Not narrated in this discourse's source text; no discourse in this vagga carries a narrative frame at all
Speakers
Not named explicitly; a four-part riddle answered point by point
Form
A four-line question, answered by a matching four-line reply naming four separate afflictions
Length
~30 seconds to read
Difficulty
★★☆☆☆ — direct in form, the first discourse in this vagga to name four distinct afflictions rather than one single governing force
A shift from one answer to four
Unlike SN 1.61 through SN 1.65, each naming one candidate, this discourse names four separate afflictions at once
Why this discourse
This discourse asks about the world's affliction from four separate angles: by what is it beaten down, by what surrounded, what dart has laid it low, and with what is it always fuming? Rather than a single unifying answer, the reply names four distinct culprits: death beats the world down, old age surrounds it, the dart of craving has already struck it, and desire is what keeps it constantly inflamed.
Reading guide
A shift from one governing force to four separate wounds
SN 1.61 through SN 1.65 each proposed a single answer — name, mind, craving, delight — to a unified question about what governs the world. This discourse changes the shape of the inquiry, asking about four distinct kinds of affliction rather than seeking one master cause.
A military image: a dart already thrown
The verse's most vivid image names craving specifically as a ‘dart’ (salla) that has ‘laid the world low’ — not an ongoing process but a strike already delivered, its damage already done, distinct from old age and death's more gradual encroachment.
Desire as a smoldering, continuous fire
Where the dart of craving describes a single decisive wound, the verse's closing image of the world ‘always fuming’ with desire (icchā) pictures something ongoing and low-grade rather than a single strike — two different textures of the same broad family of afflictions.
Four terms, closely related to this vagga's earlier candidates
Craving and desire here overlap closely with terms already central to SN 1.62 through SN 1.65's investigation, while death and old age recall this collection's much earlier concern with impermanence, from SN 1.3 and SN 1.4 through the whole of the Jarāvagga. This discourse gathers several of this collection's recurring threats into one compact list.
Key terms
attahata — “beaten down” — this discourse's title, describing the world's condition under the four afflictions named.
maccunābhihato loko — “the world is beaten down by death” — the first affliction, naming death's decisive blow.
jarāya parivārito — “surrounded by old age” — the second affliction, describing a gradual encirclement rather than a single strike.
taṇhāsallena otiṇṇo — “the dart of craving has laid it low” — the third affliction, a vivid image of a wound already delivered.
icchādhūpāyito sadā — “always fuming with desire” — the fourth affliction, describing a low, continuous burning rather than a single decisive event.
The text
The discourse in full: four separate afflictions, each described with a distinct image. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“By what is the world beaten down? By what is it surrounded? What dart has laid it low? With what is it always fuming?”
§2“The world is beaten down by death. It’s surrounded by old age. The dart of craving has laid it low. It’s always fuming with desire.”
· · ·
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 does this discourse's structure differ from SN 1.61 through SN 1.65?
Correct: A. A shift in the shape of the inquiry itself.
Question 2 of 10
What does the reply name as what beats the world down?
Correct: A. The first of four distinct afflictions named.
Question 3 of 10
What image does the verse use for craving specifically?
Correct: A. A single decisive strike, its damage already done.
Question 4 of 10
How does the image for desire differ from the image for craving?
Correct: A. Two different textures within the same broad family of afflictions.
Question 5 of 10
What does the reply name as surrounding the world?
Correct: A. A gradual encirclement, distinct from death's more decisive blow.
Question 6 of 10
How do craving and desire in this discourse relate to earlier discourses in this vagga?
Correct: A. This discourse gathers several recurring threats into one compact list.
Question 7 of 10
What earlier part of this collection does the mention of old age and death recall?
Correct: A. A much earlier concern with impermanence, gathered here alongside newer threats.
Question 8 of 10
What does 'attahata' mean?
Correct: A. This discourse's title, describing the world's condition.
Question 9 of 10
What is the setting of this discourse?
Correct: A. Like every discourse in this vagga, no setting is given directly.
Question 10 of 10
How many distinct afflictions does this discourse's reply name?
Correct: A. Death, old age, craving, and desire, each with its own distinct image.
