1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ aññataro vajjiputtako bhikkhu vesāliyaṁ viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.At one time a certain Vajjian mendicant was staying near Vesālī in a certain forest grove.

1.2Tena kho pana samayena vesāliyaṁ vajjiputtako sabbaratticāro hoti.Now at that time the Vajjis were holding an all-night event in Vesālī.1.3Atha kho so bhikkhu vesāliyā tūriyatāḷitavāditanigghosasaddaṁ sutvā paridevamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:Then that mendicant, complaining at the noise of musical instruments being beaten and played, on that occasion spoke this verse:

2.1“Ekakā mayaṁ araññe viharāma,“We dwell alone in the wilderness,2.2Apaviddhaṁva vanasmiṁ dārukaṁ;like a log dumped in the forest.2.3Etādisikāya rattiyā,On a night like this,2.4Ko su nāmamhehi pāpiyo”ti.who’s worse off than me?”

3.1Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno anukampikā atthakāmā taṁ bhikkhuṁ saṁvejetukāmā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:The deity haunting that forest had sympathy for that mendicant, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached that mendicant wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:

4.1“Ekakova tvaṁ araññe viharasi,“You dwell alone in the wilderness,4.2Apaviddhaṁva vanasmiṁ dārukaṁ;like a log dumped in the forest.4.3Tassa te bahukā pihayanti,Lots of people are jealous of you,4.4Nerayikā viya saggagāminan”ti.like beings in hell of those going to heaven.”

5.1Atha kho so bhikkhu tāya devatāya saṁvejito saṁvegamāpādīti.Impelled by that deity, that mendicant was struck with a sense of urgency.