1 Sāvatthinidānaṃ. Tena kho pana samayena rājā pasenadi kosalo mallikāya deviyā saddhiṃ uparipāsādavaragato hoti. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo mallikaṃ deviṃ etadavoca:  "atthi nu kho te, mallike, kocañño attanā piyataro"ti? "Natthi kho me, mahārāja, kocañño attanā piyataro. Tuyhaṃ pana, mahārāja, atthañño koci attanā piyataro"ti? "Mayhampi kho, mallike, natthañño koci attanā piyataro"ti.

2 Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo pāsādā orohitvā yena bhagavā tenupasankami; upasankamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. Ekamantaṃ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṃ etadavoca:  "idhāhaṃ, bhante, mallikāya deviyā saddhiṃ uparipāsādavaragato mallikaṃ deviṃ etadavocaṃ:  ‘atthi nu kho te, mallike, kocañño attanā piyataro’ti? Evaṃ vutte, bhante, mallikā devī maṃ etadavoca:  ‘natthi kho me, mahārāja, kocañño attanā piyataro. Tuyhaṃ pana, mahārāja, atthañño koci attanā piyataro’ti? Evaṃ vuttāhaṃ, bhante, mallikaṃ deviṃ etadavocaṃ:  ‘mayhampi kho, mallike, natthañño koci attanā piyataro’"ti.

3 Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṃ viditvā tāyaṃ velāyaṃ imaṃ gāthaṃ abhāsi: 

4 "Sabbā disā anuparigamma cetasā,
Nevajjhagā piyataramattanā kvaci;
Evaṃ piyo puthu attā paresaṃ,
Tasmā na hiṃse paramattakāmo"ti.