Bhikkhunīsaṁyutta Thematic Discourses about Nuns - Ancient ...

Atha kho Māro Pāpimā
Then the Wicked Māra
The Thematic Discourses about Nuns - 8
Somāya bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo,
desiring to give rise to fear, terror, and horror in the nun Somā,
samādhimhā cāvetukāmo, yena Somā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami,
desiring to drive her out of concentration, approached the nun Somā,
upasaṅkamitvā Somaṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
and after approaching he addressed the nun Somā with a verse:
“Yaṁ taṁ isīhi pattabbaṁ ṭhānaṁ durabhisambhavaṁ,
“That place 8 which has been attained by the seers is hard to obtain,
Na taṁ dvaṅgulapaññāya, sakkā pappotum-itthiyā.” ti
No woman, with her two-finger wisdom, 9 is able to attain it.”
Atha kho Somāya bhikkhuniyā etad-ahosi:
Then it occurred to the nun Somā:
“Ko nu khvāyaṁ manusso vā amanusso vā gāthaṁ bhāsatī?” ti
“Who is this, a human or a non-human, speaking this verse?”
Atha kho Somāya bhikkhuniyā etad-ahosi:
Then it occurred to the nun Somā:
“Māro kho ayaṁ Pāpimā
“This is the Wicked Māra
mama bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo,
desiring to give rise to fear, terror, and horror in me,
samādhimhā cāvetukāmo, gāthaṁ bhāsatī.” ti
desiring to drive me out of concentration, who speaks this verse.”
Atha kho Somā bhikkhunī Māro ayaṁ Pāpimā iti viditvā,
Then the nun Somā having understood: This is the Wicked Māra,
8 Comm: ṭhānan-ti Arahattaṁ; place means Worthiness.
9 Comm: dvaṅgulapaññāyā ti parittapaññāya, yasmā vā dvīhi aṅgulehi kappāsavaṭṭiṁ gahetvā
suttaṁ kantanti, tasmā itthī dvaṅgulapaññā ti vuccati; two-finger wisdom means having little
wisdom, because having grabbed the cotton with her two fingers she spins thread, therefore
a woman has two-finger wisdom is said.