Verses on Dhamma 10.1.p2

10.1.p2

Ekasmiñhi samaye sattarasavaggiyehi senāsane paṭijaggite chabbaggiyā bhikkhū ‘‘nikkhamatha, mayaṃ mahallakatarā, amhākaṃ etaṃ pāpuṇātī’’ti vatvā tehi ‘‘na mayaṃ dassāma, amhehi paṭhamaṃ paṭijaggita’’nti vutte te bhikkhū pahariṃsu. Sattarasavaggiyā maraṇabhayatajjitā mahāviravaṃ viraviṃsu. Satthā tesaṃ saddaṃ sutvā ‘‘kiṃ ida’’nti pucchitvā ‘‘idaṃ nāmā’’ti ārocite ‘‘na, bhikkhave, ito paṭṭhāya bhikkhunā nāma evaṃ kattabbaṃ, yo karoti, so imaṃ nāma āpattiṃ āpajjatī’’ti pahāradānasikkhāpadaṃ (pāci. 449 ādayo) paññāpetvā, ‘‘bhikkhave, bhikkhunā nāma ‘yathā ahaṃ, tatheva aññepi daṇḍassa tasanti, maccuno bhāyantī’ti ñatvā paro na paharitabbo, na ghātetabbo’’ti vatvā anusandhiṃ ghaṭetvā dhammaṃ desento imaṃ gāthamāha –

For once upon a time, when lodging had been made ready by the monks of the Band of Seventeen, the monks of the Band of Six said to the former, "We are older; this belongs to us." The Band of Seventeen replied, "We will not give it to you; we were the first to make it ready." Then the Band of Six struck their brother monks. The Band of Seventeen, terrified by the fear of death, screamed at the top of their lungs. The Teacher, hearing the outcry, asked, "What was that?" When they told him, he promulgated the precept regarding the delivering of blows, saying, "Monks, henceforth a monk must not do this; whoever does this is guilty of sin." Having so done, he said, "Monks, one should say to himself, 'As do I, so also do others tremble at the rod and fear death.' Therefore one should not strike another or kill another." So saying, he joined the connection, and preaching the Law, pronounced the following Stanza,