The second of four discourses built on the same body-hairs-as-weapon structure
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
★☆☆☆☆ — identical structure to SN 19.5, one weapon and one occupation changed
Why this discourse
This discourse repeats SN 19.5's exact structure, substituting spears for swords: a man whose body hairs are spears, rising up and falling back onto his own body. The cause named is deer hunting (māgavika), a fifth distinct occupation and the second hunting trade named in this saṃyutta after SN 19.3's bird hunter.
Reading guide
A near-exact repeat, with only the weapon and trade changed
Every other element of this discourse — the self-generated nature of the harm, the repeated rising-and-falling action, the screaming — matches SN 19.5 precisely, confirming this saṃyutta is building a deliberate four-part sequence rather than four unrelated images.
Spears as marginally more piercing than swords
Where a sword cuts along an edge, a spear concentrates harm at a single point — a subtle escalation in the specific quality of pain implied, even though the underlying structure and consequence remain identical to the discourse before it.
A second hunting trade, not a second butchery
Deer hunting joins bird hunting as this saṃyutta's second explicitly named hunting occupation, distinct from the cattle, sheep, and pig butchery named elsewhere — hunting wild game and butchering domesticated animals are treated as separate but parallel categories of harm.
The middle of a four-part sequence, not its edges
As the second discourse in this four-part run, this discourse's role is largely structural — confirming the pattern established by SN 19.5 will continue rather than proving to be an isolated instance.
A catalog of weapons building alongside the catalog of trades
Sword, then spear: this saṃyutta is simultaneously building two parallel lists across this four-discourse run, one of weapons transformed into body hair and one of occupations that produce this specific consequence.
Key terms
sattilomaṁ purisaṁ vehāsaṁ gacchantaṁ — “a man whose body hairs were spears, flying through the air” — this discourse's title image, repeating SN 19.5's structure with a new weapon.
māgaviko — “a deer hunter” — the fifth distinct occupation named in this series, and the second hunting trade after SN 19.3's bird hunter.
uppatitvā uppatitvā — “rising up again and again” — the same repeated, cyclical action described in SN 19.5, unchanged here.
…pe… — the peyyāla elision mark — the same compression convention continuing from the discourses before this one.
chaṭṭhaṁ — “the sixth” — this discourse's closing numbering tag.
The text
The discourse as preserved in the source, elided around SN 19.1's fuller frame narrative. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Just now, reverend, as I was descending from Vulture’s Peak Mountain I saw a man whose body hairs were spears flying through the air. And those spears kept rising up and falling on his body as he screamed in pain. …” … “That being used to be a deer hunter right here in Rājagaha. …”
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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 weapon does this discourse substitute for SN 19.5's swords?
Correct: A. The same self-inflicted body-hairs-as-weapon structure, with a new weapon substituted.
Question 2 of 10
What occupation does this discourse name as the cause?
Correct: A. The second hunting trade named in this saṃyutta, after SN 19.3's bird hunter.
Question 3 of 10
What elements of this discourse match SN 19.5 exactly?
Correct: A. Confirming a deliberate four-part sequence rather than unrelated images.
Question 4 of 10
How does hunting differ from butchery in this saṃyutta's catalog of occupations?
Correct: A. Deer hunting joining bird hunting as this saṃyutta's second explicitly named hunting occupation.
Question 5 of 10
What position does this discourse hold in the four-part sequence begun at SN 19.5?
Correct: A. A largely structural role, confirming the established pattern.
Question 6 of 10
What two parallel catalogs is this saṃyutta building across this four-discourse run?
Correct: A. Sword and spear for the weapons, deer hunter and pig butcher for the occupations, so far.
Question 7 of 10
What does the shift from sword to spear subtly suggest, according to this reading guide?
Correct: A. A subtle variation even as the underlying structure and consequence remain identical.
Question 8 of 10
Where is this discourse set?
Correct: A. The setting shared throughout this saṃyutta.
Question 9 of 10
Who are the two speakers in this discourse?
Correct: A. The same pair continuing throughout this saṃyutta.
