At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove. Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.

Now at that time Ānanda was spending too much time persuading lay people. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ānando ativelaṁ gihisaññattibahulo viharati. Then the deity haunting that forest had sympathy for Ānanda, wanting what’s best for him. So they approached him wanting to stir him up, and recited these verses: Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā āyasmato ānandassa anukampikā atthakāmā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ saṁvejetukāmā yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“You’ve left for the jungle, the root of a tree, “Rukkhamūlagahanaṁ pasakkiya, having laid extinguishment in your heart. Nibbānaṁ hadayasmiṁ opiya; Meditate, Gotama, don’t be negligent! Jhāya gotama mā pamādo, What use is this hullabaloo to you?” Kiṁ te biḷibiḷikā karissatī”ti.

Impelled by that deity, Venerable Ānanda was struck with a sense of urgency. Atha kho āyasmā ānando tāya devatāya saṁvejito saṁvegamāpādīti.