1At one time a certain Vajjian mendicant was staying near Vesālī in a certain forest grove.

Now at that time the Vajjis were holding an all-night event in Vesālī. Then that mendicant, groaning at the noise of musical instruments being beaten and played, on that occasion recited this verse:

2“We dwell alone in the wilderness,
like a cast-off log in the forest.
On a night like this,
who’s worse off than me?”

3The deity haunting that forest had compassion 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“You dwell alone in the wilderness,
like a cast-off log in the forest.
Lots of people are jealous of you,
like beings in hell of those going to heaven.”

5Impelled by that deity, that mendicant was struck with a sense of urgency.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ aññataro vajjiputtako bhikkhu vesāliyaṁ vihārati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.

Tena kho pana samayena vesāliyaṁ vajjiputtako sabbaratticāro hoti. Atha kho so bhikkhu vesāliyā tūriyatāḷitavāditanigghosasaddaṁ sutvā paridevamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi: 

2"Ekakā mayaṁ araññe viharāma,
Apaviddhaṁva vanasmiṁ dārukaṁ;
Etādisikāya rattiyā,
Ko su nāmamhehi pāpiyo"ti.

3Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno anukampikā atthakāmā taṁ bhikkhuṁ saṁvejetukāmā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: 

4"Ekakova tvaṁ araññe vihārasi,
Apaviddhaṁva vanasmiṁ dārukaṁ;
Tassa te bahukā pihayanti,
Nerayikā viya saggagāminan"ti.

5Atha kho so bhikkhu tāya devatāya saṁvejito saṁvegamāpādīti.