1.
To me, whose mind was intent upon exertion near the river Nera/ńg/arâ, having exerted myself, and given myself to meditation for the sake of acquiring Nibbâna (yogakkhema),

2.
Came Namu/k/i speaking words full of compassion: 'Thou art lean, ill-favoured, death is in thy neighbourhood.

3.
'A thousandth part of thee (is the property) of death, (only) one part (belongs to) life; living life, O thou venerable one, is better; living thou wilt be able to do good works.

4.
'When thou livest a religious life, and feedest the sacrificial fire, manifold good works are woven to thee; what dost thou want with exertion?

5.
'Difficult is the way of exertion, difficult to pass, difficult to enter upon;' saying these verses Mâra stood near Buddha.

6.
To Mâra thus speaking Bhagavat said this: 'O thou friend of the indolent, thou wicked one, for what purpose hast thou come here?

7.
'Even the least good work is of no use to me; and what good works are required, Mâra ought to tell.

8.
'I have faith and power, and understanding is found in me; while thus exerting myself, why do you ask me to live?

9.
'This (burning) wind will dry up even the currents of the rivers; should it not by degrees dry up my blood, while I am exerting myself?

10.
'While the blood is drying up, the bile and the phlegm are dried up; while the flesh is wasting away, the mind gets more tranquil, and my attention, understanding, and meditation get more steadfast.

11.
'While I am living thus, after having felt the extreme sensations, my mind does not look for sensual pleasures; behold a being's purity.

12.
'Lust thy first army is called, discontent thy second, thy third is called hunger and thirst, thy fourth desire.

13.
'Thy fifth is called sloth and drowsiness, thy sixth cowardice, thy seventh doubt, thy eighth hypocrisy and stupor,

14.
'Gain, fame, honour, and what celebrity has been falsely obtained; and he who exalts himself and despises others .

15.
'This, O Namu/k/i, is thine, the black one's, fighting army; none but a hero conquers it, and after conquering it obtains joy.

16.
'Woe upon life in this world! death in battle is better for me than that I should live defeated.

17.
'Plunged into this world some Sama/n/as and Brâma/n/as are not seen, and they do not know the way in which the virtuous walk.

18.
'Seeing on all sides an army arrayed, and Mâra on his elephant, I am going out to do battle, that he may not drive me away from my place.

19.
'This army of thine, which the world of men and gods cannot conquer, I will crush with understanding as (one crushes) an unbaked earthen pot with a stone.

20.
'Having made my thought subject to me and my attention firm, I shall wander about from kingdom to kingdom, training disciples extensively.

21.
'They (will be) zealous and energetic, executing my orders, (the orders) of one free from lust, and they will go (to the place) where, having gone, they will not mourn.'

22.
Mâra: 'For seven years I followed Bhagavat step by step; I found no fault in the perfectly enlightened, thoughtful (Buddha).

23.
'The crow hovered round the rock that looked like (a lump of) fat: "Do we here find something soft, is it something sweet?"

24.
'Having obtained nothing sweet there, the crow went away from that spot. Thus like the crow approaching the rock, being disgusted, we shall go away from Gotama.'

25.
While overcome with sorrow the string of his lute slipped down; then that evil-minded Yakkha disappeared there.