Asaṅkiya — Book of the Ones · Chapter Eight (Varuṇavagga) · Poem 6 of 9
Setting
Village and wilderness alike
Speaker
An ascetic, in the first person
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
★☆☆☆☆ — a short, direct declaration of fearlessness
Why this text
Per Sujato's comment, an ascetic is unafraid even in the presence of bandits, for the simple reason that he has nothing to lose — a fearlessness this reading guide notes, without overstating the connection, as a kind of answer to Ja 70's gardener two chapters back, whose renunciation was never quite complete.
Reading guide
A declaration of fearlessness, in the first person
The verse speaks directly, in the ascetic's own voice: ‘I am unsuspecting in the village; in the wilderness there's no peril for me: I ride upon the straight path with love and compassion.’ Two supports for this fearlessness are named together — having nothing left to lose, and a settled practice of love and compassion toward whoever he meets.
Per Sujato's comment, a cross-reference and a modest resonance
Sujato's comment points to the same idiom for ‘mounted’ (samārūḷha, literally travelling along as if riding a horse) at this site's own MN 12. This reading guide also notes, without asserting a direct textual connection, a resonance with Ja 70 two chapters back: there, a gardener-turned-ascetic could not quite let go of his own spade; here, an ascetic genuinely without possessions has, correspondingly, genuinely nothing left to fear.
Key terms
Asaṅkiyomhi gāmamhi — “I am unsuspecting in the village” — the verse's opening declaration, giving this poem its traditional title.
araññe natthi me bhayaṁ — “in the wilderness there's no peril for me” — the same fearlessness extended from village to wilderness alike.
Ujuṁ maggaṁ samārūḷho — “I ride upon the straight path” — the same idiom Sujato's comment cross-references at this site's own MN 12.
mettāya karuṇāya — “with love and compassion” — named alongside having nothing to lose as the second support for this fearlessness.
Asaṅkiyajātaka — the traditional title of this tale, ‘Unsuspecting’.
The text
The text in full: a single verse. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1I am unsuspecting in the village; in the wilderness there’s no peril for me: I ride upon the straight path with love and compassion.
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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
Who speaks this verse, and in what voice?
Correct: D. A direct, personal declaration of fearlessness.
Question 2 of 10
Where does the speaker say they feel unsuspecting or unafraid?
Correct: A. The fearlessness extends across both settings alike.
Question 3 of 10
Per Sujato's comment, why is an ascetic unafraid even among bandits?
Correct: B. A fearlessness rooted in genuine renunciation, not in defense.
Question 4 of 10
What two things does the verse name together as supports for this fearlessness?
Correct: C. Two supports named together, neither one alone sufficient in the verse's own framing.
Question 5 of 10
What does Sujato's comment cross-reference for the idiom 'mounted on a path'?
Correct: D. A confirmed cross-reference, already completed on this site.
Question 6 of 10
What does 'samārūḷha' literally mean, per the comment?
Correct: A. A literal image of riding, applied metaphorically to the straight path.
Question 7 of 10
What resonance does this reading guide note with Ja 70, two chapters back?
Correct: B. A noted resonance in theme, without asserting a direct textual connection.
Question 8 of 10
What is this poem's traditional title?
Correct: C. The seventy-sixth poem overall, and the sixth of the Varuṇavagga.
Question 9 of 10
Where does this poem sit in the chapter's structure?
Correct: D. Part of the same nine-poem selection from the Varuṇavagga.
Question 10 of 10
What kind of fearlessness does this verse describe, overall?
Correct: A. The verse's own two named supports, taken together.
