1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2Atha kho vijayā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā …pe…Then the nun Vijayā robed up in the morning …¹1.3aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.and sat at the root of a tree for the day’s meditation.

1.4Atha kho māro pāpimā vijayāya bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo samādhimhā cāvetukāmo yena vijayā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vijayaṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the nun Vijayā feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make her fall away from immersion, went up to her and addressed her in verse:

2.1“Daharā tvaṁ rūpavatī,“You’re so young and beautiful,²2.2ahañca daharo susu;and I’m a youth in my prime.2.3Pañcaṅgikena turiyena,Come, my lady, let us enjoy2.4ehayyebhiramāmase”ti.the music of a five-piece band.”³

3.1Atha kho vijayāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:Then the nun Vijayā thought,3.2“ko nu khvāyaṁ manusso vā amanusso vā gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti?“Who’s speaking this verse, a human or a non-human?”

3.3Atha kho vijayāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:Then she thought,3.4“māro kho ayaṁ pāpimā mama bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo samādhimhā cāvetukāmo gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti.“This is Māra the Wicked, wanting to make me feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make me fall away from immersion!”

3.5Atha kho vijayā bhikkhunī “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāhi paccabhāsi:Then Vijayā, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, replied to him in verse:

4.1“Rūpā saddā rasā gandhā,“Sights, sounds, tastes, smells,4.2phoṭṭhabbā ca manoramā;and touches so delightful.4.3Niyyātayāmi tuyheva,I hand them right back to you, Māra,4.4māra nāhaṁ tenatthikā.for I have no use for them.

5.1Iminā pūtikāyena,This body is rotting,5.2bhindanena pabhaṅgunā;decaying and frail.5.3Aṭṭīyāmi harāyāmi,I’m horrified and repelled by it,5.4kāmataṇhā samūhatā.and I’ve eradicated sensual craving.

6.1Ye ca rūpūpagā sattā,There are beings in the realm of luminous form,⁴6.2ye ca arūpaṭṭhāyino;and others stuck in the formless.6.3Yā ca santā samāpatti,I’ve destroyed the darkness6.4sabbattha vihato tamo”ti.regarding all such peaceful attainments.”

7.1Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṁ vijayā bhikkhunī”ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The nun Vijayā knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.