Ekaṃ samayaṃ aññataro bhikkhu kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṃ vanasaṇḍe. Tena kho pana samayena so bhikkhu yaṃ sudaṃ pubbe ativelaṃ sajjhāyabahulo viharati so aparena samayena appossukko tuṇhībhūto saṅkasāyati. Atha kho yā tasmiṃ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno dhammaṃ asuṇantī yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṃ bhikkhuṃ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“Kasmā tuvaṃ dhammapadāni bhikkhu,
Nādhīyasi bhikkhuhi saṃvasanto;
Sutvāna dhammaṃ labhatippasādaṃ,
Diṭṭheva dhamme labhatippasaṃsan”ti.

“Ahu pure dhammapadesu chando,
Yāva virāgena samāgamimha;
Yato virāgena samāgamimha,
Yaṃ kiñci diṭṭhaṃva sutaṃ mutaṃ vā;
Aññāya nikkhepanamāhu santo”ti.