1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Benares, in the deer park at Isipatana. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants!”

“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Mendicants, I have attained and realized supreme freedom through proper attention and proper effort. You too should attain and realize supreme freedom through proper attention and proper effort.”

Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:

3“You’re bound by Māra’s snares,
both human and divine.
You’re bound by Māra’s bonds:
you won’t escape me, ascetic!”

4“I’m freed from Māra’s snares,
both human and divine.
I’m freed from Māra’s bonds.
You’re beaten, terminator!”

5Then Māra … vanished right there.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ vihārati isipatane migadāye. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "bhikkhavo"ti.

"Bhadante"ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: 

2"Mayhaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yoniso manasikārā yoniso sammappadhānā anuttarā vimutti anuppattā, anuttarā vimutti sacchikatā. Tumhepi, bhikkhave, yoniso manasikārā yoniso sammappadhānā anuttaraṁ vimuttiṁ anupāpuṇātha, anuttaraṁ vimuttiṁ sacchikarothā"ti.

Atha kho māro pāpimā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: 

3"Baddhosi mārapāsena,
ye dibbā ye ca mānusā;
Mārabandhanabaddhosi,
na me samaṇa mokkhasī"ti.

4"Muttāhaṁ mārapāsena,
Ye dibbā ye ca mānusā;
Mārabandhanamuttomhi,
Nihato tvamasi antakā"ti.

5Atha kho māro pāpimā … pe … tatthevantaradhāyīti.