While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to the monk Tissa.

After taking a meditation topic from the Buddha, monk Tissa was diligently practicing meditation when he fell ill. Small boils appeared all over his body and developed into large sores, and when these burst, his robes became sticky and stained with body fluids, giving off a terrible smell. For this reason he became known as Putigattatissa, Tissa of the stinking body.

The Buddha, who surveyed the world with his divine vision twice daily, saw Venerable Putigatta Tissa within the net of his sight at dawn, and knowing the monk was ripe for arahatship, thought, "This monk has been abandoned by his companions; at present he has no refuge but me."

The Buddha went to the fire-room, pretending to be making his rounds, washed the boiler, set it to heat, and when the monks offered to carry Tissa there for him, they did so. The Buddha then had Tissa's upper garment washed thoroughly in hot water and laid out to dry, while he himself moistened and bathed Tissa's body with warm water.

Once the garment had dried, Tissa was clothed in it, and his under garment was likewise washed and dried in turn. Refreshed in body and tranquil in mind, Tissa lay down, and the Buddha, standing at his pillow, told him, "Monk, consciousness will depart from you, your body will become useless, and like a log will lie on the ground."

At the end of this discourse, monk Tissa attained arahatship together with analytical insight, and soon after passed away.