1. first problem, 'mārena' as 'with māra'
‘This noble disciple intends to join battle with Māra!’
‘eso ariyasāvako mārena saddhiṁ saṅgāmāya cetetī’ti.
mārena (with māra) in the declension table seems like an instrumental.
I think everything may be grammatically correct, but the English translation reads really ambiguously.
It sounds like the monk is taking a heel turn and joining the bad guys going to battle WITH Māra instead of AGAINST him.
Especially with how Sujato translates the next line.
It reads like the Gods are weeping because the monk is joining Māra.‘This noble disciple intends to join battle with Māra!’
‘eso ariyasāvako mārena saddhiṁ saṅgāmāya cetetī’ti.
This is the first occasion a cry is uttered among the gods.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo devesu devasaddo niccharati samayā samayaṁ upādāya.
2. Second problem, why do so many translators render 'ariya savaka' as 'noble disciple' (i.e. A stream enterer disciple)?
So someone is an unenlightened householder, decides to ordain and become a monk, they're immediately an enlightened stream entering noble disciple?
That makes no sense.
3. My translation, inspired by parts of Thanissaro's and Sujato's.
http://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/20 ... -gods.html