English
Carrying a golden bowl filled with milk-rice, she bowed her head. Thinking, "I will offer a sacrifice to the tree-god who dwells here"; Going there, seeing that best of bipeds. Thinking it was the tree-god, with uplifted mind, she gave the bowl of excellent milk-rice; "May my hopes be fulfilled, and may yours also be fulfilled, O Lord." Having spoken these words, that excellent woman departed from there; Then the foremost of sages, taking that bowl of milk-rice. Going to the bank of the Nerañjarā river, having eaten that excellent food; He cast that lovely bowl against the current. Free from the stain of lust, anger, and delusion, Adorned like a grove of blossoming Sāla trees; Like the Nandana grove of the king of gods, delightful, The best of sages went to the most excellent mango grove. Having spent the day there in meditation, in the evening; He went with the grace of a lion towards the Bodhi tree. Brahmās, gods, asuras, great serpents, and kings of birds, Crowded around the path of the foremost of bipeds; The grass-cutter Sotthiya, a brahmin, seeing him, Gave him a handful of grass. Like a shower of rain, blue lotuses and water lilies, Fell as the best of bipeds went. With fine sandalwood powder and various fragrant incense, There was no space in the sky as the best of bipeds went. With jeweled parasols and beautiful golden banners, There was no space in the sky as the best of bipeds went. Even with thousands of instruments played by the Maruts, There was no space in the sky as the best of bipeds went. The sound of divine drums... Even by the Maruts, making double efforts, There is no space for you in the sky, O Best of bipeds, as you go. 228. Even by the celestial nymphs, singing in concert in various ways, There is no space for you in the sky, O Best of bipeds, as you go. 229. Delightful were the Kinnara-damsels, Delightful the maidens with serpent-like hips; Delightful were the dances and songs there, Delightful in many ways they occurred. 230. Then, like a great flood with mighty paths, As it flowed, so the greatly famous one, Taking hold of grass, the sole leader of the triple world, Approached the Bodhi-tree, the best of trees. 231. Like a mountain of vermilion, a silver mountain, or a golden mountain, The Best of bipeds made a circumambulation of the Bodhi-tree. 232. In the eastern direction, on the immovable, destroyer of battles, On the earth, the wise one stood and shook the handful of grass. 233. Immediately there was a couch of seven cubits, Then, seeing that wonder, the greatly wise one reflected. 234. "Let skin, sinew, bone, marrow, flesh, and blood dry up; I will not give up effort," he said. 235. Having firmly crossed his legs in the unconquered posture, The Best of bipeds sat down there, facing the east. 236. The king of gods, Indra, taking up the conch of the God of gods, Stood there, blowing it with a hundred and twenty twists. 237. Like a second full moon, a white parasol of three yojanas, The Great Brahma Sahampati stood, holding it properly. 238. Suyāma, the lord of gods, taking up a beautiful chowrie, Stood there, fanning slowly for three gavutas. 239. The celestial musician Pañcasikha, taking up a Beluva lute, Stood there, playing it with various rhythms. 240. Singing songs of praise, attended by actresses, So too stood the Nāga king, named Kāla. 241. Taking golden caskets filled with celestial flowers, Thirty-two maidens stood, offering worship. 242. While such a great festival was proceeding with those hosts of gods, Then Māra the Evil One thought thus: 243. "This prince wishes to go beyond my domain; Siddhat Then, "Now I will do Siddhattha harm." 244. Creating a terrifying, huge thousand arms, Gathering with them blazing various weapons; Mounting a beautiful elephant, like a mountain peak, Fierce, one and a half hundred yojanas long. 245. With various faces, hair like flames, Eyes bulging red and round; With a fearsome mouth, teeth bared, like a serpent's cave, He was surrounded by an army with various weapons. 246. Arriving there, roaring terribly, "Seize Siddhattha, bind him!" Commanding the host of gods, with his mere appearance, He drove them away like fierce blue smoke rising. 247. Creating a sound like thunder rumbling in a cave, And wind, for that fortunate one; Not even the tip of a hair of his beautiful, Excellent ear was moved; so powerful was the End-maker. 248. Then, causing a terrifying, dreadful rain Like the force of a deluge at the world's end, He could not bring even a drop of water Near the Incomparable One; seeing this wonder, he was very disheartened. 249. Utterly terrifying, blazing with flames, A stream of weapons, ashes, and mud; A stream of burning charcoal and sand, He rained down all these things. 250. By the power and might of Māra, descending from the sky, Reaching the peak of merit, the vicinity of the Buddha, They all turned into garlands, Even so, there was darkness, terrible darkness, in the world. 