1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

1.2Atha kho sambahulā ujjhānasaññikā devatāyo abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā vehāsaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu.Then, late at night, several glorious deities of the host of the fault-finders, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, and stood in the air.¹1.3Vehāsaṁ ṭhitā kho ekā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:Standing in the air, one deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

2.1“Aññathā santamattānaṁ,∥“Someone who pretends2.2aññathā yo pavedaye;to be other than they really are,2.3Nikacca kitavasseva,is like a cheating gambler2.4bhuttaṁ theyyena tassa taṁ.who enjoys what was gained by theft.

3.1Yañhi kayirā tañhi vade,∥You should only say what you would do;3.2yaṁ na kayirā na taṁ vade;you shouldn’t say what you wouldn’t do.3.3Akarontaṁ bhāsamānaṁ,The wise will recognize3.4parijānanti paṇḍitā”ti.one who talks without doing.”

4.1“Na yidaṁ bhāsitamattena,“Not just by speaking,4.2ekantasavanena vā;nor solely by listening,4.3Anukkamitave sakkā,are you able to progress4.4yāyaṁ paṭipadā daḷhā;on this hard path,4.5Yāya dhīrā pamuccanti,by which the attentive practicing absorption4.6jhāyino mārabandhanā.are released from Māra’s bonds.

5.1Na ve dhīrā pakubbanti,The attentive certainly don’t act like that,5.2viditvā lokapariyāyaṁ;for they understand the way of the world.5.3Aññāya nibbutā dhīrā,The attentive are quenched by understanding,5.4tiṇṇā loke visattikan”ti.they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”

6.1Atha kho tā devatāyo pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhahitvā bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:Then those deities landed on the ground, bowed with their heads to the Buddha’s feet and said,6.2“accayo no, bhante, accagamā yathābālaṁ yathāmūḷhaṁ yathāakusalaṁ, yā mayaṁ bhagavantaṁ āsādetabbaṁ amaññimhā.“We made a mistake, sir. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of us to presume to attack the Buddha!6.3Tāsaṁ no, bhante, bhagavā accayaṁ accayato paṭiggaṇhātu āyatiṁ saṁvarāyā”ti.Please, sir, accept our mistake for what it is, so we will restrain ourselves in future.”

6.4Atha kho bhagavā sitaṁ pātvākāsi.At that, the Buddha smiled.²

6.5Atha kho tā devatāyo bhiyyoso mattāya ujjhāyantiyo vehāsaṁ abbhuggañchuṁ.Then those deities, becoming even more fault-finding, flew up in the air.6.6Ekā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:One deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

7.1“Accayaṁ desayantīnaṁ,“If you don’t give your pardon7.2yo ce na paṭigaṇhati;when a mistake is confessed,7.3Kopantaro dosagaru,with hidden anger and heavy hate,7.4sa veraṁ paṭimuñcatī”ti.you’re stuck in your enmity.”

8.1“Accayo ce na vijjetha,“Suppose no mistake were found,8.2nocidhāpagataṁ siyā;and no one here had gone astray:8.3Verāni na ca sammeyyuṁ,if enmities were not settled,³8.4kenīdha kusalo siyā”ti.how could that be skillful?”

9.1“Kassaccayā na vijjanti,“Who makes no mistakes?9.2kassa natthi apāgataṁ;Who doesn’t go astray?9.3Ko na sammohamāpādi,Who doesn’t fall into confusion?9.4ko ca dhīro sadā sato”ti.Who is attentive, ever mindful?”

10.1“Tathāgatassa buddhassa,“The Realized One, the Buddha,10.2sabbabhūtānukampino;sympathetic for all beings:10.3Tassaccayā na vijjanti,that’s who makes no mistakes,10.4tassa natthi apāgataṁ;and that’s who doesn’t go astray.10.5So na sammohamāpādi,He doesn’t fall into confusion,10.6sova dhīro sadā satoti.for he’s attentive, ever mindful.

11.1Accayaṁ desayantīnaṁ,If you don’t give your pardon11.2yo ce na paṭigaṇhati;when a mistake is confessed,11.3Kopantaro dosagaru,with hidden anger and heavy hate,11.4sa veraṁ paṭimuñcati;you’re stuck in your enmity.11.5Taṁ veraṁ nābhinandāmi,I don’t approve of such enmity,11.6paṭiggaṇhāmi voccayan”ti.and so I pardon your mistake.”