sutta » sn » sn5 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 5.2

Somāsutta

With Somā Somā

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
At Sāvatthī.

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

Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami divāvihārāya.
She wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on her return from almsround, she went to the Dark Forest for the day’s meditation,
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 for the day’s abiding.

Andhavanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.
plunged deep into it, and sat at the root of a tree to meditate.
Having plunged into the Blind Men’s Grove, she sat down at the foot of a tree for the day’s abiding.

Atha kho māro pāpimā somāya bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo samādhimhā cāvetukāmo yena somā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā somaṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the nun Somā feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make her fall away from immersion, went up to her and addressed her in verse:
Then Māra the Evil One, desiring to arouse fear, trepidation,and terror in the bhikkhunī Somā, desiring to make her fall away from concentration, approached her and addressed her in verse:

“Yaṁ taṁ isīhi pattabbaṁ,
“That state’s very challenging;
“To be attained by the seers,

ṭhānaṁ durabhisambhavaṁ;
it’s for the sages to attain.
is that state so hard to achieve.

Na taṁ dvaṅgulapaññāya,
It’s not possible for a woman,
With her two-fingered wisdom,

sakkā pappotumitthiyā”ti.
with her two-fingered wisdom.”
it can’t be attained by a woman.”

Atha kho somāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:
Then the nun Somā thought,
Then it occurred to the bhikkhunī Somā:

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

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

“māro kho ayaṁ pāpimā mama bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo samādhimhā 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 immersion!”
“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 concentration. ”

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

“Itthibhāvo kiṁ kayirā,
“What difference does womanhood make
“What does womanhood matter at all

cittamhi susamāhite;
when the mind is serene,
When the mind is concentrated well,

Ñāṇamhi vattamānamhi,
and knowledge is present
When knowledge flows on steadily

sammā dhammaṁ vipassato.
as you rightly discern the Dhamma.
As one sees correctly into Dhamma.

Yassa nūna siyā evaṁ,
Surely someone who might think:
“One to whom it might occur,

Itthāhaṁ purisoti vā;
‘I am woman’, or ‘I am man’,
‘I’m a woman’ or ‘I’m a manʹ

Kiñci vā pana aññasmi,
or ‘I am’ anything at all,
Or ‘I’m anything at all’—

Taṁ māro vattumarahatī”ti.
is fit for Māra to address.”
Is fit for Māra to address. ”

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