1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Then, when the night had advanced, a number of devatas belonging to the Satullapa host, of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, they paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side.

Then one devata, standing to one side, recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

2v.85 "Through stinginess and negligence
A gift is not given.
One who knows, desiring merit,
Should surely give a gift."

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3Then another devata recited these verses in the presence of the Blessed One:

4v.86 "That which the miser fears when he does not give
Is the very danger that comes to the nongiver.
The hunger and thirst that the miser fears
Afflict that fool in this world and the next.

5"Therefore, having removed stinginess,
The conqueror of the stain should give a gift. [n.63] The stain (mala) is stinginess itself; see the stock description of the generous lay follower as one who "dwells at home with a mind rid of the stain of stinginess" (vigatamalamaccherena cetasa agaraṁ ajjhavasati).
Deeds of merit are the support for living beings
When they arise in the other world."

6Then another devata recited these verses in the presence of the Blessed One:

7v.88 "They do not die among the dead
Who, like fellow travellers on the road,
Provide though they have but a little:
This is an ancient principle. [n.64] Spk: Those do not die among the dead: They do not die among those who are "dead" by the death consisting in miserliness. The goods of the miser are just like those of the dead, for neither distribute their belongings.

8v.89 "Some provide from the little they have,
Others who are affluent don’t like to give.
An offering given from what little one has
Is worth a thousand times its value." sn.i.19

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9Then another devata recited these verses in the presence of the Blessed One:

10v.90 "The bad do not emulate the good,
Who give what is hard to give
And do deeds hard to do:
The Dhamma of the good is hard to follow.

11v.91 "Therefore their destination after death
Differs for the good and the bad:
The bad go to hell,
The good are bound for heaven."

12Then another devata said to the Blessed One: "Which one, Blessed One, has spoken well?"

13"You have all spoken well in a way. But listen to me too:

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14v.92 "If one practises the Dhamma
Though getting on by gleaning,
If while one supports one's wife
One gives from the little one has,
Then a hundred thousand offerings
Of those who sacrifice a thousand
Are not worth even a fraction
Of the gift of one like him." [n.65] Spk: If one practises the Dhamma: if one practises the Dhamma by way of the ten courses of wholesome kamma. Though getting on by gleaning (samuñjakaṁ care): one gets on "by gleaning" by cleaning up the threshing floor, etc., beating the straw, etc. Of those who sacrifice a thousand: Of those who sacrifice (offer alms) to a thousand bhikkhus or who offer alms purchased with a thousand pieces of money. This done a hundred thousand times is equivalent to alms given to ten koṭis of bhikkhus or worth ten koṭis of money (a koṭi = 10,000,000). Are not worth even a fraction: the word "fraction" (kala) can mean a sixteenth part, or a hundredth part, or a thousandth part; here a hundredth part 1s intended. If one divides into a hundred parts (the value of) a gift given by him, the gift of 10,000 koṭis given by the others is not worth one portion of that.
Though Spk speaks of alms offerings to bhikkhus, v. 16 just below implies that the animal sacrifices of the brahmins are what is being rejected.

15Then another devata addressed the Blessed One in verse:

16v.93 "Why does their sacrifice, vast and grand,
Not share the value of the righteous one's gift?
Why are a hundred thousand offerings
Of those who sacrifice a thousand
Not worth even a fraction
Of the gift of one like him?"

Then the Blessed One answered that devata in verse:

17v.94 "Since they give while settled in unrighteousness,
Having slain and killed, causing sorrow,
Their offering—tearful, fraught with violence—
Shares not the value of the righteous one's gift.
That is why a hundred thousand offerings
Of those who sacrifice a thousand
Are not worth even a fraction
Of the gift of one like him." sn.i.20

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho sambahulā satullapakāyikā devatāyo abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu.

Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho ekā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

2"Maccherā ca pamādā ca,
evaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati;
Puññaṁ ākaṅkhamānena,
deyyaṁ hoti vijānatā"ti.

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3Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

4"Yasseva bhīto na dadāti maccharī,
Tadevādadato bhayaṁ;
Jighacchā ca pipāsā ca,
Yassa bhāyati maccharī;
Tameva bālaṁ phusati,
Asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

5Tasmā vineyya maccheraṁ,
dajjā dānaṁ malābhibhū;
Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,
patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan"ti.

6Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

7"Te matesu na mīyanti,
panthānaṁva sahabbajaṁ;
Appasmiṁ ye pavecchanti,
esa dhammo sanantano.

8Appasmeke pavecchanti,
bahuneke na dicchare;
Appasmā dakkhiṇā dinnā,
sahassena samaṁ mitā"ti.

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9Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

10"Duddadaṁ dadamānānaṁ,
dukkaraṁ kamma kubbataṁ;
Asanto nānukubbanti,
sataṁ dhammo duranvayo.

11Tasmā satañca asataṁ,
nānā hoti ito gati;
Asanto nirayaṁ yanti,
santo saggaparāyanā"ti.

12Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike etadavoca: "kassa nu kho, bhagavā, subhāsitan"ti?

13"Sabbāsaṁ vo subhāsitaṁ pariyāyena; api ca mamapi suṇātha –

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14Dhammaṁ care yopi samuñjakaṁ care,
Dārañca posaṁ dadamappakasmiṁ;
Sataṁ sahassānaṁ sahassayāginaṁ,
Kalampi nāgghanti tathāvidhassa te"ti.

15Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

16"Kenesa yañño vipulo mahaggato,
Samena dinnassa na agghameti;
Kathaṁ sataṁ sahassānaṁ sahassayāginaṁ,
Kalampi nāgghanti tathāvidhassa te"ti.

17"Dadanti heke visame niviṭṭhā,
Chetvā vadhitvā atha socayitvā;
Sā dakkhiṇā assumukhā sadaṇḍā,
Samena dinnassa na agghameti.
Evaṁ sataṁ sahassānaṁ sahassayāginaṁ,
Kalampi nāgghanti tathāvidhassa te"ti.