According to the biographical literature about the Buddha, Devadatta was a rival of Prince Siddhārtha in the military arts. Early sutras say he brought schism to the Saṃgha. For example, according to the Saṃghabhedakkhandhaka (Cullavagga, V11.3) Devadatta offered to replace the Buddha, then advanced in years, at the head of the Saṃgha. “WorldHonored One, you are old and aged; entrust the community to me.” The Buddha refused and censured his self-interest. In anger, Devadatta left the Saṃgha. Thereupon the Buddha announced that Devadatta’s speech and conduct bore no relation to Buddhism. Devadatta went to Prince Ajātaśatru, incited him to usurp the throne, and planned various schemes for the Buddha’s destruction. Nevertheless, all his plans failed: his hired assassins became converted, the rock he threw from the top of Vulture Peak merely grazed the Buddha, and the maddened elephant prostrated itself before Śākyamuni. Devadatta then decided to provoke a schism in the Saṃgha, and went to the Buddha proposing five rules to be made compulsory for monks (bhikṣus):

1. That they should spend their lives in the forest (āraññaka); entering a town should be a sin.
2. That they should live only on what they had received through begging (piṇdapātika); receiving food requested should be a sin.
3. That they should wear only clothes made of rags from dust heaps (paṃsukūlika); receiving the clothing of the laity should be a sin.
4. That they should dwell at the foot of a tree (rukkhamūlika); entering a dwelling should be a sin.
5. That they should not eat fish or meat; doing so should be a sin. (Some sources say “milk and butter” instead of “fish and meat.”)

When the Buddha refused to sanction these rules, Devadatta went to Vesāli (Vaiśālī), won five hundred Vajji (Vṛji) monks to his way of thinking, and set up a separate community at Gayāsisa.

The early sutras record that Devadatta fell into hell for his evil action in splitting the Saṃgha.