Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then, when the night had advanced, a certain deity of surpassing beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, she stood at one side. Standing to one side, that deity addressed the Blessed One with a verse:
“Parābhavantaṁ purisaṁ,
mayaṁ pucchāma gotama;
Bhavantaṁ puṭṭhumāgamma,
kiṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“We ask Gotama a question
about a person |suffering downfall::falling down, going to ruin [parābhavanta]|;
we have come to ask the Blessed One:
What is the cause of a downfall?”
“Suvijāno bhavaṁ hoti,
suvijāno parābhavo;
Dhammakāmo bhavaṁ hoti,
dhammadessī parābhavo”.
“One who succeeds is easily known,
one who falls down is easily known;
one who |loves the Dhamma::has love for truth [dhammakāma]| |is successful::prospers, thrives [bhava]|,
one who |detests the Dhamma::has aversion to truth [dhammadessī]| falls down.”
“Iti hetaṁ vijānāma,
paṭhamo so parābhavo;
Dutiyaṁ bhagavā brūhi,
kiṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“Thus we understand this to be so,
that is the first cause of downfall;
tell us the second, Blessed One:
What is the cause of a downfall?”
“Asantassa piyā honti,
sante na kurute piyaṁ;
Asataṁ dhammaṁ roceti,
taṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“The |unpeaceful::unvirtuous, not calm [asanta]| are dear to him,
he does not treat the |peaceful::tranquil; lit. calmed [santa]| as dear;
he approves the teaching of the bad,
that is a cause of a downfall.”
“Iti hetaṁ vijānāma,
dutiyo so parābhavo;
Tatiyaṁ bhagavā brūhi,
kiṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“Thus we understand this to be so,
that is the second cause of downfall;
tell us the third, Blessed One:
What is the cause of a downfall?”
“Niddāsīlī sabhāsīlī,
anuṭṭhātā ca yo naro;
Alaso kodhapaññāṇo,
taṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“If a person is |fond of sleep::sleepy by nature [niddāsīlī]|, |fond of company::of social nature, gregarious [sabhāsīlī]|,
and |does not make an exertion::who is inactive; lit. who does not get up [anuṭṭhātā]|;
|lazy::idle, indolent; lit. not active [alasa]|, |one who displays anger::characterized by anger, with angry nature [kodhapaññāṇa]|,
that is a cause of a downfall.”
“Iti hetaṁ vijānāma,
tatiyo so parābhavo;
Catutthaṁ bhagavā brūhi,
kiṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“Thus we understand this to be so,
that is the third cause of downfall;
tell us the fourth, Blessed One:
What is the cause of a downfall?”
“Yo mātaraṁ pitaraṁ vā,
jiṇṇakaṁ gatayobbanaṁ;
Pahu santo na bharati,
taṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“If one who is able does not |support::bear, maintain [bharati]|
his mother or his father;
when they have grown old, |their youth gone::passed one’s prime [gatayobbana]|,
that is a cause of a downfall.”
“Iti hetaṁ vijānāma,
catuttho so parābhavo;
Pañcamaṁ bhagavā brūhi,
kiṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“Thus we understand this to be so,
that is the fourth cause of downfall;
tell us the fifth, Blessed One:
What is the cause of a downfall?”
“Yo brāhmaṇaṁ samaṇaṁ vā,
Aññaṁ vāpi vanibbakaṁ;
Musāvādena vañceti,
Taṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“If one deceives with |false speech::lying, deliberately speaking falsehood [musāvāda]|
a brahmin or an ascetic;
or some other |mendicant::beggar, pauper [vanibbaka]|,
that is a cause of a downfall.”
“Iti hetaṁ vijānāma,
Pañcamo so parābhavo;
Chaṭṭhamaṁ bhagavā brūhi,
Kiṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“Thus we understand this to be so,
that is the fifth cause of downfall;
tell us the sixth, Blessed One:
What is the cause of a downfall?”
“Pahūtavitto puriso,
Sahirañño sabhojano;
Eko bhuñjati sādūni,
Taṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“A person with vast wealth,
endowed with bullion and luxuries;
who eats |delicacies::savoury food [sādu]| alone,
that is a cause of a downfall.”
