1.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhamūle paṭhamābhisambuddho.At one time, when he was first awakened, the Buddha was staying in Uruvelā at the root of the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River.

1.3Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā rattandhakāratimisāyaṁ abbhokāse nisinno hoti, devo ca ekamekaṁ phusāyati.Now at that time the Buddha was meditating in the open during the dark of night, while a gentle rain drizzled down.¹

1.4Atha kho māro pāpimā bhagavato bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo mahantaṁ hatthirājavaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami.Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the Buddha feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, manifested in the form of a big elephant king and approached him.1.5Seyyathāpi nāma mahāariṭṭhako maṇi;Its head was like a big block of soapstone.1.6evamassa sīsaṁ hoti.1.7Seyyathāpi nāma suddhaṁ rūpiyaṁ;Its tusks were like pure silver.1.8evamassa dantā honti.1.9Seyyathāpi nāma mahatī naṅgalīsā;Its trunk was like a long plough pole.1.10evamassa soṇḍo hoti.

1.11Atha kho bhagavā “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:Then the Buddha, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, addressed him in verse:

2.1“Saṁsaraṁ dīghamaddhānaṁ,“Transmigrating for such a long time,2.2Vaṇṇaṁ katvā subhāsubhaṁ;you’ve made forms beautiful and ugly.2.3Alaṁ te tena pāpima,Enough of this, Wicked One!2.4Nihato tvamasi antakā”ti.You’re beaten, terminator!”

3.1Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṁ bhagavā, jānāti maṁ sugato”ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The Buddha knows me! The Holy One knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.