SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 5 Connected Discourses With Nuns – Bhikkhunīsaṁyutta > SN 5.3 With Kisāgotamī

Linked Discourses 5.3 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 5.3

1. Nuns – 1. Bhikkhunīvagga

SN 5.3 With Kisāgotamī – Kisāgotamīsutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

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

Atha kho kisāgotamī 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, upasaṅkamitvā 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 Kisāgotamī 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 kisāgotamiyā bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo samādhimhā cāvetukāmo yena kisāgotamī bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā kisāgotamiṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“Why do you sit alone and cry

“Kiṁ nu tvaṁ mataputtāva,

as if your children have died?

ekamāsi rudammukhī;

You’ve come to the woods all alone—

Vanamajjhagatā ekā,

you must be looking for a man!”

purisaṁ nu gavesasī”ti.

Then the nun Kisāgotamī thought,

Atha kho kisāgotamiyā 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 kisāgotamiyā 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 Kisāgotamī, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, replied to him in verse:

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

“I’ve got over the death of children,

“Accantaṁ mataputtāmhi,

and I’m finished with men.

purisā etadantikā;

I don’t grieve or lament,

Na socāmi na rodāmi,

and I’m not afraid of you, sir!

na taṁ bhāyāmi āvuso.

Relishing is destroyed in every respect,

Sabbattha vihatā nandī,

and the mass of darkness is shattered.

tamokkhandho padālito;

I’ve defeated the army of death,

Jetvāna maccuno senaṁ,

and live without defilements.”

viharāmi anāsavā”ti.

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

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