1At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that devata spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi: 

2v.24 "There is no affection like that for a son,
No wealth equal to cattle,
There is no light like the sun,
Among the waters the ocean is supreme."[n.22] Spk: There is no affection like that for oneself because people, even if they discard their parents and neglect to care for their children, still care for themselves (cf. sn3.8 p4). There is no wealth equal to grain because people, when famished, will give away gold and silver and other assets in order to obtain grain. There is no light like wisdom because wisdom can illumine the ten-thousandfold world system and dispel the darkness concealing the three periods of time, which even the sun cannot do. Among the waters the rain is supreme because if the rainfall were to be cut off even the great ocean would dry up, but when the rain continues to pour down the world becomes one mass of water even up to the Abhassara deva world.

The Blessed One:

3v.25 "There is no affection like that for oneself,
No wealth equal to grain,
There is no light like wisdom,
Among the waters the rain is supreme."