A direct fivefold list, closing on a single stated outcome
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
★☆☆☆☆ — a short, self-contained fivefold list
Why this discourse
This discourse opens Balavagga (“the Chapter on Powers”), Mātugāmasaṃyutta's third and final vagga, with an entirely new pentad not carried over from either Paṭhamapeyyālavagga's nine-part character template or Dutiyapeyyālavagga's mirrored reversal of it: attractiveness (rūpabala), wealth (bhogabala), relatives (ñātibala), children (puttabala), and ethical behavior (sīlabala) — five “powers” (bala) said to belong to a lady living at home. A lady equipped with all five, this discourse states plainly, lives self-assured (visārada). Nothing here reverses or extends the earlier two vaggas' own black/white architecture; this is the vagga's own fresh foundation, and the remaining nine discourses build directly on this same fivefold list.
Reading guide
Five powers, one new foundation
Attractiveness, wealth, relatives, children, and ethical behavior — a self-contained pentad introduced here for the first time in this saṃyutta, distinct from any list in Paṭhamapeyyālavagga or Dutiyapeyyālavagga.
What "self-assured" names
Visārada describes a lady who, holding all five powers at once, lives at home without anxiety about her own standing — the discourse states the condition and its outcome without further elaboration.
One list, three discourses, three outcomes
This is the first of three consecutive discourses (SN 37.25–27) that apply the identical fivefold list to three differently worded outcomes — a small triptych this reading guide will trace as the next two discourses confirm it.
Key terms
rūpabalaṁ, bhogabalaṁ, ñātibalaṁ, puttabalaṁ, sīlabalaṁ — attractiveness, wealth, relatives, children, and ethical behavior — the vagga's own defining pentad, unchanged across SN 37.25–31
mātugāmo — “a lady” — this saṃyutta's own recurring subject term throughout all 34 discourses
visārado — “self-assured, confident” — this discourse's own title term, naming the outcome of holding all five powers at once
agāraṁ ajjhāvasati — “living at home” — the domestic, householder setting this entire vagga addresses
bhikkhave — “mendicants” — the Buddha's own address term, opening this discourse and every other discourse in this vagga
The text
The complete discourse. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Mendicants, there are these five powers of a lady. What five? Attractiveness, wealth, relatives, children, and ethical behavior. These are the five powers of a lady. A lady living at home with these five qualities is self-assured.”
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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
What five "powers" does this discourse attribute to a lady?
Correct: A. A new, self-contained pentad introduced for the first time in Balavagga.
Question 2 of 5
What outcome does this discourse state for a lady who holds all five powers?
Correct: A. This particular outcome — later discourses apply the same fivefold list to different stated outcomes.
Question 3 of 5
How does this discourse relate to Paṭhamapeyyālavagga and Dutiyapeyyālavagga's own black/white template?
Correct: A. Balavagga opens with fresh content rather than continuing the mirror structure.
Question 4 of 5
What does this reading guide predict about the next two discourses?
Correct: A. A small triptych (SN 37.25–27), confirmed as the following two discourses are read.
Question 5 of 5
What does "agāraṁ ajjhāvasati" describe?
Correct: A. The domestic setting this entire vagga addresses throughout.
