Anabhirati — Book of the Ones · Chapter Seven (Itthivagga) · Poem 5 of 10
Setting
No narrative scene in the canonical verse itself
Speaker
Unspecified in the canonical verse itself
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
★☆☆☆☆ — short, but paired with the translator's own direct factual rebuttal
Why this text
Sujato's own comment on this verse offers this whole chapter's most direct, unambiguous factual correction: against a verse comparing women to public taverns available to all, the comment states plainly, ‘contrary to the story, studies consistently indicate that men cheat more than women.’ This reading guide features that rebuttal prominently, exactly as it appears in the source material.
Reading guide
A comparison meant to justify indifference to infidelity
The verse states its claim through comparison: ‘just like rivers and roads, taverns, hotels, and pubs, are those called women in the world. Sages do not get angry with them.’ Per Sujato's comment, the underlying story holds that women are, by their nature, ‘available to all’, so a wise man should not be upset when his own wife is unfaithful.
Sujato's own direct, factual rebuttal
Sujato's comment does not let this pass unremarked. It states plainly: ‘contrary to the story, studies consistently indicate that men cheat more than women.’ This is the most direct, unambiguous factual correction found anywhere in this whole collection's comments — naming the verse's underlying claim as simply false, rather than merely noting historical context or textual ambiguity.
A cross-reference to this site's own SN 9.8
Sujato's comment also compares this poem to this site's own already-completed SN 9.8, connecting this verse's underlying theme to a discourse already treated elsewhere on this site.
Key terms
lokitthiyo — “women in the world” — the verse's own sweeping comparison, given here as the text states it, not as an endorsed claim.
nāsaṁ kujjhanti paṇḍitā — “sages do not get angry with them” — the verse's own conclusion, built on the comparison Sujato's comment directly rebuts.
studies consistently indicate — the opening of Sujato's own direct factual correction to this verse's underlying premise, quoted in full above.
Anabhiratijātaka — the traditional title of this tale, ‘Dissatisfaction’.
SN 9.8 — “The Mistress of the House” — the already-completed page on this site Sujato's comment compares to this poem, previously cross-linked from this site's own Ja 14.
The text
The text in full: a single verse, accompanied by this whole collection's most direct factual rebuttal in Sujato's own comment, quoted in full above. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1Just like rivers and roads, taverns, hotels, and pubs, are those called women in the world. Sages do not get angry with them.
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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 comparison does the verse draw?
Correct: A. Used to argue that a wise man should not be upset by his wife's infidelity.
Question 2 of 10
What does Sujato's own comment state directly in response to this verse's premise?
Correct: B. The most direct, unambiguous factual correction found anywhere in this collection's comments.
Question 3 of 10
How does this rebuttal differ from Sujato's comments on earlier poems in this chapter, such as Ja 63's grammatical doubt?
Correct: C. A direct, factual correction rather than a philological observation.
Question 4 of 10
What already-completed page does Sujato's comment compare this poem to?
Correct: D. Connecting this verse's underlying theme to a discourse already treated elsewhere on this site.
Question 5 of 10
What conclusion does the verse draw from its comparison?
Correct: A. The verse's own closing line, following its comparison.
Question 6 of 10
Why does this reading guide feature Sujato's rebuttal prominently?
Correct: B. Consistent with this site's practice of presenting difficult content honestly, including the translator's own critical response.
Question 7 of 10
What is this poem's traditional title?
Correct: C. The sixty-fifth poem overall, and the fifth of the Itthivagga.
Question 8 of 10
What specific method does Sujato's comment use to rebut the verse's claim?
Correct: D. Citing empirical evidence directly against the verse's stated premise.
Question 9 of 10
Where does this poem sit in the collection's own chapter structure?
Correct: A. Part of the same ten-poem Itthivagga.
Question 10 of 10
What pattern does this poem, alongside Ja 63, establish about how this reading guide handles this chapter's difficult content?
Correct: B. A consistent approach carried through this entire difficult chapter.
