The name serī here is from siri (“auspiciousness, good luck”). He does not appear elsewhere.

Also at SN 1.43:1.1.

The moral of this story is echoed in SN 3.18:9.1.

Sharing wealth is a moral act. | Dīyittha is passive reflexive aorist of √dā.

Visible good deeds encourage others.

“Dwindled” is paṭikkami, literally “went backwards”. This sense is also recorded for Sanskrit pratikram.