Rājā āha—“bhante nāgasena, yaṃ panetaṃ brūsi ‘aññehi ca kusalehi dhammehī’ti, katame te kusalā dhammā”ti? “Sīlaṃ, mahārāja, saddhā vīriyaṃ sati samādhi, ime te kusalā dhammā”ti. “Kiṃlakkhaṇaṃ, bhante, sīlan”ti? “Patiṭ­ṭhā­na­lak­kha­ṇaṃ, mahārāja, sīlaṃ sabbesaṃ kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ, indriya­bala­boj­jhaṅ­ga­maggaṅ­ga­sati­paṭṭhā­na­sammap­pa­dhā­na­iddhi­pāda­jhāna­vimokkha­samā­dhi­samā­pattī­naṃ sīlaṃ patiṭṭhaṃ, sīle patiṭṭhito kho, mahārāja, yogāvacaro sīlaṃ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya pañcindriyāni bhāveti saddhindriyaṃ vīriyindriyaṃ satindriyaṃ samādhindriyaṃ paññindriyanti, sabbe kusalā dhammā na parihāyantī”ti.

“Opammaṃ karohī”ti. “Yathā, mahārāja, ye keci bīja­gāma­bhūta­gāmā vuḍḍhiṃ virūḷhiṃ vepullaṃ āpajjanti, sabbe te pathaviṃ nissāya pathaviyaṃ patiṭṭhāya vuḍḍhiṃ virūḷhiṃ vepullaṃ āpajjanti; evameva kho, mahārāja, yogāvacaro sīlaṃ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya pañcindriyāni bhāveti saddhindriyaṃ vīriyindriyaṃ satindriyaṃ samādhindriyaṃ paññindriyan”ti.

“Bhiyyo opammaṃ karohī”ti. “Yathā, mahārāja, ye keci balakaraṇīyā kammantā kayiranti, sabbe te pathaviṃ nissāya pathaviyaṃ patiṭṭhāya kayiranti; evameva kho, mahārāja, yogāvacaro sīlaṃ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya pañcindriyāni bhāveti saddhindriyaṃ vīriyindriyaṃ satindriyaṃ samādhindriyaṃ paññindriyan”ti.

“Bhiyyo opammaṃ karohī”ti. “Yathā, mahārāja, nagaravaḍḍhakī nagaraṃ māpetukāmo paṭhamaṃ nagaraṭṭhānaṃ sodhāpetvā khāṇukaṇṭakaṃ apakaḍḍhāpetvā bhūmiṃ samaṃ kārāpetvā tato aparabhāge vīthi­catuk­ka­siṅghā­ṭakā­dipa­ric­che­dena vibhajitvā nagaraṃ māpeti; evameva kho, mahārāja, yogāvacaro sīlaṃ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya pañcindriyāni bhāveti saddhindriyaṃ vīriyindriyaṃ satindriyaṃ samādhindriyaṃ paññindriyan”ti.

“Bhiyyo opammaṃ karohī”ti. “Yathā, mahārāja, laṅghako sippaṃ dassetukāmo pathaviṃ khaṇāpetvā ­sak­kha­ra­katha­laṃ apakaḍḍhāpetvā bhūmiṃ samaṃ kārāpetvā mudukāya bhūmiyā sippaṃ dasseti; evameva kho, mahārāja, yogāvacaro sīlaṃ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya pañcindriyāni bhāveti saddhindriyaṃ vīriyindriyaṃ satindriyaṃ samādhindriyaṃ paññindriyanti. Bhāsitampetaṃ, mahārāja, bhagavatā—

‘Sīle patiṭṭhāya naro sapañño,
Cittaṃ paññañca bhāvayaṃ;
Ātāpī nipako bhikkhu,
So imaṃ vijaṭaye jaṭanti.

Ayaṃ patiṭṭhā dharaṇīva pāṇinaṃ,
Idañca mūlaṃ kusa­lā­bhi­vuḍḍhiyā;
Mukhañcidaṃ sabba­jinānu­sāsane,
Yo sīlakkhandho varapāti­mokkhiyo’”ti.

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.

Sīla­lak­kha­ṇa­pañho navamo.