1At Sāvatthī. Now on that occasion King Pasenadi of Kosala had eaten a bucket measure of rice and curries. [n.229] Be: doṇapākakuraṁ; Se and Ee1: doṇapākasudaṁ; Ee2: doṇapākaṁ sudaṁ. Spk: He ate rice cooked from a doṇa of rice grains along with suitable soups and curries. The doṇa is a measure of volume, perhaps a "bucket," obviously far more than the capacity of an ordinary person's stomach. Then, while still full, huffing and puffing, the king approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side.

2Then the Blessed One, having understood that King Pasenadi was full and was huffing and puffing, on that occasion recited this verse:

4Now on that occasion the brahmin youth Sudassana was standing behind King Pasenadi of Kosala. The king then addressed him thus: "Come now, dear Sudassana, learn this verse from the Blessed One and recite it to me whenever I am taking my meal. I will then present you daily with a hundred kahāpaṇas as a perpetual grant." [n.230] The kahāpaṇa was the standard currency unit of the period. See Singh, Life in North-Eastern India, pp. 255–57.

"Yes, sire," the brahmin youth Sudassana replied. Having learned this verse from the Blessed One, whenever King Pasenadi was taking his meal the brahmin youth Sudassana recited:

6Then King Pasenadi of Kosala gradually reduced his intake of food to at most a pint-pot measure of boiled rice. [n.231] Spk says that the naḷika, which I render pint-pot (after Burlingame), is the proper portion for a man; I could not find any source specifying the relation between doṇa and naḷika. Spk explains that the Buddha had instructed Sudassana to recite the verse, not when the king began his meal, but when he approached the end. In this way each day the king gradually left aside the last portion of food until he reached the proper measure.
A more elaborate version of the story is at Dhp-a III 264–66, where it serves as the background to Dhp 325; see BL 3:76–77. In this version the king's advisor is Prince Uttarā rather than the brahmin youth Sudassana. At a later time, when his body had become quite slim, King Pasenadi of Kosala stroked his limbs with his hand and on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: "The Blessed One showed compassion towards me in regard to both kinds of good—the good pertaining to the present life and that pertaining to the future life." [n.232] Spk: The good pertaining to the present life was the slimming of the body; the good pertaining to the future was virtue (sīla), one aspect of which is moderation in eating. See SN3:17.

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena rājā pasenadi kosalo doṇapākakuraṁ bhuñjati. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhuttāvī mahassāsī yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

2Atha kho bhagavā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhuttāviṁ mahassāsiṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

4Tena kho pana samayena sudassano māṇavo rañño pasenadissa kosalassa piṭṭhito ṭhito hoti. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo sudassanaṁ māṇavaṁ āmantesi: "ehi tvaṁ, tāta sudassana, bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ pariyāpuṇitvā mama bhattābhihāre bhattābhihāre bhāsa. Ahañca te devasikaṁ kahāpaṇasataṁ kahāpaṇasataṁ niccaṁ bhikkhaṁ pavattayissāmī"ti.

"Evaṁ, devā"ti kho sudassano māṇavo rañño pasenadissa kosalassa paṭissutvā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ pariyāpuṇitvā rañño pasenadissa kosalassa bhattābhihāre sudaṁ bhāsati:

6Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo anupubbena nāḷikodanaparamatāya saṇṭhāsi. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo aparena samayena susallikhitagatto pāṇinā gattāni anumajjanto tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi: "ubhayena vata maṁ so bhagavā atthena anukampi – diṭṭhadhammikena ceva atthena samparāyikena cā"ti.