The Buddha alone, continuing the Devadatta case study
Form
The middle discourse of a three-part sequence, widening SN 17.32's term
Length
under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
A rough counterpart may exist in the Chinese Saṃyukta-āgama (T99), though this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★★☆☆☆ — the middle term of a deliberate three-part escalation
Why this discourse
This discourse continues the sequence begun in SN 17.32, widening the specific loss named from kusalamūla, the skillful root itself, to kusalo dhammo, skillful quality more broadly — a wider category than any single root, encompassing the range of wholesome states that root supports. As in the discourse before it, this loss is described as total: Devadatta cut off his skillful quality because his mind was overcome and overwhelmed by possessions, honor, and popularity.
Reading guide
A term widened, not merely repeated
Dhamma here names a broader category than mūla; where SN 17.32 named the foundational root itself, this discourse names the wider range of wholesome qualities that root gives rise to, describing a wider scope of loss.
A root implies its fruits, and both are said to be lost
If the earlier discourse described the foundation being cut, this discourse's claim follows naturally: with the root itself severed, the qualities that root would otherwise support are described as lost along with it.
Identical structure carrying the escalation's real weight
Every other element of this discourse — the setting, the diagnostic cause, the closing refrain — repeats SN 17.32 unchanged; the escalation's entire force rests on the single substituted term.
The middle position in a deliberate triad
Positioned between kusalamūla and the discourse immediately following it's sukko dhammo, this discourse's placement confirms the sequence moves through a considered progression rather than three arbitrary synonyms.
A widening scope without a widening cause
As throughout this sequence, the cause named remains unchanged — overcome and overwhelmed by possessions, honor, and popularity — while only the scope of what that cause destroys keeps expanding.
Key terms
kusalo dhammo — “skillful quality” — a wider category than kusalamūla, naming the range of wholesome states the skillful root supports.
samucchedamagamā — “went to utter severance” — the same term for total loss repeated exactly from SN 17.32.
abhibhūtassa pariyādiṇṇacittassa — “overcome and overwhelmed” — the unchanged diagnostic cause, identical across this entire sequence of discourses.
devadattassa — “Devadatta's” — the same named individual continuing to be examined.
tatiyaṁ — “the third” — this discourse's closing numbering tag.
The text
The discourse in full. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1At Sāvatthī. “Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim … Devadatta cut off his skillful quality because his mind was overcome and overwhelmed by possessions, honor, and popularity. So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”
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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 term does this discourse use for what Devadatta lost, in place of SN 17.32's "skillful root"?
Correct: A. A wider category than any single root, naming the range of wholesome states it supports.
Question 2 of 10
How does the scope of "skillful quality" compare to "skillful root"?
Correct: A. A widened category following naturally from the root's severance.
Question 3 of 10
What elements of this discourse remain unchanged from SN 17.32?
Correct: A. The escalation's entire force rests on the single substituted term.
Question 4 of 10
What position does this discourse hold in the three-part sequence?
Correct: A. Confirming a considered progression rather than three arbitrary synonyms.
Question 5 of 10
Does the cause named for Devadatta's loss change in this discourse?
Correct: A. Only the scope of what is destroyed expands; the cause itself stays constant.
Question 6 of 10
What verb describes the manner of this loss?
Correct: A. Total severance, the same term used in SN 17.32.
Question 7 of 10
Who continues to be examined as the historical case in this discourse?
Correct: A. The same named individual as SN 17.31 and 17.32.
Question 8 of 10
Where does the Buddha deliver this teaching?
Correct: A. The setting shared with most discourses in this collection.
