1At Sāvatthī. Then, when the night had advanced, the young deva Tayana, formerly the founder of a religious sect, of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One.[n.153] Spk explains "religious sect" (tittha) as the sixty-two views (of the Brahmajala Sutta, DN No. 1). If he founded a sect based on one of these views, how could he have been reborn in heaven? Because he affirmed the doctrine of kamma and did many virtuous deeds. When he was reborn in heaven, he recognized the emancipating quality of the Buddha’s dispensation and came into the Master's presence in order to recite verses in praise of energy conformable with the dispensation. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One, stood to one side, and recited these verses in the presence of the Blessed One:

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho tāyano devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho tāyano devaputto bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi: 

2v.271 "Having exerted oneself, cut the stream!
Dispel sensual desires, O brahmin!
Without having abandoned sensual desires,
A sage does not reach unity.[n.154] in pāda a, parakkamma is an absolutive, not an imperative, and hence in sense should precede chinda sotaṁ. Parakkama, the corresponding noun, is the third member of a set of three terms denoting successive stages in the development of energy: arambhadhātu, nikkamadhātu, parakkamadhātu; at SN46.2, 46:51 they have been translated "the element of arousal, the element of endeavour, the element of exertion."

3v.272 "If one would do what should be done,
One should firmly exert oneself.
For a slack wanderer's life
Only scatters more dust.

4v.273 "Better left undone is the misdeed,
A deed that later brings repentance.
Better done is the good deed
Which when done is not repented.

5v.274 "As kusa-grass, wrongly grasped,
Only cuts one's hand,
So the ascetic life, wrongly taken up,
Drags one down to hell.

6v.275 "Any deed that is slackly done,
Any corrupted vow,
A holy life that breeds suspicion,
Does not yield great fruit."[n.155] Spk explains saṅkassaraṁ in pāda c as saṅkaya saritaṁ, "remembered with suspicion": "It is subject to such doubt and suspicion, ‘He must have done this, he must have done that.’"

7This is what the young deva Tayana said. Having said this, he paid homage to the Blessed One and, keeping him on the right, he disappeared right there.

7Idamavoca tāyano devaputto; idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.

8Then, when the night had passed, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus, last night, when the night had advanced, the young deva Tayana, formerly the founder of a religious sect … … approached me … and in my presence recited these verses:

8Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi: "imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ tāyano nāma devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto mama santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi: 

9–13 "‘Having exerted oneself, cut the stream! … sn.i.50 …
Does not yield great fruit.’

9‘Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,
kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;
Nappahāya munī kāme,
nekattamupapajjati.

10Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,
daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;
Sithilo hi paribbājo,
bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.

11Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,
pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;
Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,
yaṁ katvā nānutappati.

12Kuso yathā duggahito,
hatthamevānukantati;
Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,
nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.

13Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,
saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;
Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,
na taṁ hoti mahapphalan’ti.

14"This is what the young deva Tayana said. Having said this, he paid homage to me and, keeping me on the right, he disappeared right there. Learn Tayana's verses, bhikkhus. Master Tayana's verses, bhikkhus. Remember Tayana's verses, bhikkhus. Tayana's verses are beneficial, bhikkhus, they pertain to the fundamentals of the holy life."

14Idamavoca, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto, idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi. Uggaṇhātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā; pariyāpuṇātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā; dhāretha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā. Atthasaṁhitā, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā ādibrahmacariyikā"ti.