Verses 351 and 352

Dhammapada Verses 351 and 352

The Story of Mara

On one occasion, a large number of bhikkhus arrived at the Jetavana monastery. To put up the guest bhikkhus, Samanera Rahula had to go and sleep near the door, just outside the chamber of the Buddha. Mara, wanting to annoy the Buddha through his son, took the form of an elephant and encircling the head of the samanera with his trunk made an alarming noise hoping to frighten him. But Rahula was unmoved. The Buddha, from his chamber, knew what was happening, and said, "O wicked Mara! Even a thousand such as you would not be able to frighten my son. My son has no fear, he is free from craving, he is vigilant, he is wise."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Nitthangato asantasi
vitatanho anangano
acchindi bhavasallani
antimoyam samussayo.

Verse 351: He who has attained arahatship is free from fear, free from craving, and free from moral defilements. He has cut off the thorns of existence (such as lust). This is the last existence² (for him).

Vitatanho anadano
niruttipadakovido¹
akkharanam sannipatam
janna pubbaparani ca
sa ve "antimasariro
mahpanno mahapuriso" ti vuccati.

Verse 352: He who is free from craving and from attachment, who is skilled in the knowledge of the significance of terms, who knows the grouping of letters and their sequence is indeed called "one who has lived his last, a man of great wisdom, a great man."

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1. niruttipadakovido: skilled in niruttipatisambhida i.e., skilled in the knowledge of words.
2. lit., body.