1.1“Punāparaṁ yadā homi,“Then again when I was1.2mahāpakkho mahiddhiko;of great retinue and psychic power,1.3Dhammo nāma mahāyakkho,a great spirit named Dhamma,1.4sabbalokānukampako.I had sympathy for the whole world.

2.1Dasakusalakammapathe,Establishing the populace2.2samādapento mahājanaṁ;in the ten ways of skillful deeds,2.3Carāmi gāmanigamaṁ,I wandered from village to town,2.4samitto saparijjano.with friends and associates.

3.1Pāpo kadariyo yakkho,A wicked, miserly spirit3.2dīpento dasa pāpake;promoting the ten wicked ways3.3Sopettha mahiyā carati,was also wandering the earth3.4samitto saparijjano.with friends and associates.

4.1Dhammavādī adhammo ca,The righteous and unrighteous,4.2ubho paccanikā mayaṁ;we were each other’s foe.4.3Dhure dhuraṁ ghaṭṭayantā,Slamming chariot poles,4.4samimhā paṭipathe ubho.we collided together.

5.1Kalaho vattatī bhesmā,A dreadful quarrel ensued5.2kalyāṇapāpakassa ca;between the good and the ill,5.3Maggā okkamanatthāya,a great war loomed5.4mahāyuddho upaṭṭhito.aiming to push the other off the road.¹

6.1Yadihaṁ tassa kuppeyyaṁ,If I had been upset with him,6.2yadi bhinde tapoguṇaṁ;if I had broken my asceticism,6.3Sahaparijanaṁ tassa,I could have reduced him to dust,6.4rajabhūtaṁ kareyyahaṁ.together with his companions.

7.1Api cāhaṁ sīlarakkhāya,Nevertheless, for the sake of guarding my ethics,7.2nibbāpetvāna mānasaṁ;I quelled my heart.7.3Saha janenokkamitvā,I left the road with my folk,7.4pathaṁ pāpassa dāsahaṁ.giving it to the wicked one.

8.1Saha pathato okkante,As soon as I stepped down off the path,8.2katvā cittassa nibbutiṁ;and I had quelled my mind,8.3Vivaraṁ adāsi pathavī,the earth opened up8.4pāpayakkhassa tāvade”ti.for that wicked spirit.”

9.1Dhammadevaputtacariyaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ.