1 Thus was heard by me. At one time the Auspicious One was dwelling at Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Place. At that time the Auspicious One was sitting out in the open air in the thick darkness of the night while the rain cloud gently drizzled.

2 Then Mara, the Evil One, wishing to arouse fear, dread and terror in the Auspicious One, having created the form of a huge king serpent, approached the Auspicious One. Indeed, its body was just like a huge boat made from a single tree trunk. Indeed, its hood was just like a large brewer's strainer. Indeed, its eyes were just like a large bronze bowl from Kosala. Indeed, its tongue dashed out just like the streaks of lightening emitting from a thundering cloud. Indeed, the sound of its in and out breathing was just like the sound of a blacksmith's bellow pumping air.

3 So then the Auspicious One having known, this is Mara, the evil one, addressed Mara, the evil one, in verses thus:

“He who frequents empty dwellings,
The abode of the self-controlled sage;
He should live there, having relinguished [other lodgings],
For that is proper for one like him.

Many [creatures] roam about, indeed many terrors,
many flies and creepy crawlers;
That great sage having gone to his empty hut,
does not even raise a hair.

The sky may split, the earth may quake,
and all living beings may be fear-struck;
Even if an arrow were to be aimed at [their] breast,
the awakened ones take no shelter in ownership.”

4 Then Mara, the Evil One, thinking: “The Auspicious One knows me, the well-farer knows me, sad and dejected, disappeared right at that place.”

1 evaṃ me sutaṃ: ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. tena kho pana samayena bhagavā rattandhakāratimisāyaṃ \footnotes{abbhokāse - machasaṃ} nisinno hoti. devo ca ekamekaṃ phusāyati.

2 atha kho māro pāpimā bhagavato bhayaṃ chamhitattaṃ lomahaṃsaṃ uppādetukāmo mahantaṃ sapparājavaṇṇaṃ abhinimminitvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami. seyyathāpi nāma mahatī ekarukkhikā nāvā, evamassa kāyo hoti. seyyathāpi nāma mahantaṃ soṇḍikākilañjaṃ, evamassa phaṇo hoti. seyyathāpi nāma mahanī kosalikā kaṃsapātī, evamassa akkhīni bhavanti. seyyathāpi nāma deve galagalāyante vijjullatā niccharanti, evamassa mukhato jivhā niccharati. seyyathāpi nāma kammāragaggariyā dhamamānāya saddo hoti, evamassa assāsapassāsānaṃ saddo hoti.

3 atha kho bhagavā māro ayaṃ pāpimā iti viditvā māraṃ pāpimantaṃ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

yo suññagehāni sevati,
seyyā so muni attasaññato;
vossajja careyya tattha so,
patirūpaṃ hi tathāvidhassa taṃ.

carakā bahū bheravā bahū,
atho ḍaṃsasiriṃsapā\footnotes{ḍaṃsasarisapā - machasaṃ} bahū;
lomampi na tattha\footnotes{tattha na - machasaṃ, syā} iñjaye,
suññāgāragato mahāmuni.

nabhaṃ phaleyya paṭhavī caleyya,
sabbe ca pāṇā uda santaseyyuṃ;
sallampi ce urasi pakappayeyyuṃ\footnotes{pakampayeyyuṃ - sīmu},
upadhīsu tāṇaṃ na karonti buddhāti.

4 atha kho māro pāpimā jānāti maṃ bhagavā, jānāti maṃ sugatoti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.