Some verses in the Sagathavaggasamyutta, for example in the Nandanavagga, are given without a speaker or place.
Can we say with any confidence that they are spoken by the Buddha? Or would that be just an unreasonable guess?
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Well, ownership of verses is not a straightforward matter, as they are often repeated by more than one speaker.
The default position of the traditions would be that where nothing is specified, it is to be attributed to the Buddha. In most cases, that’s clearly the intent of the redactors, too, so it represents the beliefs of the Buddhist community within a century or two of the Buddha’s life. As a rule, I’d assume that it is probably the case, unless there’s reason to think otherwise.
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