Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.
Tatra kho bhagavā …pe… etadavoca:
There the Buddha … said:
“Appamidaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ āyu.
“Mendicants, the lifespan of humans is short.
Gamanīyo samparāyo, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ.
You must go to the next life. So you should do what is skillful, you should practice the spiritual life.
Natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.
No-one born is immortal.
Yo, bhikkhave, ciraṁ jīvati, so vassasataṁ appaṁ vā bhiyyo”ti.
A long life is a hundred years or a little more.”
Atha kho māro pāpimā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:
“Nāccayanti ahorattā,
“The days and nights don’t rush by,
Jīvitaṁ nūparujjhati;
and life isn’t cut short.
Āyu anupariyāyati maccānaṁ,
The life of mortals keeps rolling on,
Nemīva rathakubbaran”ti.
like a chariot’s rim around the hub.”
“Accayanti ahorattā,
“The days and nights rush by,
jīvitaṁ uparujjhati;
and then life is cut short.
Āyu khīyati maccānaṁ,
The life of mortals wastes away,
kunnadīnaṁva odakan”ti.
like the water in tiny streams.”
Atha 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.
Paṭhamo vaggo.
Tassuddānaṁ
Tapokammañca nāgo ca,
subhaṁ pāsena te duve;
Sappo supati nandanaṁ,
āyunā apare duveti.
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
So I have heard.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.
There the Buddha … said:
“Mendicants, the lifespan of humans is short.
You must go to the next life. So you should do what is skillful, you should practice the spiritual life.
No-one born is immortal.
A long life is a hundred years or a little more.”
Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:
“The days and nights don’t rush by,
and life isn’t cut short.
The life of mortals keeps rolling on,
like a chariot’s rim around the hub.”
“The days and nights rush by,
and then life is cut short.
The life of mortals wastes away,
like the water in tiny streams.”
Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The Buddha knows me! The Holy One knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
Tatra kho bhagavā …pe… etadavoca:
“Appamidaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ āyu.
Gamanīyo samparāyo, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ.
Natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.
Yo, bhikkhave, ciraṁ jīvati, so vassasataṁ appaṁ vā bhiyyo”ti.
Atha kho māro pāpimā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
“Nāccayanti ahorattā,
Jīvitaṁ nūparujjhati;
Āyu anupariyāyati maccānaṁ,
Nemīva rathakubbaran”ti.
“Accayanti ahorattā,
jīvitaṁ uparujjhati;
Āyu khīyati maccānaṁ,
kunnadīnaṁva odakan”ti.
Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṁ bhagavā, jānāti maṁ sugato”ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.
Paṭhamo vaggo.
Tassuddānaṁ
Tapokammañca nāgo ca,
subhaṁ pāsena te duve;
Sappo supati nandanaṁ,
āyunā apare duveti.