[553] Then, bhikkhus, Māra the Evil One (Māra pāpimā), having taken possession of a certain member of Brahmā's retinue (brahmapārisajja), said this to me: "Bhikkhu, bhikkhu, do not attack this one! Do not attack this one! For this one, bhikkhu, is Brahmā, the Great Brahmā (Mahābrahmā), the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, the Lord (issara), the Maker, the Creator, the Best, the Ordainer, the Master, the Father of those that have come to be and those that are to be. Before you, bhikkhu, there were ascetics and brahmins in the world who were revilers of earth, loathers of earth; revilers of water, loathers of water; revilers of fire, loathers of fire; revilers of air, loathers of air; revilers of creatures, loathers of creatures; revilers of gods, loathers of gods; revilers of Pajāpati, loathers of Pajāpati; revilers of Brahmā, loathers of Brahmā — and with the breaking up of the body, with the cutting off of the life-breath, they were established in an inferior body. But before you, bhikkhu, there were also ascetics and brahmins in the world who were praisers of earth, delighting in earth; praisers of water, delighting in water; praisers of fire, delighting in fire; praisers of air, delighting in air; praisers of creatures, delighting in creatures; praisers of gods, delighting in gods; praisers of Pajāpati, delighting in Pajāpati; praisers of Brahmā, delighting in Brahmā — and with the breaking up of the body, with the cutting off of the life-breath, they were established in a superior body. Therefore, bhikkhu, I say this to you: come, good sir, do just what Brahmā tells you; do not overstep the word of Brahmā. If, bhikkhu, you overstep the word of Brahmā, then just as a man might drive away with a stick the goddess Fortune (Sirī) as she approaches, or just as, bhikkhu, a man falling into a hellish abyss might lose hold of the earth with his hands and feet — such, bhikkhu, will be the outcome for you. Come, good sir, do just what Brahmā tells you; do not overstep the word of Brahmā. Do you not see, bhikkhu, the Brahmā assembly seated together?"
Thus, bhikkhus, Māra the Evil One presented the Brahmā assembly to me. When this was said, bhikkhus, I said to Māra the Evil One: "I know you, Evil One. Do not think, 'He does not know me.' You are Māra, Evil One. Brahmā, the Brahmā assembly, and the members of Brahmā's retinue — all of them are in your hands, all have come under your sway. And you, Evil One, think thus: 'This one too may be in my hands; this one too may come under my sway.' But I, Evil One, am neither in your hands nor come under your sway."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.