1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Then the nun Āḷavikā robed up in the morning and, taking her bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. She wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on her return from alms-round, she went to the Dark Forest seeking seclusion.

Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the nun Āḷavikā feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make her fall away from seclusion, went up to her and addressed her in verse:

2“There’s no escape in the world,
so what will seclusion do for you?
Enjoy the delights of sensual pleasure;
don’t regret it later.”

3Then the nun Āḷavikā 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 seclusion!”

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

4“There is an escape in the world,
and I’ve personally experienced it with wisdom.
O Wicked One, kinsman of the negligent,
you don’t know that place.

5Sensual pleasures are like swords and stakes;
the aggregates are their chopping block.
What you call sensual delight
has become no delight for me.”

6Then Māra the Wicked, thinking: “The nun Āḷavikā knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Atha kho āḷavikā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami vivekatthinī.

Atha kho māro pāpimā āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo vivekamhā cāvetukāmo yena āḷavikā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āḷavikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: 

2"Natthi nissaraṇaṁ loke,
kiṁ vivekena kāhasi;
Bhuñjassu kāmaratiyo,
māhu pacchānutāpinī"ti.

3Atha kho āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi: "ko nu khvāyaṁ manusso vā amanusso vā gāthaṁ bhāsatī"ti?

Atha kho āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi: "māro kho ayaṁ pāpimā mama bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo vivekamhā cāvetukāmo gāthaṁ bhāsatī"ti.

Atha kho āḷavikā bhikkhunī "māro ayaṁ pāpimā" iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāhi paccabhāsi: 

4"Atthi nissaraṇaṁ loke,
paññāya me suphussitaṁ;
Pamattabandhu pāpima,
na tvaṁ jānāsi taṁ padaṁ.

5Sattisūlūpamā kāmā,
khandhāsaṁ adhikuṭṭanā;
Yaṁ tvaṁ kāmaratiṁ brūsi,
arati mayha sā ahū"ti.

6Atha kho māro pāpimā "jānāti maṁ āḷavikā bhikkhunī"ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.