1Then, when the night had advanced, a certain deity of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, stood to one side, and said:

1Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

"Bhante, these six qualities lead to the non-decline of a bhikkhu. What six? Reverence for the Teacher, reverence for the Dhamma, reverence for the Saṅgha, reverence for the training, being easy to correct, and good friendship. These six qualities lead to the non-decline of a bhikkhu."

"chayime, bhante, dhammā bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattanti. Katame cha? Satthugāravatā, dhammagāravatā, saṅghagāravatā, sikkhāgāravatā, sovacassatā, kalyāṇamittatā – ime kho, bhante, cha dhammā bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattantī"ti.

This is what that deity said. The Teacher agreed. Then that deity, thinking, "The Teacher agrees with me," paid homage to the Blessed One, circumambulated him keeping the right side toward him, and disappeared right there.

Idamavoca sā devatā. Samanuñño satthā ahosi. Atha kho sā devatā "samanuñño me satthā"ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.

2Then, when the night had passed, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Last night, bhikkhus, when the night had advanced, a certain deity of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta's Grove, approached me, paid homage to me, stood to one side, and said: ‘Bhante, there are these six qualities that lead to the non-decline of a bhikkhu. What six? Reverence for the Teacher … and good friendship. These are the six things that lead to the non-decline of a bhikkhu.’ This is what that deity said. Having said this, that deity paid homage to me, circumambulated me keeping the right side toward me, and disappeared right there."

2Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi:  "imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho, bhikkhave, sā devatā maṁ etadavoca:  ‘chayime, bhante, dhammā bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattanti. Katame cha? Satthugāravatā, dhammagāravatā, saṅghagāravatā, sikkhāgāravatā, sovacassatā, kalyāṇamittatā – ime kho, bhante, cha dhammā bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattantī’ti. Idamavoca, bhikkhave, sā devatā. Idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī"ti.

3When this was said, the Venerable Sāriputta said to the Blessed One:

3Evaṁ vutte āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā etadavoca: 

"Bhante, I understand in detail the meaning of this statement that the Blessed One has spoken in brief to be as follows. Here, Bhante, (1) a bhikkhu himself reveres the Teacher and speaks in praise of reverence for the Teacher; he encourages other bhikkhus who do not revere the Teacher to develop reverence for the Teacher and, at the proper time, genuinely and truthfully, he speaks praise of those bhikkhus who revere the Teacher. (2) He himself reveres the Dhamma … (3) … reveres the Saṅgha … (4) … reveres the training … (5) … is easy to correct … (6) … has good friends and speaks in praise of good friendship; he encourages other bhikkhus who do not have good friends to enter upon good friendship and, at the proper time, genuinely and truthfully, he speaks praise of those bhikkhus who have good friends. It is in such a way, Bhante, that I understand in detail the meaning of this statement that the Blessed One has spoken in brief."

"imassa kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi. Idha, bhante, bhikkhu attanā ca satthugāravo hoti satthugāravatāya ca vaṇṇavādī. Ye caññe bhikkhū na satthugāravā te ca satthugāravatāya samādapeti. Ye caññe bhikkhū satthugāravā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena. Attanā ca dhammagāravo hoti … saṅghagāravo hoti … sikkhāgāravo hoti … suvaco hoti … kalyāṇamitto hoti kalyāṇamittatāya ca vaṇṇavādī. Ye caññe bhikkhū na kalyāṇamittā te ca kalyāṇamittatāya samādapeti. Ye caññe bhikkhū kalyāṇamittā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena. Imassa kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmī"ti.

4The Blessed One said: "Good, good, Sāriputta! It is good that you understand in detail the meaning of this statement that I have spoken in brief in such a way.

4"Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, sāriputta, imassa mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāsi.

"Here, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu himself reveres the Teacher … as above, in full … he speaks praise of those bhikkhus who have good friends. It is in such a way that the meaning of this statement that I spoke in brief should be understood in detail."

Idha, sāriputta, bhikkhu attanā ca satthugāravo hoti satthugāravatāya ca vaṇṇavādī. Ye caññe bhikkhū na satthugāravā te ca satthugāravatāya samādapeti. Ye caññe bhikkhū satthugāravā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena. Attanā ca dhammagāravo hoti … saṅghagāravo hoti … sikkhāgāravo hoti … suvaco hoti … kalyāṇamitto hoti kalyāṇamittatāya ca vaṇṇavādī. Ye caññe bhikkhū na kalyāṇamittā te ca kalyāṇamittatāya samādapeti. Ye caññe bhikkhū kalyāṇamittā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena. Imassa kho, sāriputta, mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo"ti.

Pañcamaṁ.