BUDDHACARITA 13.17: Māra - Not Only God of Greed, But Also King of Fear

−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−   Upajāti (Vāṇī)

tasmād ayaṁ nārhati puṣpa-bāṇaṁ na harṣaṇaṁ nāpi rater niyogam |

−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−

arhaty ayaṁ bhūta-gaṇair asaumyaiḥ saṁtrāsanātarjana-tāḍanāni || 13.17

13.17

Therefore this calls not for the flower-arrow,

Nor for a Thrilling, nor for the deployment of Fun;

This man merits,

at the non-too-gentle hands of demon throngs,

Frights, rebukes, and beatings.”

COMMENT:

Māra, “The Destroyer,” personification of death and destruction to true dharma, is not only the God of Love, who works through greed, but also the King of Hate, who works through fear.

The Buddha tells Nanda in SN Canto 16:

When a man sees a separate bodily form as decrepit, that insight of his is accurate; / In seeing accurately he is disenchanted, and from the ending of exuberance ends the red taint of passion. // SN16.44 // By the ending of the duality which is exuberance and gloom, I submit, his mind is fully set free. / And when his mind is fully liberated from that duality, there is nothing further for him to do. // SN16.45 //

So the Buddha seems to encourage Nanda to have confidence in an ending of the duality of plus/minus which is a more complete liberation from suffering – and a more complete defeat of Māra – than, say, practice and experience of the fourth dhyāna.

Maybe the sam- in pratītya-samutpāda is relevant here – not only pratītyotpāda, springing up, by going back, but pratītya-samutpāda, a complete springing up, as a result of having gone back. The prefix sam-, according to the MW dictionary, expresses conjunction, union, thoroughness, intensity, completeness.

VOCABULARY

tasmāt: ind. therefore

ayam (nom. sg. m.): this one

na: not

arhati = 3^rd pers. sg. arh: to deserve, be worthy (acc.)

puṣpa-bāṇam (acc. sg. m.): the flower arrow

na: not

harṣaṇam (acc. sg.): m. " gladdener " , N. of one of the five arrows of kāma-deva Bcar. ; n. bristling , erection ; n. erection of the sexual organ , sexual excitement ; n. the act of delighting , delight , joy , happiness

na: not

api: also, either

rateh (gen. sg.): f. Fun ; the pleasure of love , sexual passion or union , amorous enjoyment (often personified as one of the two wives of kāma-deva , together with prīti)

niyogam (acc. sg.): m. tying or fastening to ; employment , use , application ;injunction , order , command ( °gāt ind. , or °gena ind. by order of , ifc.) , commission , charge , appointed task or duty , business (esp. the appointing a brother or any near kinsman to raise up issue to a deceased husband by marrying his widow)

arhati = 3^rd pers. sg. arh: to deserve

ayam (nom. sg. m.): this one

bhūta-gaṇaiḥ (inst. pl.): m. the host of living beings ; a multitude of spirits or ghosts

asaumyaiḥ (inst. pl.): mfn. unlovely , disagreeable , displeasing

saṁtrāsanātarjana-tāḍanāni (acc. pl. n.): acts of scaring, abusing, and striking

saṁ-trāsana: n. (fr. Caus.) the act of terrifying , alarming

ātarjana: n. the act of abusing

ā- √ tarj: Caus. (impf. ātarjayat) to scold , abuse

tāḍana: n. striking , beating , thumping , whipping , chastising , hammering (of gold &c ) (often ifc. with the instrument)

非復以此箭 及天三玉女
所能移其心 令起於愛恚
當更合軍衆 以力強逼迫