1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans at sīlavati. Now on that occasion a number of bhikkhus were dwelling not far from the Blessed One—diligent, ardent, and resolute. Then Māra the Evil One manifested himself in the form of a brahmin, with a large matted topknot, clad in an antelope hide, old, crooked like a roof bracket, wheezing, holding a staff of udumbara wood. [n.302] Spk: "The staff of udumbara wood, slightly crooked, was for the sake of showing that he was of few wishes (appicchabhava, an ascetic virtue)." In the Vedic sacrifices, udumbara wood was used for all kinds of ritual purposes; the sacrificial post, ladle, and amulets were made of this wood (Macdonell and Keith, Vedic Index, s.v. udumbara). He approached those bhikkhus and said to them: "You, sirs, have gone forth while young, lads with black hair, endowed with the blessing of youth, in the prime of life, without having dallied with sensual pleasures. Enjoy human sensual pleasures, sirs; do not abandon what is directly visible in order to pursue what takes time." [n.303] See SN1.20. Here Māra appears as a proponent of the brahmanical idea that renunciation (sannyasa) must be postponed until after one has enjoyed a full married life. On how young bhikkhus, lads "in the prime of life, who have not dallied with sensual pleasures," can live the holy life without being overcome by sensual desire, see SN35.127.

"We have not abandoned what is directly visible, brahmin, in order to pursue what takes time. We have abandoned what takes time in order to pursue what is directly visible. For the Blessed One, brahmin, has stated that sensual pleasures are time-consuming, full of suffering, full of despair, and the danger in them is still greater, while this Dhamma is directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise." sn.i.118

When this was said, Māra the Evil One shook his head, lolled his tongue, knit his brow into three furrows, and departed leaning on his staff. [n.304] This is a gesture of frustration. Daṇḍapaṇi the Sakyan is described in the same terms at MN I 109,1–2.

2Then those bhikkhus approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and reported everything in full. The Blessed One said:

3"That was not a brahmin, bhikkhus. That was Māra the Evil One, who had come in order to confound you."

Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, on that occasion recited this verse:

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu vihārati silāvatiyaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū bhagavato avidūre appamattā ātāpino pahitattā vihāranti. Atha kho māro pāpimā brāhmaṇavaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā mahantena jaṭaṇḍuvena ajinakkhipanivattho jiṇṇo gopānasivaṅko ghurughurupassāsī udumbaradaṇḍaṁ gahetvā yena te bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā te bhikkhū etadavoca: "daharā bhavanto pabbajitā susū kāḷakesā bhadrena yobbanena samannāgatā paṭhamena vayasā anikkīḷitāvino kāmesu. Bhuñjantu bhavanto mānusake kāme. Mā sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvitthā"ti.

"Na kho mayaṁ, brāhmaṇa, sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvāma. Kālikañca kho mayaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hitvā sandiṭṭhikaṁ anudhāvāma. Kālikā hi, brāhmaṇa, kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo. Sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī"ti.

Evaṁ vutte, māro pāpimā sīsaṁ okampetvā jivhaṁ nillāletvā tivisākhaṁ nalāṭe nalāṭikaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā daṇḍamolubbha pakkāmi.

2Atha kho te bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: "idha mayaṁ, bhante, bhagavato avidūre appamattā ātāpino pahitattā viharāma. Atha kho, bhante, aññataro brāhmaṇo mahantena jaṭaṇḍuvena ajinakkhipanivattho jiṇṇo gopānasivaṅko ghurughurupassāsī udumbaradaṇḍaṁ gahetvā yena mayaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā amhe etadavoca: ‘daharā bhavanto pabbajitā susū kāḷakesā bhadrena yobbanena samannāgatā paṭhamena vayasā anikkīḷitāvino kāmesu. Bhuñjantu bhavanto mānusake kāme. Mā sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvitthā’ti. Evaṁ vutte, mayaṁ, bhante, taṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavocumha: ‘Na kho mayaṁ, brāhmaṇa, sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvāma. Kālikañca kho mayaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hitvā sandiṭṭhikaṁ anudhāvāma. Kālikā hi, brāhmaṇa, kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo. Sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti. Evaṁ vutte, bhante, so brāhmaṇo sīsaṁ okampetvā jivhaṁ nillāletvā tivisākhaṁ nalāṭe nalāṭikaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā daṇḍamolubbha pakkanto"ti.

3"Neso, bhikkhave, brāhmaṇo. Māro eso pāpimā tumhākaṁ vicakkhukammāya āgato"ti.

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi: