At one time one of the mendicants was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove. Ekaṁ samayaṁ aññataro bhikkhu kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.

Now at that time that mendicant had previously been spending too much time rehearsing. But some time later they adhered to passivity and silence. Tena kho pana samayena so bhikkhu yaṁ sudaṁ pubbe ativelaṁ sajjhāyabahulo viharati so aparena samayena appossukko tuṇhībhūto saṅkasāyati. Not hearing the teaching, the deity haunting that forest approached that mendicant, and addressed them in verse: Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno dhammaṁ asuṇantī yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“Mendicant, why don’t you recite <j>passages of the teaching, “Kasmā tuvaṁ dhammapadāni bhikkhu, living together with other mendicants? Nādhīyasi bhikkhuhi saṁvasanto; Hearing the teaching, one garners confidence; Sutvāna dhammaṁ labhatippasādaṁ, and in this very life, one garners praise.” Diṭṭheva dhamme labhatippasaṁsan”ti.

“I used to be zealous for <j>passages of the teaching, “Ahu pure dhammapadesu chando, until I encountered dispassion. Yāva virāgena samāgamimha; When I encountered dispassion, Yato virāgena samāgamimha, whatever was seen, heard, and thought, Yaṁ kiñci diṭṭhaṁva sutaṁ mutaṁ vā; this, good people say, <j>is the laying down by complete understanding.” Aññāya nikkhepanamāhu santo”ti.