled; by oneself is evil not done and by oneself is one purified. Purity and impurity depend entirely on oneself; no one can purify another.

At the end of the discourse Culakala the lay disciple attained Sotapatti Fruition.

Dhammapada Verse 165
Culakala Upasaka Vatthu

Attana hi katam pipam
attana samkilissati
attana akatam papam
attanava visujjhati
suddhi asuddhi paccattam
nanno annanam visodhaye.

Source: Tipitaka