1On one occasion a number of bhikkhus were dwelling among the Kosalans in a certain woodland thicket. They were restless, puffed up, personally vain, rough-tongued, sn.i.204 rambling in their talk, muddle-minded, without clear comprehension, unconcentrated, scatter-brained, loose in their sense faculties. Then the devata that inhabited that woodland thicket, having compassion for those bhikkhus, desiring their good, desiring to stir up a sense of urgency in them, approached them and addressed them with verses:

2v.791 "In the past the bhikkhus lived happily,
The disciples of Gotama.
Without wishes they sought their alms,
Without wishes they used their lodgings.
Having known the world's impermanence,
They made an end to suffering.

3v.792 "But now like headmen in a village
They make themselves hard to maintain.
They eat and eat and then lie down,
Infatuated in others’ homes.

4v.793 "Having reverently saluted the Saṅgha,
I here speak only about some:
They are rejected, without protector,
Become just like the dead.

5v.794 "My statement is made with reference
To those who dwell in negligence.
As for those who dwell in diligence,
To them I humbly pay homage."

6Then those bhikkhus, stirred up by that devata, acquired a sense of urgency.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā bhikkhū kosalesu vihāranti aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe uddhatā unnaḷā capalā mukharā vikiṇṇavācā muṭṭhassatino asampajānā asamāhitā vibbhantacittā pākatindriyā. Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ anukampikā atthakāmā te bhikkhū saṁvejetukāmā yena te bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā te bhikkhū gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

2"Sukhajīvino pure āsuṁ,
bhikkhū gotamasāvakā;
Anicchā piṇḍamesanā,
anicchā sayanāsanaṁ;
Loke aniccataṁ ñatvā,
dukkhassantaṁ akaṁsu te.

3Dupposaṁ katvā attānaṁ,
gāme gāmaṇikā viya;
Bhutvā bhutvā nipajjanti,
parāgāresu mucchitā.

4Saṅghassa añjaliṁ katvā,
idhekacce vadāmahaṁ;
Apaviddhā anāthā te,
yathā petā tatheva te.

5Ye kho pamattā vihāranti,
te me sandhāya bhāsitaṁ;
Ye appamattā vihāranti,
namo tesaṁ karomahan"ti.

6Atha kho te bhikkhū tāya devatāya saṁvejitā saṁvegamāpādunti.