Evaṃ me sutaṃ—​ ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tatra kho bhagavā … pe … etadavoca:

“Appamidaṃ, bhikkhave, manussānaṃ āyu. Gamanīyo samparāyo, kattabbaṃ kusalaṃ, caritabbaṃ brahmacariyaṃ. Natthi jātassa amaraṇaṃ. Yo, bhikkhave, ciraṃ jīvati, so vassasataṃ appaṃ vā bhiyyo”ti.

Atha kho māro pāpimā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṃ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“Nāccayanti ahorattā,
Jīvitaṃ nūparujjhati;
Āyu anupariyāyati maccānaṃ,
Nemīva rathakubbaran”ti.

“Accayanti ahorattā,
jīvitaṃ uparujjhati;
Āyu khīyati maccānaṃ,
kunnadīnaṃva odakan”ti.

Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṃ bhagavā, jānāti maṃ sugato”ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Paṭhamo vaggo.

Tapokammañca nāgo ca,
subhaṃ pāsena te duve;
Sappo supati nandanaṃ,
āyunā apare duveti.