SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 5 Connected Discourses With Nuns – Bhikkhunīsaṁyutta > SN 5.2 With Somā

Linked Discourses 5.2 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 5.2

1. Nuns – 1. Bhikkhunīvagga

SN 5.2 With Somā – Somāsutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

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

Atha kho somā 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,

Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami divāvihārāya.

plunged deep into it, and sat at the root of a tree for the day’s meditation.

Andhavanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.

Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the nun Somā feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make her fall away from samādhi, went up to her and addressed her in verse:

Atha kho māro pāpimā somāya bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo samādhimhā cāvetukāmo yena somā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā somaṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“That state’s very challenging;

“Yaṁ taṁ isīhi pattabbaṁ,

it’s for the sages to attain.

ṭhānaṁ durabhisambhavaṁ;

It’s not possible for a woman,

Na taṁ dvaṅgulapaññāya,

with her two-fingered wisdom.”

sakkā pappotumitthiyā”ti.

Then the nun Somā thought,

Atha kho somāya 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 somāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:

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

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

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

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

“What difference does womanhood make

“Itthibhāvo kiṁ kayirā,

when the mind is serene,

cittamhi susamāhite;

and knowledge is present

Ñāṇamhi vattamānamhi,

as you rightly discern the Dhamma.

sammā dhammaṁ vipassato.

Surely someone who might think:

Yassa nūna siyā evaṁ,

‘I am woman’, or ‘I am man’,

Itthāhaṁ purisoti vā;

or ‘I am’ anything at all,

Kiñci vā pana aññasmi,

is fit for Māra to address.”

Taṁ māro vattumarahatī”ti.

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

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