Māratajjanīyasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 50

The Rebuke of Māra · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Yo ve buddhena codito,
bhikkhu saṅghassa pekkhato;
Migāramātupāsādaṁ,
pādaṅguṭṭhena kampayi.
Yo etamabhijānāti,
bhikkhu buddhassa sāvako;
Tādisaṁ bhikkhumāsajja,
kaṇha dukkhaṁ nigacchasi.

I’m the one who, urged by the Buddha, shook the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother with his big toe as the Saṅgha of mendicants watched. Dark One, if you attack a mendicant who directly knows this, a disciple of the Buddha, you’ll fall into suffering.

Yo vejayantaṁ pāsādaṁ,
pādaṅguṭṭhena kampayi;
Iddhibalenupatthaddho,
saṁvejesi ca devatā.
Yo etamabhijānāti,
bhikkhu buddhassa sāvako;
Tādisaṁ bhikkhumāsajja,
kaṇha dukkhaṁ nigacchasi.

I’m the one who shook the Palace of Victory with his big toe owing to psychic power, inspiring deities to awe. Dark One, if you attack a mendicant who directly knows this, a disciple of the Buddha, you’ll fall into suffering.

Yo vejayantapāsāde,
sakkaṁ so paripucchati;
Api vāsava jānāsi,
taṇhākkhayavimuttiyo;
Tassa sakko viyākāsi,
pañhaṁ puṭṭho yathātathaṁ.
Yo etamabhijānāti,
bhikkhu buddhassa sāvako;
Tādisaṁ bhikkhumāsajja,
kaṇha dukkhaṁ nigacchasi.

I’m the one who asked Sakka in the Palace of Victory: ‘Vāsava, I hope you recall the one who is freed through the ending of craving?’ And I’m the one to whom Sakka admitted the truth when asked. Dark One, if you attack a mendicant who directly knows this, a disciple of the Buddha, you’ll fall into suffering.

Yo brahmaṁ paripucchati,
sudhammāyābhito sabhaṁ;
Ajjāpi tyāvuso diṭṭhi,
yā te diṭṭhi pure ahu;
Passasi vītivattantaṁ,
brahmaloke pabhassaraṁ.
Tassa brahmā viyākāsi,
anupubbaṁ yathātathaṁ;
Na me mārisa sā diṭṭhi,
yā me diṭṭhi pure ahu.
Passāmi vītivattantaṁ,
brahmaloke pabhassaraṁ;
Sohaṁ ajja kathaṁ vajjaṁ,
ahaṁ niccomhi sassato.
Yo etamabhijānāti,
bhikkhu buddhassa sāvako;
Tādisaṁ bhikkhumāsajja,
kaṇha dukkhaṁ nigacchasi.

I’m the one who asked the Divinity in the Hall of Clear Right before the assembly: ‘Respectable sir, do you still have the same view that you had in the past? Or do you see the radiance surpassing the realm of divinity?’ And I’m the one to whom the Divinity truthfully admitted his progress: ‘Good fellow, I don’t have that view that I had in the past. I see the radiance surpassing the realm of divinity. So how could I say today that I am permanent and eternal?’ Dark One, if you attack a mendicant who directly knows this, a disciple of the Buddha, you’ll fall into suffering.

Yo mahāmeruno kūṭaṁ,
vimokkhena aphassayi;
Vanaṁ pubbavidehānaṁ,
ye ca bhūmisayā narā.
Yo etamabhijānāti,
bhikkhu buddhassa sāvako;
Tādisaṁ bhikkhumāsajja,
kaṇha dukkhaṁ nigacchasi.

I’m the one who touched the peak of Mount Meru using the power of meditative liberation. I’ve visited the forests of the people who dwell in the land east of Videha. Dark One, if you attack a mendicant who directly knows this, a disciple of the Buddha, you’ll fall into suffering.

Na ve aggi cetayati,
‘ahaṁ bālaṁ ḍahāmī’ti;
Bālo ca jalitaṁ aggiṁ,
āsajja naṁ sa ḍayhati.
Evameva tuvaṁ māra,
āsajja naṁ tathāgataṁ;
Sayaṁ ḍahissasi attānaṁ,
bālo aggiṁva samphusaṁ.
Apuññaṁ pasavī māro,
āsajja naṁ tathāgataṁ;
Kiṁ nu maññasi pāpima,
na me pāpaṁ vipaccati.
Karoto cīyati pāpaṁ,
cirarattāya antaka;
Māra nibbinda buddhamhā,
āsaṁ mākāsi bhikkhusu.
Iti māraṁ atajjesi,
bhikkhu bhesakaḷāvane;
Tato so dummano yakkho,
tatthevantaradhāyathā”ti.
Māratajjanīyasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dasamaṁ.
Cūḷayamakavaggo niṭṭhito pañcamo.

Though a fire doesn’t think, ‘I’ll burn the fool!’ Still the fool who attacks the fire gets burnt. In the same way, Māra, in attacking the Realized One, you’ll only burn yourself, like a fool touching the flames. Māra’s done a bad thing in attacking the Realized One. Wicked One, do you imagine that your wickedness won’t bear fruit? Your deeds heap up wickedness that will last a long time, terminator! Give up on the Buddha, Māra! And hold no hope for the mendicants!” That is how, in the Bhesekaḷā grove, the mendicant warned Māra. That spirit, downcast, disappeared right there.

Tassuddānaṁ
Sāleyya verañjaduve ca tuṭṭhi,
Cūḷamahādhammasamādānañca;
Vīmaṁsakā kosambi ca brāhmaṇo,
Dūsī ca māro dasamo ca vaggo.

Its summary: Sāleyya, the two at Verañja, and satisfaction, the shorter and greater discourse on taking up of dhammas; Vīmaṁsaka, Kosambi, and the brahmin, Dūsī and Māra, the tenth chapter.

Idaṁ vaggānamuddānaṁ
Mūlapariyāyo ceva,
sīhanādo ca uttamo;
Kakaco ceva gosiṅgo,
sāleyyo ca ime pañca.
Mūlapaṇṇāsakaṁ samattaṁ.

This is the summary of the sections: The Root of All Things, and the Supreme Lion's Roar; The Saw, and Gosiṅga, and the Sāleyyaka — these five. The First Fifty is completed.

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