1At Sāvatthī. Then, in the morning, the bhikkhuni Cala dressed … she sat down at the foot of a tree for the day's abiding. [n.350] Cala, Upacala, and Sīsupacala—whose verses appear in 5:6–8 respectively—were the younger sisters of Sāriputta, in descending order of age. Their verses are at Thī 182–88, 189–95, and 196–203". However, not only is the correspondence between the two collections fragmentary, but the ascriptions of authorship also differ. Cala's v. 537 corresponds to Thī 191, and v. 538 is reflected obscurely in Thī 192, both of which are there ascribed to Upacala. Upacala's vv. 540–43 correspond to Thī 197, 198, 200, and 201, there ascribed to Sīsupacala. And Sīsupacala's vv. 544–46 correspond to Thī 183–85, but there are ascribed to Cala.

Then Māra the Evil One approached the bhikkhuni Cala and said to her: "What don’t you approve of, bhikkhuni?"

"I don’t approve of birth, friend."

2v.536 "Why don’t you approve of birth?
Once born, one enjoys sensual pleasures.
Who now has persuaded you of this:
‘Bhikkhunī, don’t approve of birth’?"

The bhikkhuni Cala:

3v.537 "For one who is born there is death;
Once born, one encounters sufferings—
Bondage, murder, affliction—
Hence one shouldn’t approve of birth. [n.351] in pāda b I read phussati with Be, Se, and Ee2, as against Ee1 passati.

4v.538 "The Buddha has taught the Dhamma,
The transcendence of birth;
For the abandoning of all suffering
He has settled me in the truth. sn.i.133

5v.539 "As to those beings who fare amidst form,
And those who abide in the formless—
Not having understood cessation,
They come again to renewed existence." [n.352] On pādas ab, see n. 345.

6Then Māra the Evil One, realizing, "The bhikkhuni Cala knows me," sad and disappointed, disappeared right there.

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho cālā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā … pe … aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.

Atha kho māro pāpimā yena cālā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā cālaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca: "Kiṁ nu tvaṁ, bhikkhuni, na rocesī"ti?

"Jātiṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, na rocemī"ti.

2"Kiṁ nu jātiṁ na rocesi,
jāto kāmāni bhuñjati;
Ko nu taṁ idamādapayi,
jātiṁ mā roca bhikkhunī"ti.

3"Jātassa maraṇaṁ hoti,
jāto dukkhāni phussati;
Bandhaṁ vadhaṁ pariklesaṁ,
tasmā jātiṁ na rocaye.

4Buddho dhammamadesesi,
jātiyā samatikkamaṁ;
Sabbadukkhappahānāya,
so maṁ sacce nivesayi.

5Ye ca rūpūpagā sattā,
ye ca arūpaṭṭhāyino;
Nirodhaṁ appajānantā,
āgantāro punabbhavan"ti.

6Atha kho māro pāpimā "jānāti maṁ cālā bhikkhunī"ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.