1At Sāvatthī. Then, in the morning, the bhikkhuni Uppalavaṇṇā dressed … she stood at the foot of a sal tree in full flower. [n.345] She was the foremost among the bhikkhunīs in the exercise of supernormal powers (iddhi), to which she testifies in vv. 534–35. Her verses are at Thī 224–35. Vv. 532–35 correspond to Thī 230–33, but with significant differences. Thī 234 is identical with v. 521 here ascribed to āḷavikā.

Then Māra the Evil One, desiring to arouse fear, trepidation, and terror in the bhikkhuni Uppalavaṇṇā, desiring to make her fall away from concentration, approached her and addressed her in verse:

2v.532 "Having gone to a sal tree with flowering top,
You stand at its foot all alone, bhikkhuni.
There is none whose beauty rivals yours:
Foolish girl, aren’t you afraid of rogues?" [n.346] Pada c: Na c’ atthi te dutiya vaṇṇadhātu. I translate freely in accordance with the gloss of Spk: "There is no second beauty element like your beauty element; there is no other bhikkhunī similar to you." A pun on the bhikkhunī's name is probably intended. Se and Ee1 & 2 include an additional pāda between pādas c and d, idh’ agata tadisika bhaveyyum, absent in Be and Thī 230. This seems to me a scribal error, as it is identical with pāda b of the next verse, where it fits.

3Then it occurred to the bhikkhuni Uppalavaṇṇā: sn.i.132 "Now who is this … ? This is Māra the Evil One … desiring to make me fall away from concentration."

Then the bhikkhuni Uppalavaṇṇā, having understood, "This is Māra the Evil One," replied to him in verses:

4v.533 "Though a hundred thousand rogues
Just like you might come here,
I stir not a hair, I feel no terror;
Even alone, Māra, I don’t fear you. [n.347] Spk explains pādas ab as if they meant: "Though a hundred thousand rogues might come here, they would be treated just like you in that they would get no intimacy or affection." I translate, however, in accordance with the apparent sense, which also can claim support from the gloss of Thī-a on Thī 231.

5v.534 "I can make myself disappear
Or I can enter inside your belly.
I can stand between your eyebrows
Yet you won’t catch a glimpse of me.

6v.535 "I am the master of my mind,
The bases of power are well developed;
I am freed from all bondage,
Therefore I don’t fear you, friend." [n.348] The iddhipāda, "bases for spiritual power," are the supporting conditions for the exercise of the iddhi or supernormal powers described in the previous verse. See SN51.11.

7Then Māra the Evil One, realizing, "The bhikkhuni Uppalavaṇṇā knows me," sad and disappointed, disappeared right there.

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā … pe … aññatarasmiṁ supupphitasālarukkhamūle aṭṭhāsi.

Atha kho māro pāpimā uppalavaṇṇāya bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo samādhimhā cāvetukāmo yena uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā uppalavaṇṇaṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

2"Supupphitaggaṁ upāgamma bhikkhuni,
Ekā tuvaṁ tiṭṭhasi sālamūle;
Na catthi te dutiyā vaṇṇadhātu,
Bāle na tvaṁ bhāyasi dhuttakānan"ti.

3Atha kho uppalavaṇṇāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi: "ko nu khvāyaṁ manusso vā amanusso vā gāthaṁ bhāsatī"ti? Atha kho uppalavaṇṇāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi: "māro kho ayaṁ pāpimā mama bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo samādhimhā cāvetukāmo gāthaṁ bhāsatī"ti.

Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī "māro ayaṁ pāpimā" iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāhi paccabhāsi:

4"Sataṁ sahassānipi dhuttakānaṁ,
Idhāgatā tādisakā bhaveyyuṁ;
Lomaṁ na iñjāmi na santasāmi,
Na māra bhāyāmi tamekikāpi.

5Esā antaradhāyāmi,
kucchiṁ vā pavisāmi te;
Pakhumantarikāyampi,
tiṭṭhantiṁ maṁ na dakkhasi.

6Cittasmiṁ vasībhūtāmhi,
iddhipādā subhāvitā;
Sabbabandhanamuttāmhi,
na taṁ bhāyāmi āvuso"ti.

7Atha kho māro pāpimā "jānāti maṁ uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī"ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.