SN 5.1 With Āḷavikā

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Atha kho āḷavikā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.

Then the nun Āḷavikā robed up in the morning and, taking her bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms.

Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami vivekatthinī.

She wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on her return from almsround, she went to the Dark Forest seeking seclusion.

Atha kho māro pāpimā āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo vivekamhā cāvetukāmo yena āḷavikā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āḷavikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the nun Āḷavikā feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make her fall away from seclusion, went up to her and addressed her in verse:

“Natthi nissaraṇaṁ loke,

“There’s no escape in the world,

kiṁ vivekena kāhasi;

so what will seclusion do for you?

Bhuñjassu kāmaratiyo,

Enjoy erotic delights;

māhu pacchānutāpinī”ti.

don’t regret it later.”

Atha kho āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:

Then the nun Āḷavikā thought,

“ko nu khvāyaṁ manusso vā amanusso vā gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti?

“Who’s speaking this verse, a human or a non-human?”

Atha kho āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:

Then she thought,

“māro kho ayaṁ pāpimā mama bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo vivekamhā 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 seclusion!”

Atha kho āḷavikā bhikkhunī “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāhi paccabhāsi:

Then Āḷavikā, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, replied to him in verse:

“Atthi nissaraṇaṁ loke,

“There is an escape in the world,

paññāya me suphussitaṁ;

and I’ve personally experienced it with wisdom.

Pamattabandhu pāpima,

O Wicked One, kinsman of the negligent,

na tvaṁ jānāsi taṁ padaṁ.

you don’t know that state.

Sattisūlūpamā kāmā,

Sensual pleasures are like swords and spears;

khandhāsaṁ adhikuṭṭanā;

the aggregates are their chopping block.

Yaṁ tvaṁ kāmaratiṁ brūsi,

What you call erotic delight

arati mayha sā ahū”ti.

is now no delight for me.”

Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṁ āḷavikā bhikkhunī”ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The nun Āḷavikā knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.