A question about the translation of SN.158 and AN 5.55

I’d very much appreciate your comments on the translation of these two sentences from SN.158 and AN 5.55.

(Again this is for the same Tibetan translation project mentioned last week…We’ll be translating articles by Analayo, Sponberg, Goodwin and others.

I’m asking this to help ensue that the translators, who’ll be translating from English to Tibetan, will be aware of all the potential meanings of the Pali source texts.)

“Women are the stain of the holy life” (Devatāsaṃyutta, SN
1.58).

Women are …"wholly a snare of Māra” (Mātāputta Sutta (PTS), AN III 67/AN 5.55)

Are these literal translations?

I’d like to know if these translations are accurate, and if there are alternate possible translations I should be aware of.

In addition, any comments you have about early conceptions of Māra and the evolution of that idea/character, would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

sorry for my typo…that should be Devatāsaṃyutta, SN
1.58

Hi Sila. Best to write it as SN 1.58 without a line break, so we get an automatic link…

:anjal:

I’m interested whether the above suttas have correponding ones from the point of view of the other gender.

AN 1.1 - AN 1.10 seem to be equal opportunity:

  1. “Bhikkhus, I do not know of a form that captivates the mind of man as that of woman. The form of a woman indeed captivates the mind of a man. This is the first.
  1. Bhikkhus, I do not know of a sound that captivates the mind of man as that of woman. The sound of a woman indeed captivates the mind of a man. This is the second.
  1. Bhikkhus, I do not know of a smell that captivates the mind of man as that of woman. The smell of a woman indeed captivates the mind of a man This is the third.
  1. Bhikkhus, I do not know of a taste that captivates the mind of man as that of woman. The taste of a woman indeed captivates the mind of a man. This is the fourth.
  1. Bhikkhus, I do not know of a touch that captivates the mind of man as that of woman. The touch of a woman indeed captivates the mind of a man. This is the fifth.
  1. “Bhikkhus, I do not know of a form that captivates the mind of woman as that of man. The form of a man indeed captivates the mind of a woman. This is the sixth…
  1. Bhikkhus, I do not know of a sound that captivates the mind of woman as that of man. The sound of a man indeed captivates the mind of a woman. This is the seventh
  1. Bhikkhus, I do not know of a smell that captivates the mind of woman as that of man. The smell of a man indeed captivates the mind of a woman This is the eighth…
  1. Bhikkhus, I do not know of a taste that captivates the mind of woman as that of man. The taste of a man indeed captivates the mind of a woman. This is the nineth.
  1. Bhikkhus, I do not know of a touch that captivates the mind of woman as that of man. The touch of a man indeed captivates the mind of a woman. This is the tenth.
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