SN 51.33–44 — The Ganges River, Etc.

Reading guide

A formula met four times, now for the four bases

Confirmed by direct comparison, the simile itself is identical each time: “the Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east” is mirrored by a mendicant who develops a given quality “slanting, sloping, and inclining to extinguishment” — here for the first time illustrating the four bases of psychic power rather than the path factors, faculties, or right efforts.

Twelve discourses, one worked example

Confirmed by direct reading of this file's own closing colophon (“Dvādasamaṁ,” “Gaṅgāpeyyālavaggo catuttho”) and its own uddāna (“six on slanting to the east, and six on slanting to the ocean—these two sixes make twelve”), this single file covers all twelve variant discourses (SN 51.33-44) through one full worked example, without spelling out each of the remaining eleven rivers individually.

A fourth vagga, a familiar shape

This project's own cross-reference: exactly as SN 45's own eightfold-path saṃyutta, SN 48's own faculties saṃyutta, and SN 49's own right-efforts saṃyutta each used this same river-peyyāla structure to open a later vagga, this saṃyutta's own Vagga 4 now does the same for the four bases — a structural pattern this project has confirmed recurs across multiple saṃyuttas in this book.

Key terms

gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā — “the Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east” — the identical simile already met at SN 45.91-102, SN 48.71-82, and SN 49.1-12

nibbānaninno...nibbānapoṇo...nibbānapabbhāro — “slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment” — the mendicant's own mirrored inclination, now attributed to developing the four bases

cattāro iddhipāde bhāvento bahulīkaronto — “develops and cultivates the four bases of psychic power” — the cause named for this inclination toward extinguishment

Dvādasamaṁ — “twelfth” — this file's own closing ordinal, confirming its own coverage of twelve merged discourses

Gaṅgāpeyyālavaggo catuttho — “Vagga 4, the Ganges Abbreviated-Texts chapter” — this file's own closing colophon, confirming it opens this saṃyutta's own fourth vagga

The text

Every genuinely translated fragment given in the consulted English source. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1“Mendicants, the Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east. In the same way, a mendicant who develops and cultivates the four bases of psychic power slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment. And how does a mendicant who develops the four bases of psychic power slant, slope, and incline to extinguishment? It’s when a mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm … energy … mental development … inquiry, and active effort.

§2That’s how a mendicant who develops and cultivates the four bases of psychic power slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.”

UddānaSix on slanting to the east, and six on slanting to the ocean; these two sixes make twelve, and that’s how this chapter is recited.

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Self-check quiz

3 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 3

How many times has this project now confirmed the river-simile formula's own use across this book, including this occurrence?

Correct: A. Confirmed by direct comparison: the eightfold path, the five faculties, the four right efforts, and now the four bases.

Question 2 of 3

How many discourses does this single merged file cover, according to its own colophon and uddāna?

Correct: A. "Dvādasamaṁ" and the uddāna's own "these two sixes make twelve," confirmed directly.

Question 3 of 3

What does this project's own cross-reference identify about this vagga's own opening structure?

Correct: A. This project's own confirmed structural pattern, recurring across SN 45, SN 48, SN 49, and now SN 51.

Answered 0 of 3 · Correct 0

The Ganges River, Etc.

Why this discourse