Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
Grieving so completely that he preserves his dead queen's body rather than let it be cremated, King Muṇḍa is brought, through his treasury-keeper Piyaka's initiative, to hear Venerable Nārada teach the five things no one can have and the pointlessness of sorrow, and afterward has the queen's body cremated and resumes his life.
A king's grief, described without euphemism
The discourse states plainly what Muṇḍa does: he has Bhaddā’s body placed in an oil-filled iron casket, sealed inside a second casket, explicitly so that we can view Queen Bhaddā's body even longer. He stops bathing, anointing himself, eating properly, and doing his work, brooding over the corpse day and night. This reading guide will not soften this description into something gentler; the discourse itself does not, and the starkness of the image is what makes Piyaka's intervention, and Nārada's teaching, actually necessary rather than merely comforting.
Piyaka's own initiative
Nothing in the discourse suggests Muṇḍa asked for help. It is Piyaka, watching his king’s decline, who reasons through the problem himself — what ascetic or brahmin might the king pay homage to, whose teaching could help the king give up sorrow's arrow? — and independently recalls Nārada's reputation before proposing the visit. The chain of events that eventually frees the king from his grief begins with a subordinate's own observation and judgment, not with any royal request.
The full teaching, restated at length
Where AN 5.49 compressed the teaching to a bare reference, this discourse delivers it at the same length as AN 5.48 itself — the five impossibilities, the unlearned person's grief over aging, the learned disciple's reflection over aging, and the identical pattern worked through again for the elided middle three (sickness, death, ending) using perishing as the worked example, exactly as AN 5.48 structured it. This reading guide does not repeat that content a third time here, having already presented it in full at AN 5.48; what is new in this discourse is entirely the frame around it.
A named teaching, and a resolution
Muṇḍa asks Nārada directly what this exposition is called, and is told: Sokasallaharaṇo, Pulling Out Sorrow's Arrow — the same image AN 5.48 used, now given as the formal title of a teaching a king has just received and confirmed by his own testimony: hearing this exposition, I've given up sorrow's arrow. The discourse's final act is entirely practical: Muṇḍa orders the queen's body cremated and a monument built, and announces, in the same breath, that he will resume bathing, eating, and governing.
Key terms
The text
The queen's death, and the preserved body
§1At one time Venerable Nārada was staying near Pāṭaliputta, in the Chicken Monastery.
§2Now at that time King Muṇḍa’s dear and beloved Queen Bhaddā had just passed away. And since that time, the king did not bathe, anoint himself, eat his meals, or apply himself to his work. Day and night he brooded over Queen Bhaddā’s corpse.
§3Then King Muṇḍa addressed Piyaka, the keeper of the treasury,
§4“So, my good Piyaka, please place Queen Bhaddā’s corpse in an iron casket filled with oil. Then close it up with another casket, so that we can view Queen Bhaddā’s body even longer.”
§5“Yes, Your Majesty,” replied Piyaka, and he did as the king instructed.
Piyaka's own initiative
§6Then it occurred to Piyaka, “King Muṇḍa’s dear and beloved Queen Bhaddā has passed away. Since then the king does not bathe, anoint himself, eat his meals, or apply himself to his work. Day and night he broods over Queen Bhaddā’s corpse. Now, what ascetic or brahmin might the king pay homage to, whose teaching could help the king give up sorrow’s arrow?”
§7Then it occurred to Piyaka, “This Venerable Nārada is staying in the Chicken Monastery at Pāṭaliputta. He has this good reputation: ‘He is astute, competent, intelligent, learned, a brilliant speaker, eloquent, mature, a perfected one.’ What if King Muṇḍa was to pay homage to Venerable Nārada? Hopefully when he hears Nārada’s teaching, the king could give up sorrow’s arrow.”
Seeking the king's approval
§8Then Piyaka went to the king and said to him, “Sire, this Venerable Nārada is staying in the Chicken Monastery at Pāṭaliputta. He has this good reputation: ‘He is astute, competent, intelligent, learned, a brilliant speaker, eloquent, mature, a perfected one.’ What if Your Majesty was to pay homage to Venerable Nārada? Hopefully when you hear Nārada’s teaching, you could give up sorrow’s arrow.”
§9“Well then, my good Piyaka, let Nārada know. For how on earth could one such as I presume to visit an ascetic or brahmin in my realm without letting them know beforehand?”
The invitation to Nārada
§10“Yes, Your Majesty,” replied Piyaka. He went to Nārada, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, King Muṇḍa’s dear and beloved Queen Bhaddā has passed away. And since she passed away, the king has not bathed, anointed himself, eaten his meals, or got his business done. Day and night he broods over Queen Bhaddā’s corpse. Sir, please teach the king so that, when he hears your teaching, he can give up sorrow’s arrow.”
§11“Please, Piyaka, let the king come when he likes.”
The journey to the Chicken Monastery
§12Then Piyaka got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled Venerable Nārada, keeping him on his right, before going to the king and saying, “Sire, the request for an audience with Venerable Nārada has been granted. Please, Your Majesty, go at your convenience.”
§13“Well then, my good Piyaka, harness the finest chariots.”
§14“Yes, Your Majesty,” replied Piyaka. He did so, then told the king: “Sire, the finest chariots are harnessed. Please, Your Majesty, go at your convenience.”
§15Then King Muṇḍa mounted a fine carriage and, along with other fine carriages, set out in full royal pomp to see Venerable Nārada at the Chicken Monastery. He went by carriage as far as the terrain allowed, then descended and entered the monastery on foot. Then the king went up to Nārada, bowed, and sat down to one side. Then Nārada said to him:
Nārada's teaching begins
§16“Great king, there are five things that cannot be had by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or divinity or by anyone in the world. What five? That someone liable to old age should not grow old. … That someone liable to sickness should not get sick. … That someone liable to death should not die. … That someone liable to ending should not end. … That someone liable to perishing should not perish. …
§17An unlearned ordinary person has someone liable to old age who grows old. But they don’t reflect on old age: ‘It’s not just me who has someone liable to old age who grows old. For all sentient beings have someone liable to old age who grows old, as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn. If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to old age grows old, I’d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn’t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.’ And so, when someone liable to old age grows old, they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called an unlearned ordinary person struck by sorrow’s poisoned arrow, who only mortifies themselves.
The closing verses
§18Sorrowing and lamenting doesn’t do even a little bit of good. When they know that you’re sad, your enemies are encouraged.
§19When an astute person doesn’t waver in the face of adversity, as they’re able to evaluate what’s beneficial, their enemies suffer, seeing that their normal expression doesn’t change.
§20Chants, recitations, fine sayings, charity or traditions: if by means of any such things you benefit, then by all means keep doing them.
§21But if you understand that ‘this good thing can’t be had by me or by anyone else’, you should accept it without sorrowing, thinking: ‘The deed is powerful. What can I do now?’”
“Pulling Out Sorrow's Arrow”
§22When he said this, King Muṇḍa said to Venerable Nārada, “Sir, what is the name of this exposition of the teaching?”
§23“Great king, this exposition of the teaching is named ‘Pulling Out Sorrow’s Arrow’.”
§24“Indeed, sir, this is the pulling out of sorrow’s arrow! Hearing this exposition of the teaching, I’ve given up sorrow’s arrow.”
The queen is cremated
§25Then King Muṇḍa addressed Piyaka, the keeper of the treasury, “Well then, my good Piyaka, cremate Queen Bhaddā’s corpse and build a monument. From this day forth, I will bathe, anoint myself, eat my meals, and apply myself to my work.”
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