251. Even creating the darkness of delusion, The light of his body, like hundreds of rays of the sun rising, Became more beautiful, exceedingly lovely, Seeing that mass of light and merit, the evil-minded one. 252. With a face reddened by anger, brows furrowed, Bearing an utterly fearsome, deformed appearance; In that very fierce and sharp battle, He hurled the discus weapon, quickly, even at Mount Meru. 253. As if to cut through a thick banana trunk, He hurled it, but it could do nothing to the mine of virtues; He was not able to do anything to him, so he went away, Going into the sky, flowers and parasols... She struck his head. 254. Though released by the army, troubled by rock peaks and fire, going through the sky, they reached a garland state. 255. Seeing that too, full of sorrow, he went to the presence of the steadfast one; "This very seat of yours, is unconquered by me." 256. "Rise up from this seat," thus he spoke to the wise one; "The seat is for you, Māra, not for one who has done good deeds." 257. "Who is your witness?" he said, "These all are my witnesses," the evil one, facing the army, stretched out his hand. 258. "With a terrible roar, I am the witness, I am the witness," by that army too, having made them declare their witness, he thus addressed him. 259. "Who is your witness, Siddhattha?" Then by him, the incomparable one, "Here I have no witnesses, Māra," he said, being mindful. 260. Like golden lightning emerging from a dark cloud, drawing out his right hand from his reddish lower robe, 261. turning it towards the earth, "Why, on the ground of perfections," having roared, "At the foundation," the earth was silent. 262. Releasing a sound like hundreds of thunderclaps, the elephant of the Buddha's power, well-established on its knees. 263. "Seeing, now it seizes, now it seizes," thinking thus, like a snake with broken fangs, his pride destroyed, very ill-humored. 264. Abandoning weapons, clothes, and ornaments of many kinds, as far as the circle of the world, he fled with his army. 265. Seeing that Māra's army, frightened, sorrowful, fleeing, the hosts of gods said, "This is Māra's defeat, victory to Prince Siddhattha." 266. Rejoicing, honoring the steadfast one with fragrant offerings, they came again with many praises, making loud proclamations, wearing festive attire. 267. Thus, the steadfast one, having destroyed Māra's army, of great strength, sat on the immovable seat, as the sun was setting. 268. In the first watch, the supreme knowledge of former abodes, having purified, in the middle watch, the divine eye. 269. Then in the last watch, on dependent origination, having brought down the knowledge, he reflected in many ways. Having perfectly resonated a hundred world-spheres at dawn, Having become Buddha, the All-Enlightened One, with eyes of Buddhahood. "Through many births I wandered in saṃsāra," and so on; With such words, He uttered this utterance, similar to the force of joy. Reflecting on the qualities of that throne in many ways, "I will not rise from this throne yet," He thought. He attained attainments, hundreds of millions; The Teacher remained there for a week, seated on the immovable seat. "Even today, surely, the wise Siddhattha, the glorious one, Has some task to perform; therefore, the seat is his abode." "He has not abandoned it," some deities doubted; Knowing their thought, with a mind at peace, to dispel it. Rising up like a golden swan, golden-hued, radiant, Ascending into the sky, the Lord performed a miracle. Thus, with this thought, he honored and gazed upon the Bodhi tree, Without blinking, for a week, at the victorious seat. In that lovely jeweled promenade, adorned with radiant rays, In the delightful jeweled abode, the pure one discerned the pure Dhamma. At the root of that excellent king of banyan trees, He caused the pure lotuses of Māra's host to wither; Then at the root of Mucalinda, He awakened the lotus-like minds of the serpent king. At the root of that Rājāyatana tree, Finding the bliss of attainment, The wise one, with a lovely hue, spent forty-nine days. Water from Lake Anotatta, a toothpick of Nāga creeper, Myrobalan fruit, having eaten, the best offered by the king of gods. A lump of honey brought by merchants, Having accepted it in a bowl offered by the great king. At the end of the meal, to the root of the banyan tree, Having gone, he reflected on the profundity of the Dhamma he had attained. "This Dhamma, which supports the earth, is like a mass of water, Profound is the Dhamma I have attained, peaceful," and so on. Reflecting on the profundity of the Dhamma, the Dhamma-king, mindful, Sat Thus to penetrate this Dhamma, 286. Striving, delightful to those seeking attainment; Having cut off the head, adorned with a crest jewel. 287. Having gouged out the eyes, deceived, drawing out blood;