The three evil destinies are elements of the overall scheme of the five destinies. The world in Abhidharma literature is described by them and by the three realms, but their origin is unclear. This paper examines the earliest passage about the three evil destinies in the Dharmaskandha. As a result, the following four points were identified. First, the earliest reference to the three evil destinies in the Dharmaskandha is identified in a citation of the Āgama that mentions the four avetyaprasāda 四證浄. Second, this reference includes the passege “to expound this hell, this animal realm, this realm of hungry ghosts, this dangerous, this evil destiny and this fall.” Furthermore, they are referred to in terms of practice, not in terms of the three realms and five destinies, and may be interpreted in connection with the stream-enterer （śrotāpanna）. Finally, the passage “dangerous, this evil destiny and this fall 嶮惡趣坑” is quoted in the Jñānaprasthāna and interpreted in the Abhidharmamahāvibhāṣa. But there are many interpretations. Hence it can be assumed that there was no fixed interpretation.
