1"Bhikkhus, in the past a battle was fought between the devas and the asuras. In that battle, the asuras were victorious and the devas were defeated. Defeated, the devas fled north, pursued by the asuras. Then it occurred to the devas: ‘The asuras are still pursuing us. Let's engage them in battle a second time.’ A second time the devas fought a battle with the asuras, and a second time the asuras were victorious and the devas were defeated. Defeated, the devas [n.1938] Ce and Ee add here bhītā, "frightened," but it seems this word belongs only in the third case, when the devas flee to their city. In Be it occurs only in relation to the third case. fled north, pursued by the asuras.

Then it occurred to the devas: ‘The asuras are still pursuing us. Let's engage them in battle a third time.’ A third time the devas fought a battle with the asuras, and a third time the asuras were victorious and the devas were defeated. Defeated and frightened, the devas entered their city.

"After the devas had entered their city, it occurred to them: ‘Now we’re secure from danger and the asuras cannot do anything to us.’ It also occurred to the asuras: ‘Now the devas are secure from danger and we cannot do anything to them.’

3"In the past, bhikkhus, a battle was fought between the devas and the asuras. In that battle, the devas were victorious and the asuras were defeated. Defeated, the asuras fled south, pursued by the devas. Then it occurred to the asuras: ‘The devas are still pursuing us. Let's engage them in battle a second time.’ A second time the asuras fought a battle with the devas, and a second time the devas were victorious and the asuras were defeated. Defeated, the asuras fled south, pursued by the devas.

4Then it occurred to the asuras: ‘The devas are still pursuing us. Let's engage them in battle a third time.’ A third time the asuras fought a battle with the devas, and a third time the devas were victorious and the asuras were defeated. Defeated and frightened, the asuras entered their city.

"After the asuras had entered their city, it occurred to them: ‘Now we’re secure from danger and the devas cannot do anything to us.’ It also occurred to the devas: ‘Now the asuras are secure from danger and we cannot do anything to them.’

5(1) "So too, bhikkhus, when, secluded from sensual pleasures … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna … on that occasion it occurs to the bhikkhu: ‘Now I am secure from danger and Māra cannot do anything to me.’ It also occurs to Māra the Evil One: ‘Now the bhikkhu is secure against danger and I cannot do anything to him.’

6(2) –(4) "When, with the subsiding of thought and examination, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the second jhāna … the third jhāna … the fourth jhāna … on that occasion it occurs to the bhikkhu: ‘Now I am secure from danger and Māra cannot do anything to me.’ It also occurs to Māra the Evil One: ‘Now the bhikkhu is secure from danger and I cannot do anything to him.’

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7(5) "When, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of forms, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, perceiving ‘space is infinite,’ a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of space, on that occasion he is called a bhikkhu who has blinded Māra, [n.1939] All three editions read here antamakāsi māraṁ. Presumably their editors took this to mean, "who has made an end to Māra." But this is certainly wrong, for two reasons: first, grammatically, this would require the genitive mārassa; and second, it is not true that a meditator in jhāna has "made an end to Māra." Elsewhere we find andhamakāsi māraṁ (at MN I 159,19, I 160,5,10, I 174,15–16, and I 175,5), "he made Māra blind" or "blinded Māra," which makes better sense. Ps II 163,4–8, commenting on MN I 159,19, explains: "He blinded Māra: he did not destroy Māra's eyes, but when a bhikkhu has attained jhāna as a basis for insight, Māra is unable to see the object of his mind. Hence it is said: ‘He blinded Māra’" (andhamakāsi māran ti na mārassa akkhīni bhindi. Vipassanāpādakajjhānaṁ samāpannassa pana bhikkhuno imaṁ nāma ārammaṇaṁ nissāya cittaṁ vattatī ti māro passituṁ na sakkoti. Tena vuttaṁ "andhamakāsi māran" ti). put out Māra's eyes without a trace, [n.1940] Apadaṁ vadhitvā māracakkhuṁ. Mp: "Put out Māra's eyes without a trace: destroyed (them) completely, without remainder (nippadaṁ niravasesaṁ vadhitvā)." At MN I 159,19 –160,12 and MN I 174,15 –175,6 this whole statement is made about all nine meditative attainments, including the four jhānas. There thus seems to be a difference between the textual lineages about the extent to which this statement applies. and gone beyond sight of the Evil One.

