1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu viharati himavantapadese araññakuṭikāyaṁ.At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kosalans, in a wilderness hut on the slopes of the Himalayas.

1.2Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:Then as he was in private retreat this thought came to his mind,1.3“sakkā nu kho rajjaṁ kāretuṁ ahanaṁ aghātayaṁ ajinaṁ ajāpayaṁ asocaṁ asocāpayaṁ dhammenā”ti?“I wonder if it’s possible to rule legitimately, without killing or having someone kill for you; without conquering or having someone conquer for you; without sorrowing or causing sorrow?”¹

2.1Atha kho māro pāpimā bhagavato cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:And then Māra the Wicked, knowing the Buddha’s train of thought, went up to him and said,2.2“kāretu, bhante, bhagavā rajjaṁ, kāretu, sugato, rajjaṁ ahanaṁ aghātayaṁ ajinaṁ ajāpayaṁ asocaṁ asocāpayaṁ dhammenā”ti.“Rule, Blessed One! Rule, Holy One! Rule legitimately, without killing or having someone kill for you; without conquering or having someone conquer for you; without sorrowing or causing sorrow!”²

2.3“Kiṁ pana me tvaṁ, pāpima, passasi yaṁ maṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadesi:“But what do you see, Wicked One, that you say this to me?”2.4‘kāretu, bhante, bhagavā rajjaṁ, kāretu sugato, rajjaṁ ahanaṁ aghātayaṁ ajinaṁ ajāpayaṁ asocaṁ asocāpayaṁ dhammenā’”ti?

2.5“Bhagavatā kho, bhante, cattāro iddhipādā bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā.“The Blessed One, sir, has developed and cultivated the four bases for psychic power, made them a vehicle and a basis, kept them up, consolidated them, and properly implemented them.2.6Ākaṅkhamāno ca, bhante, bhagavā himavantaṁ pabbatarājaṁ suvaṇṇaṁ tveva adhimucceyya suvaṇṇañca panassā”ti.If he wished, the Blessed One need only determine that the Himalaya, king of mountains, was gold, and it would turn into gold.”

3.1“Pabbatassa suvaṇṇassa,“Take a golden mountain,3.2jātarūpassa kevalo;entirely of native gold, and double it—3.3Dvittāva nālamekassa,it’s still not enough for one!3.4iti vidvā samañcare.Knowing this, live a moral life.

4.1Yo dukkhamaddakkhi yatonidānaṁ,∥When a personage has seen where suffering comes from4.2Kāmesu so jantu kathaṁ nameyya;how could they incline toward sensual pleasures?4.3Upadhiṁ viditvā saṅgoti loke,Realizing that attachment is a chain in the world,4.4Tasseva jantu vinayāya sikkhe”ti.a personage would train to remove it.”

5.1Atha 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.

5.2Dutiyo vaggo.

6.0Tassuddānaṁ

6.1Pāsāṇo sīho sakalikaṁ,6.2Patirūpañca mānasaṁ;6.3Pattaṁ āyatanaṁ piṇḍaṁ,6.4Kassakaṁ rajjena te dasāti.