Sammodamāna — Book of the Ones · Chapter Four (Kulāvakavagga) · Poem 3 of 10
Setting
A hunter, watching birds escape his own net
Speaker
The hunter
Form
One four-line stanza
Length
Under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
This reading guide does not assert a specific matching text for this poem in other Buddhist literatures.
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — one short, widely recognized fable
Why this text
This is one of this collection's most recognizable single images: a flock of birds lifting an entire net into the air together, escaping a hunter who nonetheless remains confident — because he knows unity, not strength, is the only thing keeping them free.
Reading guide
Escape through unity, and a hunter's patient confidence
The verse gives the hunter's own calculation: ‘in agreement, the birds fly, taking away the net. But when they start arguing, they'll come under my sway.’ Per Sujato's comment, a flock of birds escapes the hunter by lifting off his net in unison — but the hunter knows their cooperation is fragile, and simply waits.
A fable whose lesson needs no explanation
Unlike several other tales in this partial selection, this one requires almost no commentarial backstory to land its point: the image itself — a shared burden lifted together, then lost the moment cooperation breaks down — carries its own complete meaning about the fragility and power of collective action.
Key terms
sammodamānā — “in agreement” — the condition under which the birds succeed, giving this poem its traditional title.
jālamādāya pakkhino — “the birds, taking away the net” — the verse's central image of collective escape.
yadā te vivadissanti — “when they start arguing” — the condition under which the hunter expects to reclaim his advantage.
Sammodamānajātaka — the traditional title of this tale, ‘Agreement’.
tadā ehinti me vasaṁ — “then they'll come under my sway” — the hunter's own confident, patient prediction.
The text
The text in full: a single verse. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1In agreement, the birds fly, taking away the net. But when they start arguing they’ll come under my sway.
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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
How do the birds initially escape the hunter's net?
Correct: A. 'In agreement, the birds fly, taking away the net.'
Question 2 of 10
What does the hunter believe will eventually happen?
Correct: B. The hunter's patient, confident calculation.
Question 3 of 10
Does this poem require an extensive commentarial backstory to understand?
Correct: C. Unlike several other tales in this selection, this one needs almost no additional context.
Question 4 of 10
What condition does the verse identify as the birds' actual vulnerability?
Correct: D. Not strength, but unity, is what keeps them free.
Question 5 of 10
What broader lesson does this fable's image carry?
Correct: A. One of this collection's most recognizable single images.
Question 6 of 10
What is this poem's traditional title?
Correct: B. The thirty-third poem overall, and the third of the Kulāvakavagga.
Question 7 of 10
What tool does the hunter use to try to catch the birds?
Correct: C. The very net the birds lift off together in escape.
Question 8 of 10
Where does this poem sit in the collection's own chapter structure?
Correct: D. Part of the same ten-poem Kulāvakavagga.
Question 9 of 10
Who speaks this verse?
Correct: A. Voicing his own patient strategy directly.
Question 10 of 10
What emotion does the hunter's tone convey?
Correct: B. He does not chase — he simply waits for their unity to break.
