1 At one time the Auspicious One was dwelling at Andhakavinda in Magadha. At that time the Auspicious One was seated in the open air during the pitch black darkness of the night and the [rain] deva was drizzling drop by drop.

2 Then when the night had advanced, the Brahma Sahampati, of stunning beauty, having illuminated almost the entire Andhakavinda, visited with the Auspicious One. Upon arrival, having bowed down to the Auspicious One, he stood to one side. Having stood to one side, the Brahma Sahampati spoke these verses in the Auspicious One's presence:

One should frequent remote lodgings,
one should fare liberated from the fetters;
should one not gain delight there,
then live amidst the Sangha as a self-guarded, mindful one.

Wandering from family to family for alms food,
that prudent, mindful one, with faculties guarded;
must frequent remote lodgings,
free from dread, liberated, fearless.

The place where frightful snakes roam,
[where] the Deva streaks lightning and thunders;
sitting down in the pitch darkness of the night,
there, that bhikkhu is rid of dread.

This indeed, has undoubtedly been seen by me,
this is not hearsay;
in [this] life of purity alone,
a thousand have dispelled death.

More than five hundred sekhas,
and ten tenfold are seen;
all are endowed with the stream,
not destined for the animal womb.

But this other population,
“[those] partaking in merits;”
[this] mind of mine is not even able to calculate,
for fear of uttering false speech.

1 ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā māgadhesu2 viharati andhakavinde. tena kho pana samayena bhagavā rattandhakāratimisāyaṃ ajjhokāse3 nisinno hoti. devo ca ekamekaṃ phusāyati.

2 atha kho brahmā sahampati abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṃ andhakavindaṃ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami. upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ aṭṭhāsi. ekamantaṃ ṭhito kho brahmā sahampati bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

sevetha pantāni senāsanāni1,
careyya saññojanavippamokkhā;
sace ratiṃ nādhigaccheyya tattha,
saṅghe vase rakkhitatto satīmā2.

kulākulaṃ piṇḍikāya caranto,
indriyagutto nipako satīmā2;
sevetha pantāni senāsanāni,
bhayā pamutto abhaye vimutto.

yattha bheravā siriṃsapā3,
vijju sañcarati thaneti4 devo;
andhakāratimisāya rattiyā nisīdi,
tattha bhikkhu vigatalomahaṃso.

idaṃ hi jātu me diṭṭhaṃ,
nayidaṃ itihītihaṃ;
ekasmiṃ brahmacariyasmiṃ,
sahassaṃ maccuhāyinaṃ.

bhiyyo5 pañcasatā sekhā,
dasā ca dasadhā dasa;
sabbe sotasamāpannā,
atiracchānagāmino.

athāyaṃ itarā pajā,
puññabhāgāti me mano;
saṅkhātuṃ nopi sakkomi,
musāvādassa ottapeti6