Dhammapada 15.2: 2. Māravatthu

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Susukhaṃ vata jīvāmāti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā pañcasālāya brāhmaṇagāme viharanto māraṃ ārabbha kathesi.

Oh, happily let us live! This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence in the Brahman village Pañcasālā with reference to Māra.

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Ekadivasañhi satthā pañcasatānaṃ kumārikānaṃ sotāpattimaggassūpanissayaṃ disvā taṃ gāmaṃ upanissāya vihāsi. Tāpi kumārikāyo ekasmiṃ nakkhattadivase nadiṃ gantvā nhatvā alaṅkatapaṭiyattā gāmābhimukhiyo pāyiṃsu. Satthāpi taṃ gāmaṃ pavisitvā piṇḍāya carati. Atha māro sakalagāmavāsīnaṃ sarīre adhimuccitvā yathā satthā kaṭacchubhattamattampi na labhati, evaṃ katvā yathādhotena pattena nikkhamantaṃ satthāraṃ gāmadvāre ṭhatvā āha – ‘‘api, samaṇa, piṇḍapātaṃ labhitthā’’ti. ‘‘Kiṃ pana tvaṃ, pāpima, tathā akāsi, yathāhaṃ piṇḍaṃ na labheyya’’nti? ‘‘Tena hi, bhante, puna pavisathā’’ti. Evaṃ kirassa ahosi – ‘‘sace puna pavisati, sabbesaṃ sarīre adhimuccitvā imassa purato pāṇiṃ paharitvā hassakeḷiṃ karissāmī’’ti. Tasmiṃ khaṇe tā kumārikāyo gāmadvāraṃ patvā satthāraṃ disvā vanditvā ekamantaṃ aṭṭhaṃsu. Māropi satthāraṃ āha – ‘‘api, bhante, piṇḍaṃ alabhamānā jighacchādukkhena pīḷitatthā’’ti. Satthā ‘‘ajja mayaṃ, pāpima, kiñci alabhitvāpi ābhassaraloke mahābrahmāno viya pītisukheneva vītināmessāmā’’ti vatvā imaṃ gāthamāha –

For one day the Teacher perceived that five hundred maidens possessed the faculties requisite for attaining the Fruit of Conversion, and therefore went and took up his residence near this village. Now on a certain festival day those maidens went to the river and bathed, and having so done, adorned themselves with rich apparel and jewels and set out in the direction of the village. Accordingly the Teacher also entered that village and went about the village receiving alms. Now Māra took possession of the bodies of all the inhabitants of that village, with the result that the Teacher received not so much as a spoonful of boiled rice. As the Teacher departed from that village with bowl clean as it had been washed, Māra took his stand at the gate of that village and said to him, "Monk, you received no alms?" "Embodiment of evil, why have you so wrought that I should receive no alms?" "Very well, Reverend Sir, enter the village again." This thought, we are told, was in Māra's mind, "If he enters the village again, I will take possession of the bodies of all the villagers and will cause them to clap their hands before his face, laugh in his face, and make all manner of fun of him."

At that moment those maidens reached the gate of the village, and seeing the Teacher, saluted him and stood respectfully on one side. Then said Māra to the Teacher, "Reverend Sir, seeing that you received not a morsel of food, you must be oppressed with the pangs of hunger." The Teacher replied, "Embodiment of evil, though to-day we received naught, yet shall we spend the day in the bliss

of joy, like Great Brahmā in the Heaven of the Bright Gods." So saying, he pronounced the following Stanza,

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‘‘Susukhaṃ vata jīvāma, yesaṃ no natthi kiñcanaṃ;
Pītibhakkhā bhavissāma, devā ābhassarā yathā’’ti.

200. Oh, happily let us live! we who possess naught;
Let us live on the food of joy, like the Bright Gods.

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Tattha yesaṃ noti yesaṃ amhākaṃ palibujjhanatthena rāgādīsu kiñcanesu ekampi kiñcanaṃ natthi. Pītibhakkhāti yathā ābhassarā devā pītibhakkhā hutvā pītisukheneva vītināmenti, evaṃ mayampi, pāpima, kiñci alabhitvā pītibhakkhā bhavissāmāti attho.

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Desanāvasāne pañcasatāpi kumārikāyo sotāpattiphale patiṭṭhahiṃsūti.

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Māravatthu dutiyaṃ.