sutta » sn » sn5 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 5.1

Āḷavikāsutta

With Āḷavikā Āḷavikā

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.
Thus have I heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.

Atha kho āḷavikā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.
Then the nun Āḷavikā robed up in the morning and, taking her bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms.
Then, in the morning, the bhikkhunī Āḷavikā dressed and, taking bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms.

Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami vivekatthinī.
She wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on her return from almsround, she went to the Dark Forest seeking seclusion.
When she had walked for alms in Sāvatthī and had returned from her alms round, after her meal she went to the Blind Men’s Grove seeking seclusion.

Atha kho māro pāpimā āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo vivekamhā cāvetukāmo yena āḷavikā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āḷavikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
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:
Then Māra the Evil One, desiring to arouse fear, trepidation, and terror in the bhikkhunī Āḷavikā, desiring to make her fall away from seclusion, approached her and addressed her in verse:

“Natthi nissaraṇaṁ loke,
“There’s no escape in the world,
“There is no escape in the world,

kiṁ vivekena kāhasi;
so what will seclusion do for you?
So what will you do with seclusion?

Bhuñjassu kāmaratiyo,
Enjoy erotic delights;
Enjoy the delights of sensual pleasure:

māhu pacchānutāpinī”ti.
don’t regret it later.”
Don’t be remorseful later!”

Atha kho āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:
Then the nun Āḷavikā thought,
Then it occurred to the bhikkhunī Āḷavikā:

“ko nu khvāyaṁ manusso vā amanusso vā gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti?
“Who’s speaking this verse, a human or a non-human?”
“Now who is it that recited the verse—a human being or a nonhuman being?”

Atha kho āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:
Then she thought,
Then it occurred to her:

“māro kho ayaṁ pāpimā mama bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo vivekamhā cāvetukāmo gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti.
“This is Māra the Wicked, wanting to make me feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make me fall away from seclusion!”
“This is Māra the Evil One, who has recited the verse desiring to arouse fear, trepidation, and terror in me, desiring to make me fall away from seclusion. ”

Atha kho āḷavikā bhikkhunī “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāhi paccabhāsi:
Then Āḷavikā, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, replied to him in verse:
Then the bhikkhunī Āḷavikā, having understood, “This is Māra the Evil One, ” replied to him in verses:

“Atthi nissaraṇaṁ loke,
“There is an escape in the world,
“There is an escape in the world

paññāya me suphussitaṁ;
and I’ve personally experienced it with wisdom.
Which I have closely touched with wisdom.

Pamattabandhu pāpima,
O Wicked One, kinsman of the negligent,
O Evil One, kinsman of the negligent,

na tvaṁ jānāsi taṁ padaṁ.
you don’t know that place.
You do not know that state.

Sattisūlūpamā kāmā,
Sensual pleasures are like swords and spears;
“Sensual pleasures are like swords and stakes;

khandhāsaṁ adhikuṭṭanā;
the aggregates are their chopping block.
The aggregates like their chopping block.

Yaṁ tvaṁ kāmaratiṁ brūsi,
What you call erotic delight
What you call sensual delight

arati mayha sā ahū”ti.
has become no delight for me.”
Has become for me nondelight. ”

Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṁ āḷavikā bhikkhunī”ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.
Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The nun Āḷavikā knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.
Then Māra the Evil One, realizing, “The bhikkhunī Āḷavikā knows me, ” sad and disappointed, disappeared right there.