Māra transforms himself into a snake to frighten the Buddha (SA-2.28)

Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha on Gijjhakūṭa Mountain.

At that time, in the middle of the night, the World-honored One was practicing walking meditation in the open. Having washed his feet, he entered his silent abode, sat upright and focused his attention in front of him. Then, King Māra the Bad had this thought: “The renunciant Gotama staying in Rājagaha on Gijjhakūṭa Mountain is practicing walking meditation in the open. I should go and disturb him.”

At that time King Māra changed into a huge snake that was long and thick like a large boat. With a pair of eyes glittering brightly like a bronze bowl from the land of Kosala, tongue flicking in and out like lightning and breath heaving like thunder, it stood before the Buddha and coiled its body around him. Then, it bent its neck forward, and lowered its head on to the head of the Buddha. The Buddha, who knew that this was Māra trying to disturb him, spoke this verse:

“I live in complete solitude /
the mind focused in true liberation,
in quiet meditation and physical cultivation /
according to the teaching of the former Buddhas.

Poisonous snakes, fierce and violent /
of terrifying appearance,
constrictor snakes and vermin: /
all these disturbances /
cannot stir even one hair on my body /
much less frighten me.

If the sky broke apart /
or the great earth shook,
all beings /
would feel great terror;
but to frighten me /
is not possible.

Even if you aimed a poisoned arrow /
at my heart,
the moment the arrow struck /
I would not seek protection;
nevertheless the poisoned arrow /
cannot penetrate.”

When King Māra heard the Buddha speak this verse he thought: “The Gotama renunciant knows my mind!” and he became deeply afraid. Depressed and dispirited, he made himself invisible and returned to his heavenly palace.

Translation by Marcus Bingenheimer, 2005–8 (minor revisions 2009). First version published in Buddhist Studies Review vol. 23.1 (2006). The translations used here were revised by the translator and published in his Studies in Āgama Literature—with Special Reference to the Shorter Chinese Saṁyuktāgama, Dharma Drum Buddhist College, 2010.

Translated from the Taishō text of the CBETA-Database (Version Feb. 2006). All sutta titles added by the translator.

This series of translations were part of the project “A Digital Comparative Edition of the Bieyi za ahan jing” conducted at the Chung-hwa Institute for Buddhist Studies (中華佛學研究所) and the Dharma Drum Buddhist College (法鼓佛教研修學院), funded by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange (蔣經國國際學術交流基金會). The full project, including parallel Chinese, Pali, and Sanskrit texts, is available online here.

Used with kind permission of the translator.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.