Sāvatthiyaṃ. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti. “Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṃ. Bhagavā etadavoca: 

“Bhūtapubbaṃ, bhikkhave, asurā deve abhiyaṃsu. Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṃ devaputtaṃ āmantesi: ‘ete, tāta susīma, asurā deve abhiyanti. Gaccha, tāta susīma, asure paccuyyāhī’ti. ‘Evaṃ, bhaddantavā’ti kho, bhikkhave, susīmo devaputto sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā pamādaṃ āpādesi. Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṃ devaputtaṃ āmantesi … pe … dutiyampi pamādaṃ āpādesi. Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṃ devaputtaṃ āmantesi … pe … tatiyampi pamādaṃ āpādesi. Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṃ devaputtaṃ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

‘Anuṭṭhahaṃ avāyāmaṃ,
sukhaṃ yatrā­dhi­gacchati;
Susīma tattha gacchāhi,
mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.

‘Alasvassa anuṭṭhātā,
na ca kiccāni kāraye;
Sabba­kāma­samid­dhassa,
taṃ me sakka varaṃ disā’ti.

‘Yatthālaso anuṭṭhātā,
accantaṃ sukhamedhati;
Susīma tattha gacchāhi,
mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.

‘Akammunā devaseṭṭha,
sakka vindemu yaṃ sukhaṃ;
Asokaṃ anupāyāsaṃ,
taṃ me sakka varaṃ disā’ti.

‘Sace atthi akammena,
koci kvaci na jīvati;
Nibbānassa hi so maggo,
susīma tattha gacchāhi;
Mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.

So hi nāma, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sakaṃ puññaphalaṃ upajīvamāno devānaṃ tāvatiṃsānaṃ issa­riyā­dhi­paccaṃ rajjaṃ kārento uṭṭhā­na­vīriyassa vaṇṇavādī bhavissati. Idha kho taṃ, bhikkhave, sobhetha, yaṃ tumhe evaṃ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajitā samānā uṭṭhaheyyātha ghaṭeyyātha vāyameyyātha appattassa pattiyā, anadhigatassa adhigamāya, asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.