Bhagavati parinibbutamhi kosalarañño kira janapade tuṇḍagāmonāma ahosi. Tattheko buddhadāso nāma manusso ‘‘yāvajīvaṃ buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi. Buddho me saraṇaṃ tāṇaṃ leṇaṃ parāyaṇanti’’ evaṃ jīvitapariyantaṃ buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gato paṭivasati, tasmiṃ samaye eko janapadavāsiko tattha tattha āhiṇḍanto taṃ tuṇḍagāmaṃ patvā tasseva ghare nivāsaṃ kappesi, tassa pana jānapadikassa sarīre eko yakkho āvisitvā pīḷeti, tadā tassa gāmassa pavisanakāle yakkho buddhadāso pāsakassa guṇatejena tassa gehaṃ pavisituṃ asakkonto taṃ muñcitvā bahigāme sattāhaṃ aṭṭhāsi tassāgamanaṃ olokento. Tato so jānapadiko sattadivasaṃ tattha vasitvā sattame divase sakaraṭṭhaṃ gantukāmo gāmā nikkhami. Atha taṃ tathā nikkhantaṃ disvā yakkho aggahesi, atha so taṃ ettakaṃ kālaṃ kuhiṃgatosīti pucchi. Yakkho bho tavatthāya ettha vasantassa me sattāhaṃ atikkantanti. Tato so ko te mayā attho, kiṃ te dammīti, atha yakkhena bho ahaṃ khudāya pīḷito bhattena me atthoti vutto so evaṃ sati kasmā maṃ antogehe vasantaṃ na gaṇhīti āha. Yakkhena bho tasmiṃ ghare buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gato eko upasako atthi, tassa sīlatejena gehaṃ pavisitumasakkonto aṭṭhāsinti vutto jānapadiko saraṇaṃ nāma kinti ajānanto kinti vatvā so saraṇaṃ aggahesīti yakkhaṃ pucchi. Yakkho ‘‘buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmī’’ti vatvā saraṇaṃ aggahesīti āha. Taṃ sutvā jānapadiko idāni imaṃ vañcessāmīti cintetvā tenahi yakkha ahampi buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmīti āha. Evaṃ vuttamatteyeva yakkho mahāsaddaṃ karonto bha ye na bhamanto palāyi, evaṃ sammāsambuddhassa saraṇaṃ idhaloke bhayo paddava nivāraṇatthaṃ hoti, paraloke saggamokkhāvahaṃ. Tathāhi.
Buddhoti vacanaṃ etaṃ, amanussānaṃ bhayāvahaṃ;
Buddhabhattikajantūnaṃ, sabbadā mudamāvahaṃ.
Sabbopaddavanāsāya, paccakkhadibbamosadhaṃ;
Dibbamantaṃ mahātejaṃ, mahāyantaṃ mahabbhutaṃ.
Tasmā so dāruṇo yakkho,
Disvā taṃ saraṇe ṭhithaṃ;
Ubbiggo ca bhayappatto,
Lomahaṭṭho ca chambhīto.
Bhamanto dhāvitaṃ disvā, timirova suriyuggate,
Simbalitūlabhaṭṭhaṃva, caṇḍavātena khaṇḍitaṃ.
Yaṃ dukkhaṃ rājacorāri, yakkhapetā disambhavaṃ;
Nicchantena manussena, gantabbaṃ saraṇattayaṃti.
Tato jānapadiko saraṇāgamane mahāguṇaṃ mahānisaṃsaṃ oloketvā buddhe sagāravo sappemo ‘‘jīvitapariyantaṃ buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmī’’ti saraṇaṃ gantvā teneva saraṇāgamanānubhāvena jīvitapariyosāne suttappabuddhoviya devaloke nibbattīti.
Disvāna evaṃ saraṇaṃ gataṃ taṃ,
Apenti yakkhāpi mahabbhayena;
Pāletha sīlaṃ saraṇañca tasmā,
Jahātha duritaṃ sugatiṃ bhajavhoti.
Yakkhavañcitavatthuṃ pathamaṃ.