Mara, Ratu Sir Kamisese, 1920-2004, Fijian political leader. A paramount chief of the Lau Islands, he was educated in Fiji, New Zealand, and England, founded (1960) the Alliance party, and helped negotiate Fiji's independence from Great Britain. Chief minister from 1967, he became prime minister in 1970. Fiji largely prospered under Mara, who was an influential Pacific statesman, but he lost to the Indian-led Labor party in 1987. Mara gave his tacit approval to the army's overthrow of Labor a month later, and was again prime minister (1987-92) under a new constitution. He became acting president in 1993 and president the next year, serving until forced out by the army when it seized power after quashing an indigenous uprising in 2000.

Mara [Heb.,=bitter], in the Bible, punning name taken by Naomi out of sorrow.

Buddhist Lord of the Senses, who repeatedly tempted the Buddha Gautama. When Gautama seated himself under the bodhi tree to await enlightenment, the evil Mara appeared in the guise of a messenger claiming that a rival had usurped the family throne. After sending a storm of rain, rocks, ashes, and darkness to frighten away the gods who had gathered, he challenged Gautama's right to sit beneath the tree and sent forth his three daughters, Trsna, Rati, and Raga (thirst, desire, and delight), to seduce Gautama, but to no avail. After the Buddha had achieved enlightenment, Mara pressed him to abandon any attempt to preach, but the gods successfully persuaded him to preach the law.

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