SN 5.3 With Kisāgotamī

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Atha kho kisāgotamī bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.

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

Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami, upasaṅkamitvā divāvihārāya.

She wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on her return from almsround, she went to the Dark Forest for the day’s meditation,

Andhavanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.

plunged deep into it, and sat at the root of a tree to meditate.

Atha kho māro pāpimā kisāgotamiyā bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo samādhimhā cāvetukāmo yena kisāgotamī bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā kisāgotamiṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

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

“Kiṁ nu tvaṁ mataputtāva,

“Why do you sit alone and cry

ekamāsi rudammukhī;

as if your children have died?

Vanamajjhagatā ekā,

You’ve come to the woods all alone—

purisaṁ nu gavesasī”ti.

are you looking for a man?”

Atha kho kisāgotamiyā bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:

Then the nun Kisāgotamī thought,

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

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

Atha kho kisāgotamiyā bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:

Then she thought,

“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!”

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

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

“Accantaṁ mataputtāmhi,

“I’ve got over the death of children,

purisā etadantikā;

and I’m finished with men.

Na socāmi na rodāmi,

I don’t grieve or lament,

na taṁ bhāyāmi āvuso.

and I’m not afraid of you, sir!

Sabbattha vihatā nandī,

Relishing is banished in every respect,

tamokkhandho padālito;

and the mass of darkness is shattered.

Jetvāna maccuno senaṁ,

I’ve defeated the army of death,

viharāmi anāsavā”ti.

and live without defilements.”

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

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