SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 5 Connected Discourses With Nuns – Bhikkhunīsaṁyutta > SN 5.1 With Āḷavikā

Linked Discourses 5.1 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 5.1

1. Nuns – 1. Bhikkhunīvagga

SN 5.1 With Āḷavikā – Āḷavikāsutta

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Then the nun Āḷavikā robed up in the morning and, taking her bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms.

Atha kho āḷavikā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.

She wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on her return from almsround, she went to the Dark Forest seeking seclusion.

Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami vivekatthinī.

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:

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

“There’s no escape in the world,

“Natthi nissaraṇaṁ loke,

so what will seclusion do for you?

kiṁ vivekena kāhasi;

Enjoy the delights of sensual pleasure;

Bhuñjassu kāmaratiyo,

don’t regret it later.”

māhu pacchānutāpinī”ti.

Then the nun Āḷavikā thought,

Atha kho āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:

“Who’s speaking this verse, a human or a non-human?”

“ko nu khvāyaṁ manusso vā amanusso vā gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti?

Then she thought,

Atha kho āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:

“This is Māra the Wicked, wanting to make me feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make me fall away from seclusion!”

“māro kho ayaṁ pāpimā mama bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo vivekamhā cāvetukāmo gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti.

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

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

“There is an escape in the world,

“Atthi nissaraṇaṁ loke,

and I’ve personally experienced it with wisdom.

paññāya me suphussitaṁ;

O Wicked One, kinsman of the negligent,

Pamattabandhu pāpima,

you don’t know that place.

na tvaṁ jānāsi taṁ padaṁ.

Sensual pleasures are like swords and stakes;

Sattisūlūpamā kāmā,

the aggregates are their chopping block.

khandhāsaṁ adhikuṭṭanā;

What you call sensual delight

Yaṁ tvaṁ kāmaratiṁ brūsi,

has become no delight for me.”

arati mayha sā ahū”ti.

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

Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṁ āḷavikā bhikkhunī”ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.