The same fivefold template, compressed to its shortest form yet
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
★☆☆☆☆ — as brief as this series gets
Why this discourse
This discourse swaps “unethical” (dussīla, lack of moral discipline) into the template's own fifth position, compressing the surrounding formula even further than SN 37.9: bilara-data's own opening clause now elides the middle portion of the destination phrase itself (“a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld”), leaving only “hell” named directly before the peyyāla marker takes over. This is the compression's own settling point — SN 37.11 through SN 37.13 will match this same shortened form rather than compressing further still.
Reading guide
The deepest compression the series reaches
Rather than eliding only the surrounding narrative or clause structure, this discourse's own opening now cuts into the destination phrase itself, keeping only “hell” (niraya) as the named endpoint before the peyyāla marker — the compression's own floor, not exceeded by any later discourse in this series.
Unethical conduct, named as a trait rather than an act
Dussīla (unethical, of bad character) names a general moral disposition rather than a specific behavior, unlike aticārī's own specific act of infidelity at SN 37.9 — a return to the character-trait framing of SN 37.5–8 after that one discourse's more specific focus.
A settling point, not a stopping point
This discourse's own level of compression will hold steady for the remainder of the series (SN 37.11–13), rather than compressing further — confirming a floor has been reached rather than an ongoing trend toward ever-shorter discourses.
A quality with its own positive mirror already scheduled
Susīla (“ethical,” the positive counterpart to this discourse's own dussīla) will appear at SN 37.20 in Dutiyapeyyālavagga, this saṃyutta's own bright-side mirror of the fivefold series met across SN 37.5–13.
Key terms
dussīla — unethical, of bad moral character — this discourse's own variable fifth quality, naming a general disposition rather than a specific act
susīla — “ethical” — this quality's own positive counterpart, scheduled to appear at SN 37.20
…pe… nirayaṁ upapajjati — the compressed opening clause, eliding the middle destination phrase and naming only hell directly — this discourse's own deepest point of compression in the series
dasamaṁ — “tenth” — this discourse's own untranslated closing marker
assaddha... ahirika... anottāpī... duppañña — the four fixed qualities, still named in full at the discourse's own structural core
The text
The complete discourse as bilara-data preserves it — compressed to this series' own shortest form. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“… They’re faithless, shameless, imprudent, unethical, and witless. …”
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Self-check quiz
5 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 5
How does this discourse's own opening clause compress the destination phrase, compared to SN 37.9?
Correct: A. The compression's own floor, not exceeded by any later discourse in the series.
Question 2 of 5
What does "dussīla," this discourse's own variable fifth quality, name?
Correct: A. A return to the character-trait framing after SN 37.9's more specific focus on adultery.
Question 3 of 5
Does the compression continue to deepen after this discourse?
Correct: A. A settling point rather than an ongoing trend toward ever-shorter discourses.
Question 4 of 5
Where does this quality's positive counterpart appear in this saṃyutta?
Correct: A. Susīla, "ethical," as part of this saṃyutta's own mirrored fivefold series.
Question 5 of 5
What four qualities remain named in full at this discourse's own structural core?
Correct: A. The four fixed qualities carried unchanged throughout the entire nine-discourse series.