8(6) –(9) "When, bhikkhus, by completely surmounting the base of the infinity of space, perceiving ‘consciousness is infinite,’ a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of consciousness …. When, by completely surmounting the base of the infinity of consciousness, perceiving ‘there is nothing,’ a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of nothingness …. When, by completely surmounting the base of nothingness, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception …. When, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his taints are utterly destroyed, on that occasion he is called a bhikkhu who has blinded Māra, put out Māra's eyes, gone beyond sight of the Evil One, and crossed over attachment to the world."

1"Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi. Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, saṅgāme asurā jiniṁsu, devā parājayiṁsu. Parājitā ca, bhikkhave, devā apayiṁsuyeva uttarenābhimukhā, abhiyiṁsu asurā. Atha kho, bhikkhave, devānaṁ etadahosi: ‘abhiyanteva kho asurā. Yannūna mayaṁ dutiyampi asurehi saṅgāmeyyāmā’ti. Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, devā asurehi saṅgāmesuṁ. Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, asurāva jiniṁsu, devā parājayiṁsu. Parājitā ca, bhikkhave, devā apayiṁsuyeva uttarenābhimukhā, abhiyiṁsu asurā.

2Atha kho, bhikkhave, devānaṁ etadahosi: ‘abhiyanteva kho asurā. Yannūna mayaṁ tatiyampi asurehi saṅgāmeyyāmā’ti. Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, devā asurehi saṅgāmesuṁ. Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, asurāva jiniṁsu, devā parājayiṁsu. Parājitā ca, bhikkhave, devā bhītā devapuraṁyeva pavisiṁsu. Devapuragatānañca pana, bhikkhave, devānaṁ etadahosi: ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dāni mayaṁ etarahi attanā viharāma akaraṇīyā asurehī’ti. Asurānampi, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dāni devā etarahi attanā viharanti akaraṇīyā amhehī’ti.

3Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi. Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, saṅgāme devā jiniṁsu, asurā parājayiṁsu. Parājitā ca, bhikkhave, asurā apayiṁsuyeva dakkhiṇenābhimukhā, abhiyiṁsu devā. Atha kho, bhikkhave, asurānaṁ etadahosi: ‘abhiyanteva kho devā. Yannūna mayaṁ dutiyampi devehi saṅgāmeyyāmā’ti. Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, asurā devehi saṅgāmesuṁ. Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, devā jiniṁsu, asurā parājayiṁsu. Parājitā ca, bhikkhave, asurā apayiṁsuyeva dakkhiṇenābhimukhā, abhiyiṁsu devā.

4Atha kho, bhikkhave, asurānaṁ etadahosi: ‘abhiyanteva kho devā. Yannūna mayaṁ tatiyampi devehi saṅgāmeyyāmā’ti. Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, asurā devehi saṅgāmesuṁ. Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, devā jiniṁsu, asurā parājayiṁsu. Parājitā ca, bhikkhave, asurā bhītā asurapuraṁyeva pavisiṁsu.

Asurapuragatānañca pana, bhikkhave, asurānaṁ etadahosi: ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dāni mayaṁ etarahi attanā viharāma akaraṇīyā devehī’ti. Devānampi, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dāni asurā etarahi attanā viharanti akaraṇīyā amhehī’ti.

5Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ samaye bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati, tasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhikkhussa evaṁ hoti: ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dānāhaṁ etarahi attanā viharāmi akaraṇīyo mārassā’ti. Mārassāpi, bhikkhave, pāpimato evaṁ hoti: ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dāni bhikkhu etarahi attanā viharati akaraṇīyo mayhan’ti.

6Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhikkhu vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā … pe … dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ … tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ … catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati, tasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhikkhussa evaṁ hoti: ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dānāhaṁ etarahi attanā viharāmi akaraṇīyo mārassā’ti. Mārassāpi, bhikkhave, pāpimato evaṁ hoti: ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dāni bhikkhu etarahi attanā viharati, akaraṇīyo mayhan’ti.

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7Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhikkhu sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhu antamakāsi māraṁ, apadaṁ vadhitvā māracakkhuṁ adassanaṁ gato pāpimato tiṇṇo loke visattikan’ti.

8Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhikkhu sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati … sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘Natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati … sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati … sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati, paññāya cassa disvā āsavā parikkhīṇā honti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhu antamakāsi māraṁ, apadaṁ vadhitvā māracakkhuṁ adassanaṁ gato pāpimato tiṇṇo loke visattikan’"ti.

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Aṭṭhamaṁ.