Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “idhāhaṁ, bhante, sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ yena aciravatī nadī tenupasaṅkamiṁ gattāni parisiñcituṁ. Aciravatiyā nadiyā gattāni parisiñcitvā paccuttaritvā ekacīvaro aṭṭhāsiṁ gattāni pubbāpayamāno. Atha kho, bhante, aññataro bhikkhu yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ etadavoca: ‘kiṁ nu kho, āvuso ānanda, sabbaṁ cetaso samannāharitvā nu kho devadatto bhagavatā byākato— āpāyiko devadatto nerayiko kappaṭṭho atekicchoti, udāhu kenacideva pariyāyenā’ti? Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhante, taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘evaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā byākatan’”ti. “So vā kho, ānanda, bhikkhu navo bhavissati acirapabbajito, thero vā pana bālo abyatto. Kathañhi nāma yaṁ mayā ekaṁsena byākataṁ tattha dvejjhaṁ āpajjissati. Nāhaṁ, ānanda, aññaṁ ekapuggalampi samanupassāmi, yo evaṁ mayā sabbaṁ cetaso samannāharitvā byākato, yathayidaṁ devadatto. Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, ānanda, devadattassa vālaggakoṭinittudanamattampi sukkadhammaṁ addasaṁ; neva tāvāhaṁ devadattaṁ byākāsiṁ: ‘āpāyiko devadatto nerayiko kappaṭṭho atekiccho’ti. Yato ca kho ahaṁ, ānanda, devadattassa vālaggakoṭinittudanamattampi sukkadhammaṁ na addasaṁ; athāhaṁ devadattaṁ byākāsiṁ: ‘āpāyiko devadatto nerayiko kappaṭṭho atekiccho’ti. Seyyathāpi, ānanda, gūthakūpo sādhikaporiso pūro gūthassa samatittiko. Tatra puriso sasīsako nimuggo assa. Tassa kocideva puriso uppajjeyya atthakāmo hitakāmo yogakkhemakāmo tamhā gūthakūpā uddharitukāmo. So taṁ gūthakūpaṁ samantānuparigacchanto neva passeyya tassa purisassa vālaggakoṭinittudanamattampi gūthena amakkhitaṁ, yattha taṁ gahetvā uddhareyya.