1At Sāvatthī. Now on that occasion a great sacrifice had been set up for King Pasenadi of Kosala. Five hundred bulls, five hundred bullocks, five hundred heifers, sn.i.76 five hundred goats, and five hundred rams had been led to the pillar for the sacrifice. And his slaves, servants, and workers, spurred on by punishment and fear, were busy making the preparations, wailing with tearful faces.[n.213] Spk relates the background story, also found (in greater detail) at Dhp-a II 1–12; see BL 2:100–7 and Ja No. 314. In brief: The king had become infatuated with a married woman and planned to have her husband killed so that he could take his wife. One night, unable to sleep, he heard eerie cries of inexplicable origin. The next day, when he anxiously asked his brahmin chaplain to explain the meaning, the priest told him that the voices portended his imminent death, which he could avert only by performing a great sacrifice. When the king later inquired from the Buddha about the voices, the Buddha told him these were the cries of adulterers boiling in a cauldron in the great hell.

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena rañño pasenadissa kosalassa mahāyañño paccupaṭṭhito hoti, pañca ca usabhasatāni pañca ca vacchatarasatāni pañca ca vacchatarisatāni pañca ca ajasatāni pañca ca urabbhasatāni thūṇūpanītāni honti yaññatthāya. Yepissa te honti dāsāti vā pessāti vā kammakarāti vā, tepi daṇḍatajjitā bhayatajjitā assumukhā rudamānā parikammāni karonti.

2Then, in the morning, a number of bhikkhus dressed and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms. When they had walked for alms in Sāvatthī and had returned from their alms round, after the meal they approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said: "Here, venerable sir, a great sacrifice has been set up for King Pasenadi of Kosala. Five hundred bulls … have been led to the pillar for the sacrifice. And his slaves … are busy making preparations, wailing with tearful faces."

2Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pavisiṁsu. Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: "idha, bhante, rañño pasenadissa kosalassa mahāyañño paccupaṭṭhito hoti, pañca ca usabhasatāni pañca ca vacchatarasatāni pañca ca vacchatarisatāni pañca ca ajasatāni pañca ca urabbhasatāni thūṇūpanītāni honti yaññatthāya. Yepissa te honti dāsāti vā pessāti vā kammakarāti vā, tepi daṇḍatajjitā bhayatajjitā assumukhā rudamānā parikammāni karontī"ti.

3Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, on that occasion recited these verses:

3Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi: 

4v.393 "The horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,
Sammapasa, vajapeyya, niraggaḷa:
These great sacrifices, fraught with violence,
Do not bring great fruit.[n.214] The sacrifices are also referred to at It 21,12–17, and their origin related at Sn 299–305. Spk explains that in the times of the ancient kings the first four sacrifices were actually the four bases of beneficence (saṅgahavatthu)—giving, pleasant speech, beneficent conduct, and equality of treatment—by means of which the kings conferred benefits on the world. But during the time of King Okkaka the brahmins reinterpreted the bases of beneficence (which they augmented to five) as bloody sacrifices involving slaughter and violence.
n pāda c, I include mahayañña, found in Se and Ee2 but absent from Be and Ee1. Spk explains māhārambha as mahakicca mahakaraṇiya, "great activities, great duties," which Spk-pṭ clarifies: bahupasughatakamma, "the action of slaughtering many animals."

4"Assamedhaṁ purisamedhaṁ,
sammāpāsaṁ vājapeyyaṁ;
Niraggaḷaṁ mahārambhā,
na te honti mahapphalā.

5v.394 "The great seers of right conduct
Do not attend that sacrifice
Where goats, sheep, and cattle
Of various kinds are slain.

5Ajeḷakā ca gāvo ca,
vividhā yattha haññare;
Na taṁ sammaggatā yaññaṁ,
upayanti mahesino.

6v.395 "But when sacrifices free from violence
Are always offered by family custom,[n.215] Yajanti anukulaṁ sada. Spk-pṭ explains anukulaṁ as kulanugataṁ, "what has come down in the family (as family tradition)." Spk: The regular meal offering that was started by people earlier—this the people give in uninterrupted succession through the generations.
Where no goats, sheep, or cattle
Of various kinds are slain:
The great seers of right conduct
Attend a sacrifice like this.

6Ye ca yaññā nirārambhā,
yajanti anukulaṁ sadā;
Ajeḷakā ca gāvo ca,
vividhā nettha haññare;
Etaṁ sammaggatā yaññaṁ,
upayanti mahesino.

7v.396 "The wise person should offer this,
A sacrifice bringing great fruit.
For one who makes such sacrifice
It is indeed better, never worse.
Such a sacrifice is truly vast
And the devatas too are pleased."

7Etaṁ yajetha medhāvī,
eso yañño mahapphalo;
Etañhi yajamānassa,
seyyo hoti na pāpiyo;
Yañño ca vipulo hoti,
pasīdanti ca devatā"ti.