Vācāsutta — Brāhmaṇavagga — the twentieth chapter of the Fives
Setting
None stated; the discourse continues from AN 5.1, whose setting at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove is understood to hold
Speakers
The Buddha alone, addressing the mendicants
Form
single five-item list, no positive/negative mirror
Length
under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
not identified in this collection
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — brief, a direct restatement
Why this discourse
The exact same five-part standard from AN 5.167's teaching on making accusations well — timely, true, gentle, beneficial, loving — restated here in its most general form, as the measure of any speech at all, not only criticism.
Reading guide
The identical five factors, generalized
Speech that is timely (kālena), true (saccā), gentle (saṇhā), beneficial (atthasaṁhitā), and loving (mettacittena) is called well spoken, blameless, and beyond criticism — the same five qualifiers AN 5.167 required specifically of an accuser, now applied to speech of any kind.
From a specific case to the general rule
AN 5.167 needed this standard because accusation is a genuinely fraught kind of speech, where getting it wrong causes real harm. This discourse's move is to state plainly that the same five conditions define good speech universally — accusation was simply the hardest test case, not a special exception.
A short, standalone statement
Unlike AN 5.167's extended treatment, with its paired reassure/chasten formulas and closing narrative, this discourse states the five factors once, without elaboration or narrative frame — the bare principle, isolated from any particular application.
Five factors, one bar to clear
The discourse's phrasing is notable: speech isn't well spoken if it meets four of the five conditions but misses one. All five together constitute the standard, exactly as in AN 5.167.
What follows
AN 5.199 shifts from the ethics of speech to the ethics of hosting — five reasons a family gains merit simply by welcoming ethical renunciates.
Key terms
subhāsitā, dubbhāsitā — “well spoken” and “poorly spoken” — this discourse's central distinction.
kālena, saccā, saṇhā, atthasaṁhitā, mettacittena — timely, true, gentle, beneficial, and loving — the identical five factors already named at AN 5.167.
anavajjā ca ananuvajjā ca viññūnaṁ — “blameless and beyond criticism by sensible people” — the standard well-spoken speech meets.
aṅga — “factor” — the term for each of the five conditions speech must meet.
vācā — “speech” — this discourse's title concept and general subject.
The text
The discourse in full: the five factors of well-spoken, blameless speech. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
Five factors of well-spoken speech
§1“Mendicants, speech that has five factors is well spoken, not poorly spoken. It’s blameless and is not criticized by sensible people. What five? It is speech that is timely, true, gentle, beneficial, and loving. Speech with these five factors is well spoken, not poorly spoken. It’s blameless and is not criticized by sensible people.”
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Self-check quiz
Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 10
What five factors does this discourse name for well-spoken speech?
Correct: A. The identical five qualifiers from AN 5.167.
Question 2 of 10
Where else in this collection do these exact same five factors appear?
Correct: A. This discourse generalizes AN 5.167's specific standard.
Question 3 of 10
What move does this discourse make relative to AN 5.167?
Correct: A. Accusation was the hardest test case, not a special exception.
Question 4 of 10
How does this discourse's treatment compare to AN 5.167's?
Correct: A. The isolated principle, without AN 5.167's extended treatment.
Question 5 of 10
What does this discourse's phrasing suggest about the five factors?
Correct: A. A conjunctive standard, exactly as in AN 5.167.
Question 6 of 10
What does 'saṇhā' mean, as one of the five factors?
Correct: A. One of the five qualifiers speech must meet.
Question 7 of 10
What discourse follows, shifting to the ethics of hosting renunciates?
Correct: A. Five reasons a family gains merit from welcoming ethical renunciates.
Question 8 of 10
What does 'anavajjā ca ananuvajjā ca viññūnaṁ' mean?
Correct: A. The standard well-spoken speech meets.
Question 9 of 10
What chapter does this discourse belong to?
Correct: A. 'Brahmins', this session's twentieth chapter.
Question 10 of 10
What does 'mettacittena' mean?
Correct: A. The fifth of the five factors, unchanged from AN 5.167.
