Jambuddivapannatti 2.35

2.35

tesi ṇaṃ bhaṃte manuāṇaṃ kevaikālassa āhāraṭṭhe samuppajjai?
goyamā! aṭṭhamabhattassa āhāraṭṭhe samuppajjai puḍhavī pupphaphalāhārā ṇaṃ te manuā pannattā samaṇāuso|
tīse ṇaṃ bhaṃte! puḍhavīe kerisae āsāe pannatte? goyamā! se jahānāmae gulei vā khaṃḍei vā sakkarāi vā macchaṃḍiyāi vā pappaḍamoyaei vā bhisei vā pupphuttarāi vā paumuttarāi vā vijayāi vā mahāvijayāi vā ākāsiyāi vā ādaṃsiyāi vā āgāsaphalovamāi vā uggāi vā aṇovamāi vā, bhave eyārūve? no iṇaṭṭhe samaṭṭhe| sā ṇaṃ puḍhavī itto iṭṭhatariyā ceva kaṃtatariyā ceva piyatariyā ceva maṇunnatariyā ceva maṇāmatariyā ceva āsāeṇaṃ pannattā|
tesi ṇaṃ bhaṃte! pupphaphalāṇaṃ kerisae āsāe pannatte? goyamā! se jahānāmae ranno cāuraṃtacakkavaṭṭissa kallāṇe bhoyaṇajāe sayasahassanipphanne vaṇṇeṇuvavee gaṃdheṇuvavee raseṇuvavee phāseṇuvavee āsāyaṇijje visāyaṇijje dīvaṇijje dappaṇijje mayaṇijje biṃhaṇijje savviṃ-diagāyapalhāyaṇijje, bhave eyārūve? no iṇaṭṭhe samaṭṭhe| tesi ṇaṃ pupphaphalāṇaṃ etto iṭṭhatarāe ceva kaṃtatarāe ceva piyatarāe ceva maṇunnatarāe ceva maṇāmatarāe ceva āsāe pannatte|

"Venerable sir, after what length of time does the desire for food arise in those human beings?"
"Gautama, the desire for food arises at the eighth meal [i.e., every fourth day]. Those human beings are declared to feed on earth, flowers, and fruits, O long-lived śramaṇa!"
"Venerable sir, what is the taste of that earth declared to be like?"
"Gautama, just as if it were raw sugar, or candied sugar, or refined sugar, or sugar-candy, or parpaṭa, or modaka sweetmeats, or lotus-stalks, or puṣpottarā, or padmottarā, or vijayā, or mahāvijayā, or ākāsikā, or ādarśikā, or like the heavenly fruit, or uggā, or anupamā—could it be of such a nature? That meaning is not competent. That earth is declared to be even more desirable, even more delightful, even more pleasing, even more agreeable, and even more charming in taste than that."
"Venerable sir, what is the taste of those flowers and fruits declared to be like?"
"Gautama, just as if the food prepared for a king who is a caturanta cakravartin, produced at the expense of a hundred thousand [coins], endowed with [fine] color, endowed with fragrance, endowed with flavor, endowed with touch, delicious, tasty, appetising, invigorating, intoxicating, nourishing, and gladdening to all the sense-organs and limbs—could it be of such a nature? That meaning is not competent. The taste of those flowers and fruits is declared to be even more desirable, even more delightful, even more pleasing, even more agreeable, and even more charming than that."