sn.5.5 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Uppalavaṇṇa

At Savatthi. Then, in the morning, the bhikkhuni Uppalavaṇṇa dressed … she stood at the foot of a sal tree in full flower.

Then Mara the Evil One, desiring to arouse fear, trepidation, and terror in the bhikkhuni Uppalavaṇṇa, desiring to make her fall away from concentration, approached her and addressed her in verse:

“Having gone to a sal tree with flowering top,
You stand at its foot all alone, bhikkhuni.
There is none whose beauty rivals yours:
Foolish girl, aren’t you afraid of rogues?”

Then it occurred to the bhikkhuni Uppalavaṇṇa: “Now who is this…? This is Mara the Evil One … desiring to make me fall away from concentration.”

Then the bhikkhuni Uppalavaṇṇa, having understood, “This is Mara the Evil One,” replied to him in verses:

“Though a hundred thousand rogues
Just like you might come here,
I stir not a hair, I feel no terror;
Even alone, Mara, I don’t fear you.

“I can make myself disappear
Or I can enter inside your belly.
I can stand between your eyebrows
Yet you won’t catch a glimpse of me.

“I am the master of my mind,
The bases of power are well developed;
I am freed from all bondage,
Therefore I don’t fear you, friend.”

Then Mara the Evil One, realizing, “The bhikkhuni Uppalavaṇṇa knows me,” sad and disappointed, disappeared right there.

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

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With Uppalavaṇṇā

At Sāvatthī.
Then the nun Uppalavaṇṇā robed up in the morning …
and stood at the root of a sal tree in full flower.
Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the nun Uppalavaṇṇā feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make her fall away from immersion, went up to her and addressed her in verse:
“You’ve come to this sal tree all crowned with flowers,
and stand at its root all alone, O nun.
Your beauty is second to none;
silly girl, aren’t you afraid of rascals?”
Then the nun Uppalavaṇṇā thought,
“Who’s speaking this verse, a human or a non-human?”
Then she thought,
“This is Māra the Wicked, wanting to make me feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make me fall away from immersion!”
Then Uppalavaṇṇā, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, replied to him in verse:
“Even if 100,000 rascals like you
were to come here,
I’d stir not a hair nor panic.
I’m not scared of you, Māra, even alone.
I’ll vanish,
or I’ll enter your belly;
I could stand between your eyebrows
and you still wouldn’t see me.
I’m the master of my own mind,
I’ve developed the bases of psychic power well.
I’m free from all bonds,
and I’m not afraid of you, sir!”
Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The nun Uppalavaṇṇā knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.