1At Sāvatthī. Then, when the night had advanced, the young deva Damali, of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One, stood to one side, and recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

2v.262 "This should be done by the brahmin:
Striving without weariness,
That by his abandoning of sensual desires
He does not yearn for existence." [n.147] By "brahmin" he refers to the arahant. Spk: This young deva believed that there was no end to the arahant's duties and that the arahant must continue striving even after reaching arahantship. The Buddha spoke the rejoinder to correct him. The Buddha’s verse is unique (asaṅkiṇṇa) in the Tipiṭaka, for nowhere else does the Buddha criticize the arousing of energy, but here he speaks thus to show that there is a conclusion to the arahant's duty.

3v.263 "For the brahmin there is no task to be done,
O Damali," said the Blessed One,
"For the brahmin has done what should be done.
While he has not gained a footing in the river, sn.i.48
A man will strain with all his limbs;
But a footing gained, standing on the ground,
He need not strain for he has gone beyond.

4v.264 "This is a simile for the brahmin, O Damali,
For the taintless one, the discreet meditator.
Having reached the end of birth and death,
He need not strain for he has gone beyond." [n.148] On the verb ayūhati, encountered in SN1.1, see n. 2. To have gone beyond (paragata) is to have attained Nibbāna.

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho dāmali devaputto abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho dāmali devaputto bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

2"Karaṇīyametaṁ brāhmaṇena,
Padhānaṁ akilāsunā;
Kāmānaṁ vippahānena,
Na tenāsīsate bhavan"ti.

3"Natthi kiccaṁ brāhmaṇassa, (dāmalīti bhagavā)
Katakicco hi brāhmaṇo;
Yāva na gādhaṁ labhati nadīsu,
Āyūhati sabbagattebhi jantu;
Gādhañca laddhāna thale ṭhito yo,
Nāyūhatī pāragato hi sova.

4Esūpamā dāmali brāhmaṇassa,
Khīṇāsavassa nipakassa jhāyino;
Pappuyya jātimaraṇassa antaṁ,
Nāyūhatī pāragato hi so"ti.