1On one occasion a certain bhikkhu was dwelling among the Kosalans in a certain woodland thicket. sn.i.198 Now on that occasion when that bhikkhu had gone for his day's abiding he fell asleep. [n.534] Spk: It is said that this bhikkhu was an arahant. After returning from a distant alms round he was fatigued and lay down to rest, but he did not actually fall asleep (even though the text says he did!). Thinking that he was lethargic and was neglecting his meditation practice, the devata came to reprove him. Then the devata that inhabited that woodland thicket, having compassion for that bhikkhu, desiring his good, desiring to stir up a sense of urgency in him, approached him and addressed him in verses:

2v.761 "Get up, bhikkhu, why lie down?
What need do you have for sleep?
What slumber can there be for one afflicted,
Stricken, pierced by the dart?

3v.762 "Nurture in yourself that faith
With which you left behind the home life
And went forth into homelessness:
Don’t come under sloth's control."

The bhikkhu: [n.535] is unsure whether to ascribe the verses that follow to the devatā or to the bhikkhu and therefore proposes two alternative interpretations. All four printed eds. indicate a change of voice before this verse, and thus I translate on the assumption that the bhikkhu is the speaker. Further, Spk takes the implicit subject of tape to be divāsoppaṁ, and explains the sense: “Why should sleeping by day trouble an arahant bhikkhu?”; but as the optative tape can be either second or third person singular, it seems more fitting to take the implicit subject to be the devatā, addressed by the elder in the second person: “Why (should you) trouble…?”

4v.763 "Sensual pleasures are impermanent, unstable,
Though the dullard is enthralled with them.
When he's free, detached among those bound,
Why trouble one gone forth?

5v.764 "When, by the removal of desire and lust
And the transcendence of ignorance,
That knowledge has been cleansed,
Why trouble one gone forth? [n.536] Spk: "That knowledge" (taṁ ñāṇaṁ) is the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths. In pāda a of the next verse I read bhetva with Se and Ee1 & 2, as against chetva in Be.

6v.765 "When, by breaking ignorance with knowledge
And by destruction of the taints,
He is sorrowless, beyond despair,
Why trouble one gone forth?

7v.766 "When he is energetic and resolute,
Always firm in his exertion,
Aspiring to attain Nibbāna,
Why trouble one gone forth?" [n.537] It seems that while the preceding two verses describe the arahant, this verse describes the sekha, the trainee, who is still striving to attain Nibbāna.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ aññataro bhikkhu kosalesu vihārati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe. Tena kho pana samayena so bhikkhu divāvihāragato supati. Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno anukampikā atthakāmā taṁ bhikkhuṁ saṁvejetukāmā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

2"Uṭṭhehi bhikkhu kiṁ sesi,
ko attho supitena te;
Āturassa hi kā niddā,
sallaviddhassa ruppato.

3Yāya saddhāya pabbajito,
agārasmānagāriyaṁ;
Tameva saddhāṁ brūhehi,
mā niddāya vasaṁ gamī"ti.

4"Aniccā addhuvā kāmā,
yesu mandova mucchito;
Baddhesu muttaṁ asitaṁ,
kasmā pabbajitaṁ tape.

5Chandarāgassa vinayā,
avijjāsamatikkamā;
Taṁ ñāṇaṁ paramodānaṁ,
kasmā pabbajitaṁ tape.

6Chetvā avijjāṁ vijjāya,
āsavānaṁ parikkhayā;
Asokaṁ anupāyāsaṁ,
kasmā pabbajitaṁ tape.

7Āraddhavīriyaṁ pahitattaṁ,
Niccaṁ daḷhaparakkamaṁ;
Nibbānaṁ abhikaṅkhantaṁ,
Kasmā pabbajitaṁ tape"ti.