Vijayāsutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho vijayā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā …pe… aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi. Atha kho māro pāpimā vijayāya bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo samādhimhā cāvetukāmo yena vijayā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vijayaṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

At Sāvatthī. Then the nun Vijayā robed up in the morning … and sat at the root of a tree for the day’s meditation. Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the nun Vijayā feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make her fall away from immersion, went up to her and addressed her in verse:

“Daharā tvaṁ rūpavatī, ahañca daharo susu; Pañcaṅgikena turiyena, ehayyebhiramāmase”ti.

“You’re so young and beautiful, and I’m a youth in my prime. Come, my lady, let us enjoy the music of a five-piece band.”

Atha kho vijayāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi: “ko nu khvāyaṁ manusso vā amanusso vā gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti? Atha kho vijayāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi: “māro kho ayaṁ pāpimā mama bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo samādhimhā cāvetukāmo gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti. Atha kho vijayā bhikkhunī “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāhi paccabhāsi:

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

“Rūpā saddā rasā gandhā, phoṭṭhabbā ca manoramā; Niyyātayāmi tuyheva, māra nāhaṁ tenatthikā.

“Sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and touches so delightful. I hand them right back to you, Māra, for I have no use for them.

Iminā pūtikāyena, bhindanena pabhaṅgunā; Aṭṭīyāmi harāyāmi, kāmataṇhā samūhatā.

This body is rotting, decaying and frail. I’m horrified and repelled by it, and I’ve eradicated sensual craving.

Ye ca rūpūpagā sattā, ye ca arūpaṭṭhāyino; Yā ca santā samāpatti, sabbattha vihato tamo”ti.

There are beings in the realm of luminous form, and others stuck in the formless. I’ve destroyed the darkness regarding all such peaceful attainments.”

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

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