425“During my time of resolute striving
on the bank of the Nerañjara River,
I was meditating very hard
for the sake of finding sanctuary.

426 Namucī approached,
speaking words of kindness:
‘You’re thin, discolored,
on the verge of death.

427 Death has a thousand parts of you,
one fraction is left to life.
Live sir! Life is better!
Living, you can make merits.

428 While leading the spiritual life
and serving the sacred flame,
you can pile up abundant merit—
so what will striving do for you?

429 Hard to walk is the path of striving,
hard to do, a hard challenge to win.’”
These are the verses Māra spoke
as he stood beside the Buddha.

430 When Māra had spoken in this way,
the Buddha said this:
“O Wicked One, kinsman of the negligent,
you’re here for your own purpose.

431 I have no need for
the slightest bit of merit.
Those with need for merit
are fit for Māra to address.

432 I have faith and energy too,
and wisdom is found in me.
When I am so resolute,
why do you beg me to live?

433 The rivers and streams
might be dried by the wind,
so why, when I am resolute,
should it not dry up my blood?

434 And while the blood is drying up,
the bile and phlegm dry too.
And as my muscles waste away,
my mind grows more serene.
And all the stronger grow mindfulness
and wisdom and immersion.

435 As I meditate like this,
having attained the supreme feeling,
my mind has no interest in sensual pleasures:
behold a being’s purity!

436 Sensual pleasures are your first army,
the second is called discontent,
hunger and thirst are the third,
and the fourth is said to be craving.

437 Your fifth is dullness and drowsiness,
the sixth is said to be cowardice,
your seventh is doubt,
contempt and obstinacy are your eighth.

438 Profit, praise, and honor,
and misbegotten fame;
the extolling of oneself
while scorning others.

439 This is your army, Namucī,
the strike force of the Dark One.
Only a hero can defeat it,
but in victory there lies bliss.

440 Let me gird myself—
so what if I die!
I’d rather die in battle
than live on in defeat.

441 Here some ascetics and brahmins
are swallowed up, not to be seen again.
They do not know the path
traveled by those true to their vows.

442 Seeing Māra ready on his mount,
surrounded by his bannered forces,
I shall meet them in battle—
they’ll never make me retreat!

443 That army of yours has never been beaten
by the world with all its gods.
Yet I shall smash it with wisdom,
like an unfired pot with a stone.

444 Having brought my thoughts under control,
and established mindfulness well,
I shall wander from country to country,
guiding many disciples.

445 Diligent and resolute,
following my instructions,
they will proceed despite your will,
to where there is no sorrow.”

446 “For seven years I followed
step by step behind the Blessed One.
I found no vulnerability
in the mindful Awakened One.

447 A crow once circled a stone
that looked like a lump of fat.
‘Perhaps I’ll find something tender,’ it thought,
‘perhaps there’s something tasty.’

448 But finding nothing tasty,
the crow left that place.
Like the crow that pecked the stone,
I leave Gotama disappointed.”

449 So stricken with sorrow
that his harp dropped from his armpit,
that spirit, downcast,
vanished right there.

425"Taṁ maṁ padhānapahitattaṁ,
nadiṁ nerañjaraṁ pati;
Viparakkamma jhāyantaṁ,
yogakkhemassa pattiyā.

426 Namucī karuṇaṁ vācaṁ,
bhāsamāno upāgami;
‘ Kiso tvamasi dubbaṇṇo,
santike maraṇaṁ tava.

427 Sahassabhāgo maraṇassa,
ekaṁso tava jīvitaṁ;
Jīva bho jīvitaṁ seyyo,
jīvaṁ puññāni kāhasi.

428 Carato ca te brahmacariyaṁ,
Aggihuttañca jūhato;
Pahūtaṁ cīyate puññaṁ,
Kiṁ padhānena kāhasi.

429 Duggo maggo padhānāya,
dukkaro durabhisambhavo’";
Imā gāthā bhaṇaṁ māro,
aṭṭhā buddhassa santike.

430 Taṁ tathāvādinaṁ māraṁ,
bhagavā etadabravi;
"Pamattabandhu pāpima,
yenatthena idhāgato.

431 Aṇumattopi puññena,
Attho mayhaṁ na vijjati;
Yesañca attho puññena,
Te māro vattumarahati.

432 Atthi saddhā tathā viriyaṁ,
paññā ca mama vijjati;
Evaṁ maṁ pahitattampi,
kiṁ jīvamanupucchasi.

433 Nadīnamapi sotāni,
ayaṁ vāto visosaye;
Kiñca me pahitattassa,
lohitaṁ nupasussaye.

434 Lohite sussamānamhi,
Pittaṁ semhañca sussati;
Maṁsesu khīyamānesu,
Bhiyyo cittaṁ pasīdati;
Bhiyyo sati ca paññā ca,
Samādhi mama tiṭṭhati.

435 Tassa mevaṁ viharato,
Pattassuttamavedanaṁ;
Kāmesu nāpekkhate cittaṁ,
Passa sattassa suddhataṁ.

436 Kāmā te paṭhamā senā,
Dutiyā arati vuccati;
Tatiyā khuppipāsā te,
Catutthī taṇhā pavuccati.

437 Pañcamaṁ thinamiddhaṁ te,
Chaṭṭhā bhīrū pavuccati;
Sattamī vicikicchā te,
Makkho thambho te aṭṭhamo.

438 Lābho siloko sakkāro,
Micchāladdho ca yo yaso;
Yo cattānaṁ samukkaṁse,
Pare ca avajānati.

439 Esā namuci te senā,
Kaṇhassābhippahārinī;
Na naṁ asūro jināti,
Jetvā ca labhate sukhaṁ.

440 Esa muñjaṁ parihare,
Dhiratthu mama jīvitaṁ;
Saṅgāme me mataṁ seyyo,
Yañce jīve parājito.

441 Pagāḷhettha na dissanti,
Eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā;
Tañca maggaṁ na jānanti,
Yena gacchanti subbatā.

442 Samantā dhajiniṁ disvā,
Yuttaṁ māraṁ savāhanaṁ;
Yuddhāya paccuggacchāmi,
Mā maṁ ṭhānā acāvayi.

443 Yaṁ te taṁ nappasahati,
Senaṁ loko sadevako;
Taṁ te paññāya bhecchāmi,
Āmaṁ pattaṁva asmanā.

444 Vasīkaritvā saṅkappaṁ,
Satiñca sūpatiṭṭhitaṁ;
Raṭṭhā raṭṭhaṁ vicarissaṁ,
Sāvake vinayaṁ puthū.

445 Te appamattā pahitattā,
Mama sāsanakārakā;
Akāmassa te gamissanti,
Yattha gantvā na socare".

446 "Satta vassāni bhagavantaṁ,
Anubandhiṁ padāpadaṁ;
Otāraṁ nādhigacchissaṁ,
Sambuddhassa satīmato.

447 Medavaṇṇaṁva pāsāṇaṁ,
Vāyaso anupariyagā;
Apettha muduṁ vindema,
Api assādanā siyā.

448 Aladdhā tattha assādaṁ,
Vāyasetto apakkami;
Kākova selamāsajja,
Nibbijjāpema gotamaṁ".

449 Tassa sokaparetassa,
Vīṇā kacchā abhassatha;
Tato so dummano yakkho,
Tatthevantaradhāyathāti.