1At Sāvatthī.

Then, late at night, the glorious god Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:

2“Strive and cut the stream!
Dispel sensual pleasures, brahmin.
A sage who doesn’t give up sensual pleasures
is not reborn in a unified state.

3If one is to do what should be done,
one should staunchly strive.
For the life gone forth when laxly led
just stirs up dust all the more.

4It’s better to leave a bad deed undone —
later you burn for that misdeed.
It’s better to do a good deed,
after which you’ll not regret.

5When kusa grass is wrongly grasped
it only cuts the hand.
So too, the ascetic life, when wrongly taken,
drags you to hell.

6Any lax act,
any corrupt observance,
or suspicious spiritual life,
is not very fruitful.”

7That’s what the god Tāyana said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right side, before vanishing right there.

8Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened.

“Mendicants, tonight, the glorious god Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, came to me, bowed, stood to one side, and recited these verses in my presence.”

The Buddha repeated the verses in full, adding:

14“That’s what the god Tāyana said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there. Mendicants, learn the verses of Tāyana! Memorize the verses of Tāyana! Remember the verses of Tāyana! These verses are beneficial and relate to the fundamentals of the spiritual life.”

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Atha kho tāyano devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho tāyano devaputto bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi: 

2"Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,
kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;
Nappahāya munī kāme,
nekattamupapajjati.

3Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,
daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;
Sithilo hi paribbājo,
bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.

4Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,
pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;
Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,
yaṁ katvā nānutappati.

5Kuso yathā duggahito,
hatthamevānukantati;
Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,
nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.

6Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,
saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;
Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,
na taṁ hoti mahapphalan"ti.

7Idamavoca tāyano devaputto; idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.

8Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi:

"imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ tāyano nāma devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto mama santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi: 

9‘Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,
kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;
Nappahāya munī kāme,
nekattamupapajjati.

10Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,
daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;
Sithilo hi paribbājo,
bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.

11Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,
pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;
Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,
yaṁ katvā nānutappati.

12Kuso yathā duggahito,
hatthamevānukantati;
Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,
nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.

13Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,
saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;
Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,
na taṁ hoti mahapphalan’ti.

14Idamavoca, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto, idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi. Uggaṇhātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā; pariyāpuṇātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā; dhāretha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā. Atthasaṁhitā, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā ādibrahmacariyikā"ti.