A four-line verse on impermanence, matched almost exactly by the Buddha's reply with one line changed
Length
~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
★★★☆☆ — brief, but the redirected final line marks a meaningful shift in aim
Why this discourse
Uttara's verse names life's brevity and old age's lack of shelter, drawing from this the conclusion that one should do good deeds that bring joy, seeing the peril in death. The Buddha repeats the first three lines unchanged, then redirects the conclusion: not accumulating joy-bringing deeds, but a seeker of peace dropping the world's bait — the same premise about impermanence, aimed instead at renunciation rather than merit.
Reading guide
A third single-line substitution in this vagga
Following SN 2.16's change of ‘sensual desire’ to ‘substantialist view’, this discourse repeats the same technique: three lines kept exactly, only the final line's conclusion altered, making this the third such substitution in this ten-discourse vagga alone.
Merit versus renunciation, not a rejection of merit
Uttara's conclusion — do good deeds that bring joy — is not corrected as false but redirected as incomplete: the Buddha's version does not deny that good deeds matter, but names a further aim, dropping attachment entirely, as what a seeker of peace does with the same insight into impermanence.
The world's bait: an image unique to this verse
‘The world's bait’ (lokāmisa) pictures worldly attachment as something dangled to be seized, an image not used elsewhere in this vagga, closing the verse with a warning rather than an exhortation to action.
Set at Rājagaha without the fuller frame
Unlike SN 2.13 and SN 2.18, which restated the full opening narrative formula for their location changes, this discourse simply names ‘At Rājagaha’ without further elaboration — a location change handled differently from this vagga's two earlier ones.
Impermanence as shared ground for two different aims
Both verses agree entirely on the diagnosis — life is short, old age offers no shelter, death is a real peril — and differ only in what follows from it, illustrating that shared premises do not guarantee a shared conclusion.
Key terms
appamāyu — “so very short” — the verse's opening description of life, unchanged between both versions.
jarūpanīta — “led on to old age” — the second line's description, likewise kept unchanged.
maraṇabhaya — “peril in death” — what both verses agree is seen, before their conclusions diverge.
puññāni kayirātha — “do good deeds” — Uttara's original conclusion, naming merit as the response to impermanence.
lokāmisa — “the world's bait” — the Buddha's substituted image, naming what a seeker of peace drops instead.
The text
The discourse in full: Uttara's verse on impermanence and the Buddha's reply with its final line redirected. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1At Rājagaha. Standing to one side, the godling Uttara spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:
§2“This life, so very short, is led onward. One led on to old age has no shelter. Seeing this peril in death, do good deeds that bring you joy.”
§3“This life, so very short, is led onward. One led on to old age has no shelter. Seeing this peril in death, a seeker of peace would drop the world’s bait.”
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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 does Uttara's verse say about life?
Correct: A. The verse's opening two lines, kept unchanged in the Buddha's reply.
Question 2 of 10
What conclusion does Uttara's verse draw from life's brevity?
Correct: A. The verse's original final line, naming merit as the appropriate response.
Question 3 of 10
How does the Buddha's reply differ from Uttara's verse?
Correct: A. The first three lines are kept, with the final line redirected.
Question 4 of 10
What does the Buddha's version conclude instead?
Correct: A. The verse's redirected final line, naming renunciation rather than merit.
Question 5 of 10
Does the Buddha's version reject Uttara's emphasis on good deeds as false?
Correct: A. The reading guide notes the shift names a further aim rather than denying merit's value.
Question 6 of 10
What does “the world's bait” (lokāmisa) picture?
Correct: A. An image unique to this verse within this vagga, closing with a warning rather than an exhortation.
Question 7 of 10
How many single-line substitutions has this vagga now used, counting this discourse?
Correct: A. Following SN 2.16's substitution, this is the vagga's second such single-line change, making a broader pattern.
Question 8 of 10
Where is this discourse set?
Correct: A. Simply “At Rājagaha,” handled differently from this vagga's two earlier location changes.
Question 9 of 10
What do both versions of the verse agree on entirely?
Correct: A. Shared premises leading to two different conclusions.
Question 10 of 10
What does this discourse illustrate about shared premises?
Correct: A. The reading guide's closing observation on this verse pair.
