sakkaccaṃ bhāsato taṃ me nisāmayatha sādhavoti.

Tattha petavatthūti seṭṭhiputtādikassa tassa tassa sattassa petabhāvahetubhūtaṃ kammaṃ, tassa pana pakāsanavasena pavatto "khettūpamā arahanto"tiādiko pariyattidhammo idha "petavatthū"ti adhippeto.

Tayidaṃ petavatthu kena bhāsitaṃ, kattha bhāsitaṃ, kadā bhāsitaṃ, kasmā ca bhāsitanti. Vuccate:- idaṃ hi petavatthu duvidhena pavattaṃ aṭṭhuppattivasena pucchāvissajjanavasena ca. Tattha yaṃ aṭṭhuppattivasena pavattaṃ, taṃ bhagavatā bhāsitaṃ, itaraṃ nāradattherādīhi pucchitaṃ tehi tehi petehi bhāsitaṃ. Satthā pana yasmā nāradattherādīhi tasmiṃ tasmiṃ pucchāvissajjane ārocite taṃ taṃ aṭṭhuppattiṃ katvā sampattaparisāya dhammaṃ desesi, tasmā sabbampetaṃ petavatthu satthārā bhāsitameva nāma jātaṃ. Pavattitavaradhammacakke hi satthari tattha tattha rājagahādīsu viharante yebhuyyena tāya tāya aṭṭhuppattiyā pucchāvissajjanavasena sattānaṃ kammaphalapaccakkhakaraṇāya taṃ taṃ petavatthu desanāruḷhanti ayaṃ tāvettha "kena bhāsitan"tiādīnaṃ padānaṃ sādhāraṇato vissajjanā. Asādhāraṇato pana tassa tassa vatthussa atthavaṇṇanāyameva āgamissati.

Taṃ panetaṃ petavatthu vinayapiṭakaṃ suttantapiṭakaṃ abhidhammapiṭakanti tīsu piṭakesu