1.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.¹1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate acirapakkante devadatte.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain, not long after Devadatta had left.

1.3Atha kho brahmā sahampati abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ gijjhakūṭaṁ pabbataṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.Then, late at night, the glorious divinity Sahampati, lighting up the entire Vulture’s Peak, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side,1.4Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho brahmā sahampati devadattaṁ ārabbha bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:and spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

2.1“Phalaṁ ve kadaliṁ hanti,∥“The banana plant is destroyed by its own fruit,2.2phalaṁ veḷuṁ phalaṁ naḷaṁ;as are the bamboo and the reed.²2.3Sakkāro kāpurisaṁ hanti,Honor destroys a reprobate,2.4gabbho assatariṁ yathā”ti.as pregnancy destroys a mule.”