SN 4.2

Hatthirājavaṇṇasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhamūle paṭhamābhisambuddho. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā rattandhakāratimisāyaṁ abbhokāse nisinno hoti, devo ca ekamekaṁ phusāyati. Atha kho māro pāpimā bhagavato bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo mahantaṁ hatthirājavaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami. Seyyathāpi nāma mahāariṭṭhako maṇi; evamassa sīsaṁ hoti. Seyyathāpi nāma suddhaṁ rūpiyaṁ; evamassa dantā honti. Seyyathāpi nāma mahatī naṅgalīsā; evamassa soṇḍo hoti. Atha kho bhagavā “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

In the Form of an Elephant King

So I have heard. At one time, when he was first awakened, the Buddha was staying in Uruvelā at the root of the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River. Now at that time the Buddha was meditating in the open during the dark of night, while a gentle rain drizzled down. Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the Buddha feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, manifested in the form of a big elephant king and approached him. Its head was like a big block of soapstone. Its tusks were like pure silver. Its trunk was like a long plough pole. Then the Buddha, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, addressed him in verse:

“Saṁsaraṁ dīghamaddhānaṁ, Vaṇṇaṁ katvā subhāsubhaṁ; Alaṁ te tena pāpima, Nihato tvamasi antakā”ti.

“Transmigrating for such a long time, you’ve made forms beautiful and ugly. Enough of this, Wicked One! You’re beaten, terminator!”

Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṁ bhagavā, jānāti maṁ sugato”ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The Buddha knows me! The Holy One knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.