“Iti hetaṁ vijānāma,
Chaṭṭhamo so parābhavo;
Sattamaṁ bhagavā brūhi,
Kiṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“Thus we understand this to be so,
that is the sixth cause of downfall;
tell us the seventh, Blessed One:
What is the cause of a downfall?”
“Jātitthaddho dhanatthaddho,
Gottatthaddho ca yo naro;
Saññātiṁ atimaññeti,
Taṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“A person proud of their birth, proud of their wealth,
or proud of their family clan;
who looks down on his own relatives,
that is a cause of a downfall.”
“Iti hetaṁ vijānāma,
Sattamo so parābhavo;
Aṭṭhamaṁ bhagavā brūhi,
Kiṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“Thus we understand this to be so,
that is the seventh cause of downfall;
tell us the eighth, Blessed One:
What is the cause of a downfall?”
“Itthidhutto surādhutto,
Akkhadhutto ca yo naro;
Laddhaṁ laddhaṁ vināseti,
Taṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“A |womanizer::who indulges in women; lit. women corrupted [itthidhutta]|, drunkard,
and who is addicted to gambling;
who wastes whatever he has obtained,
that is a cause of a downfall.”
“Iti hetaṁ vijānāma,
Aṭṭhamo so parābhavo;
Navamaṁ bhagavā brūhi,
Kiṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“Thus we understand this to be so,
that is the eighth cause of downfall;
tell us the ninth, Blessed One:
What is the cause of a downfall?”
“Sehi dārehi asantuṭṭho,
Vesiyāsu padussati;
Dussati paradāresu,
Taṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“One discontent with his own wives,
is seen among prostitutes;
seen among the wives of others,
that is a cause of a downfall.”
“Iti hetaṁ vijānāma,
Navamo so parābhavo;
Dasamaṁ bhagavā brūhi,
Kiṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“Thus we understand this to be so,
that is the ninth cause of downfall;
tell us the tenth, Blessed One:
What is the cause of a downfall?”
“Atītayobbano poso,
Āneti timbarutthaniṁ;
Tassā issā na supati,
Taṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“When a man past his youth
marries a girl with timbaru breasts;
he does not sleep from |jealousy::envy [issā]| over her,
that is a cause of a downfall.”
“Iti hetaṁ vijānāma,
Dasamo so parābhavo;
Ekādasamaṁ bhagavā brūhi,
Kiṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“Thus we understand this to be so,
that is the tenth cause of downfall;
tell us the eleventh, Blessed One:
What is the cause of a downfall?”
“Itthiṁ soṇḍiṁ vikiraṇiṁ,
Purisaṁ vāpi tādisaṁ;
Issariyasmiṁ ṭhapeti,
Taṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“If one places in authority
a |debauched::drunkard [soṇḍī]| woman, a |spendthrift::squanderer [vikiraṇī]|;
or a man of similar nature,
that is a cause of a downfall.”
“Iti hetaṁ vijānāma,
Ekādasamo so parābhavo;
Dvādasamaṁ bhagavā brūhi,
Kiṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ”.
“Thus we understand this to be so,
that is the eleventh cause of downfall;
tell us the twelfth, Blessed One:
What is the cause of a downfall?”
“Appabhogo mahātaṇho,
Khattiye jāyate kule;
So ca rajjaṁ patthayati,
Taṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ.
“If one of little wealth and |strong craving::having enormous ambition, with great greed [mahātaṇha]|
is born into a noble family;
and he aspires to |rulership::dominion, power [rajja]| here,
that is a cause of a downfall.
Ete parābhave loke,
Paṇḍito samavekkhiya;
Ariyo dassanasampanno,
Sa lokaṁ bhajate sivan”ti.
Having |reflected on::considered; lit. looking down together [samavekkhiya]| these causes of downfall
in the world, a wise person;
noble, |endowed with vision::epithet of a stream enterer [dassanasampanna]|,
passes on to an |auspicious::blessed, safe [siva]| world.”