[620] On one occasion the Blessed One, wandering on tour among the Kosalans together with a great Saṅgha of bhikkhus, arrived at Nāḷandā. There the Blessed One dwelt at Nāḷandā in Pāvārika's Mango Grove. Now on that occasion Nāḷandā was stricken by famine, a time of scarcity when subsistence was hard to come by, blighted white, with the people surviving on ration tickets. On that occasion the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta was residing at Nāḷandā together with a large assembly of Nigaṇṭhas. Then Asibandhakaputta the headman, a disciple of the Nigaṇṭhas, approached the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta; having approached, he paid homage to the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta and sat down to one side. As he sat to one side, the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta said this to Asibandhakaputta the headman: "Come, headman, refute the doctrine of the ascetic Gotama. Thus a fair report of your fame will spread: 'The doctrine of the ascetic Gotama — one of such great might, of such great power — has been refuted by Asibandhakaputta the headman.'"
"But how, venerable sir, am I to refute the doctrine of the ascetic Gotama, one of such great might, of such great power?"
"Come, headman, approach the ascetic Gotama; having approached, say this to the ascetic Gotama: 'Venerable sir, does not the Blessed One in many ways praise sympathy for families, praise their protection, praise compassion for them?' If, headman, the ascetic Gotama, being asked thus, answers thus: 'So it is, headman: the Tathāgata in many ways praises sympathy for families, praises their protection, praises compassion for them,' then you should say this to him: 'Then why, venerable sir, does the Blessed One wander on tour together with a great Saṅgha of bhikkhus at Nāḷandā, which is stricken by famine, a time of scarcity when subsistence is hard to come by, blighted white, with the people surviving on ration tickets? The Blessed One is practicing for the annihilation of families; the Blessed One is practicing for the misfortune of families; the Blessed One is practicing for the ruin of families.' When the ascetic Gotama is asked this two-pronged question by you, headman, he will be able neither to spit it out nor to swallow it down."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.