1At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain, not long after Devadatta had left. There the Buddha spoke to the mendicants about Devadatta:

“Possessions, honor, and popularity came to Devadatta for his own ruin and downfall.

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2-4It’s like a banana tree, or a bamboo, or a reed, all of which bear fruit to their own ruin and downfall …

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5It’s like a mule, which becomes pregnant to its own ruin and downfall. In the same way, possessions, honor, and popularity came to Devadatta for his own ruin and downfall.

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6The banana tree is destroyed by its own fruit,
as are the bamboo and the reed.
Honor destroys a sinner,
as pregnancy destroys a mule.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate acirapakkante devadatte. Tatra kho bhagavā devadattaṁ ārabbha bhikkhū āmantesi:  "attavadhāya, bhikkhave, devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi. Parābhavāya, bhikkhave, devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi.

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2Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kadalī attavadhāya phalaṁ deti, parābhavāya phalaṁ deti; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, attavadhāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi, parābhavāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi.

3Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, veḷu attavadhāya phalaṁ deti, parābhavāya phalaṁ deti; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, attavadhāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi, parābhavāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi.

4Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, naḷo attavadhāya phalaṁ deti, parābhavāya phalaṁ deti; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, attavadhāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi, parābhavāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi.

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5Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, assatarī attavadhāya gabbhaṁ gaṇhāti, parābhavāya gabbhaṁ gaṇhāti; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, attavadhāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi, parābhavāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādīti.

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6Phalaṁ ve kadaliṁ hanti,
phalaṁ veḷuṁ phalaṁ naḷaṁ;
Sakkāro kāpurisaṁ hanti,
gabbho assatariṁ yathā"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.