1At Sāvatthī.

“Once upon a time, mendicants, several hermits who were ethical, of good character, settled in leaf huts in a wilderness region.

Then Sakka, lord of gods, and Vepacitti, lord of demons, went to those hermits. Vepacitti put on his boots, strapped on his sword, and, carrying a sunshade, entered the hermitage through the main gate. He walked right past those hermits, keeping them at a distance.

Sakka took off his boots, gave his sword to others, and, putting down his sunshade, entered the hermitage through a gate he happened upon. He stood downwind of those hermits, revering them with joined palms.

Then those hermits addressed Sakka in verse:

2‘When hermits have been long ordained,
the odor of their bodies goes with the wind.
You’d better leave, O thousand-eyed!
The odor of the hermits is unclean, king of gods.’

3‘When hermits have been long ordained,
let the odor of their bodies go with the wind.
We yearn for this odor, sirs,
like a colorful crown of flowers.
The gods don’t see it as repulsive.’”

1Sāvatthiyaṁ.

"Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sambahulā isayo sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā araññāyatane paṇṇakuṭīsu sammanti. Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko ca devānamindo vepacitti ca asurindo yena te isayo sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo paṭaliyo upāhanā ārohitvā khaggaṁ olaggetvā chattena dhāriyamānena aggadvārena assamaṁ pavisitvā te isayo sīlavante kalyāṇadhamme apabyāmato karitvā atikkami.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo paṭaliyo upāhanā orohitvā khaggaṁ aññesaṁ datvā chattaṁ apanāmetvā dvāreneva assamaṁ pavisitvā te isayo sīlavante kalyāṇadhamme anuvātaṁ pañjaliko namassamāno aṭṭhāsi.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, te isayo sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsiṁsu: 

2‘Gandho isīnaṁ ciradikkhitānaṁ,
Kāyā cuto gacchati mālutena;
Ito paṭikkamma sahassanetta,
Gandho isīnaṁ asuci devarājā’ti.

3‘Gandho isīnaṁ ciradikkhitānaṁ,
Kāyā cuto gacchatu mālutena;
Sucitrapupphaṁ sirasmiṁva mālaṁ,
Gandhaṁ etaṁ paṭikaṅkhāma bhante;
Na hettha devā paṭikūlasaññino’"ti.