1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Then, when the night had advanced, a number of devatas belonging to the Satullapa host, of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One. [n.59] Spk explains that these devas were called satullapakayika ("belonging to the extolling-of-the-good group") because they had been reborn in heaven as a result of extolling the Dhamma of the good by way of undertaking it (Spk-pṭ: that is, the Dhamma of the good which consists of going for refuge, taking the precepts, etc.).
The background story is as follows: Once a merchant ship with a crew of seven hundred men, while crossing the sea, was beset by a terrible storm. As the ship sank, the crew members, praying frantically to their gods, noticed one of their number sitting calmly, cross-legged "like a yogi," free from fear. They asked him how he could remain so calm, and he explained that as he had undertaken the Three Refuges and Five Precepts he had no reason for fear. They requested the same from him, and after dividing them into seven groups of a hundred each he gave each group in turn the refuges and precepts, completing the procedure just as the ship was swallowed up by the sea. As the fruit of this final deed of merit, all the men were immediately reborn in the Tāvatiṁsa heaven in a single group with their leader at the head. Recognizing that they had attained such fortune through their leader's kindness, they came to the Blessed One's presence to speak praise of him. Having approached, they paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side. sn.i.17

Then one devata, standing to one side, recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

2v.78 "One should associate only with the good;
With the good one should foster intimacy.
Having learnt the true Dhamma of the good,
One becomes better, never worse."

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3v.79 Then five other devatas in turn recited their verses in the presence of the Blessed One:

4v.80 "One should associate only with the good;
With the good one should foster intimacy.
Having learnt the true Dhamma of the good,
Wisdom is gained, but not from another." [n.60] Spk: Just as oil is not to be obtained from sand, so wisdom is not gained from another, from the blind fool; but just as oil is obtained from sesamum seeds, so one gains wisdom by learning the Dhamma of the good and by following a wise person.

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6v.81 "One should associate only with the good;
With the good one should foster intimacy.
Having learnt the true Dhamma of the good,
One does not sorrow in the midst of sorrow."

8v.82 "One should associate only with the good;
With the good one should foster intimacy.
Having learnt the true Dhamma of the good,
One shines amidst one's relations."

10v.83 "One should associate only with the good;
With the good one should foster intimacy.
Having learnt the true Dhamma of the good,
Beings fare on to a good destination."

12v.84 "One should associate only with the good;
With the good one should foster intimacy.
Having learnt the true Dhamma of the good,
Beings abide comfortably." [n.61] I take sātataṁ to be an accusative adverb from the abstract noun of sata. Spk, however, takes it as an adverb from sātata, "continually," which seems less satisfactory.

13Then another devata said to the Blessed One: "Which one, Blessed One, has spoken well?"

14"You have all spoken well in a way. [n.62] Pariyayena. Spk glosses karaṇena, "for a reason," which does not help much. I understand the purport to be that their verses are only provisionally correct, acceptable from a mundane point of view. The Buddha’s verse is definitive (nippariyayena) because it points to the ultimate goal. See the contrast of pariyayena and nippariyayena at AN IV 449–54. But listen to me too: sn.i.18

15"One should associate only with the good;
With the good one should foster intimacy.
Having learnt the true Dhamma of the good,
One is released from all suffering."

16This is what the Blessed One said. Elated, those devatas paid homage to the Blessed One and, keeping him on the right, they disappeared right there.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho sambahulā satullapakāyikā devatāyo abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu.

Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho ekā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

2"Sabbhireva samāsetha,
sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ;
Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya,
seyyo hoti na pāpiyo"ti.

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3Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

4"Sabbhireva samāsetha,
sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ;
Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya,
paññā labbhati nāññato"ti.

5Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

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6"Sabbhireva samāsetha,
sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ;
Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya,
sokamajjhe na socatī"ti.

7Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

8"Sabbhireva samāsetha,
sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ;
Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya,
ñātimajjhe virocatī"ti.

9Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

10"Sabbhireva samāsetha,
sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ;
Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya,
sattā gacchanti suggatin"ti.

11Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

12"Sabbhireva samāsetha,
sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ;
Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya,
sattā tiṭṭhanti sātatan"ti.

13Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "kassa nu kho, bhagavā, subhāsitan"ti?

14"Sabbāsaṁ vo subhāsitaṁ pariyāyena, api ca mamapi suṇātha –

15Sabbhireva samāsetha,
sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ;
Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya,
sabbadukkhā pamuccatī"ti.

16Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamanā tā devatāyo bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyiṁsūti.