BUDDHACARITA 13.34: An Army Makes Up Its Mind

−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−   Upajāti (Indravajrā)

māras tato bhūta-camūm udīrṇām ājñāpayām āsa bhayāya tasya |

−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−

svaiḥ svaiḥ prabhāvair atha sāsya senā tad-dhairya-bhedāya matiṁ cakāra || 13.34

13.34

Then Māra, to the phantom army he had mobilized,

Gave the order to strike fear into the sage;

And so that war machine of Māra's making

 -- in which each was possessed of his own power -- 

Made up its mind to break the sage's composure.

COMMENT:

The bodhisattva sits as an exemplary individual, like a lion among cows.

Māra's army is also made up of individuals, as we saw below the surface in BC13.18 to 26. Each is possessed of his or her own independent majesty (svaiḥ svaiḥ prabhavaiḥ), but none of them has realized it yet.

So Māra's army makes up its mind on a group basis, not like a lion, but more like a herd of cows, or – for a more spectacular example – like a murmuration of starlings.

VOCABULARY 

māraḥ (nom. sg.): m. Māra

tataḥ: ind. then

bhūta-camūm (acc. sg. m.): the army of demons

bhūta: n. being ; a spirit (good or evil) , the ghost of a deceased person , a demon , imp , goblin (also m.)

camū: f. a vessel or part (two or more in number) of the reservoir into which the soma is poured ; an army or division of an army (129 elephants , as many cars , 2187 horse , and 3645 foot MBh. i , 292)

udīrṇām (acc. sg. f.): mfn. issued out , excited , increased , elevated ; self-conceited , proud

ud- √ īr: to bring or fetch out of ; to rise , start off (in order to go or to come) ; to move upwards , ascend ; to raise , rouse , excite ; to stir up , urge , stimulate ;

ājñāpayām āsa = 3^rd pers. sg. periphrastic perfect causative ā- √ jñā: to order , command , direct

bhayāya (dat. sg.): fear , alarm, dread, apprehension ; sg. and pl. terror , dismay , danger , peril , distress

tasya (gen. sg.): his

svaiḥ (inst. pl.): mfn. his own, their own

prabhāvaiḥ (inst. pl.): m. might , power , majesty , dignity , strength , efficacy ; supernatural power

atha: then, on

sā (nom. sg. f.): that

asya (gen. sg.): of his

senā (nom. sg.): f. (fr. √2. si) a missile , dart , spear ; N. of indra's wife (or his thunderbolt so personified) ; an army , armament , battle-array , armed force

tad-dhairya-bhedāya (dat. sg.): for the breaking of his steadfastness

dhairya: n. firmness , constancy , calmness , patience , gravity , fortitude , courage

bheda: m. breaking , splitting , cleaving , rending

matiṁ cakāra = 3^rd pers. sg. pref. matiṁ √ kṛ: to set the heart on , make up one's mind , resolve , determine

魔衆相驅策 各進其威力 

迭共相催切 須臾令摧滅