1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā anuruddho kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.At one time Venerable Anuruddha was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove.

1.2Atha kho aññatarā tāvatiṁsakāyikā devatā jālinī nāma āyasmato anuruddhassa purāṇadutiyikā yenāyasmā anuruddho tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ anuruddhaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:Then a certain deity of the company of the thirty-three named Penelope had been Anuruddha’s partner in a former life. She went up to Anuruddha, and recited these verses:¹

2.1“Tattha cittaṁ paṇidhehi,“Set your heart there,2.2yattha te vusitaṁ pure;where you used to live:2.3Tāvatiṁsesu devesu,among the gods of the thirty-three,2.4sabbakāmasamiddhisu;whose every desire is granted!2.5Purakkhato parivuto,At the fore of a retinue2.6devakaññāhi sobhasī”ti.of divine maidens, you’ll shine!”

3.1“Duggatā devakaññāyo,“Divine maidens are in a sorry state,3.2sakkāyasmiṁ patiṭṭhitā;stuck in substantial reality.3.3Te cāpi duggatā sattā,And those beings too are in a sorry state,3.4devakaññāhi patthitā”ti.who are attached to divine maidens.”²

4.1“Na te sukhaṁ pajānanti,“They don’t know pleasure4.2ye na passanti nandanaṁ;who don’t see the Garden of Delight!4.3Āvāsaṁ naradevānaṁ,It’s the abode of lordly gods,4.4tidasānaṁ yasassinan”ti.the glorious host of Thirty!”

5.1“Na tvaṁ bāle vijānāsi,“Fool, don’t you understand5.2yathā arahataṁ vaco;the saying of the perfected ones:5.3Aniccā sabbasaṅkhārā,All conditions are impermanent,5.4uppādavayadhammino;their nature is to rise and fall;5.5Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti,having arisen, they cease;5.6tesaṁ vūpasamo sukho.their settling is such bliss.

6.1Natthi dāni punāvāso,O Penelope, weaver of the web—6.2devakāyasmi jālini;there are no more abodes for me in the heavenly host.6.3Vikkhīṇo jātisaṁsāro,Transmigration through births is finished,6.4natthi dāni punabbhavo”ti.now there’ll be no more future lives.”