Ru-Yi Meditation Center
Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 55.39

With Kāḷigodhā

Kāḷigodhasutta — Puññābhisandavagga

Setting
The home of Kāḷigodhā the Sakyan lady, Kapilavatthu
Speakers
The Buddha and Kāḷigodhā the Sakyan lady
Form
The Buddha initiates the visit himself, teaches the four factors, and Kāḷigodhā confirms them of herself
Length
1–2 minutes to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Significance
★★★★ — a rare instance of the Buddha himself initiating a visit, and the four factors given explicitly in the female grammatical form

Why this discourse

Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse opens unusually: the Buddha himself goes to Kāḷigodhā's own home and sits down, rather than being summoned (as at SN 55.3 and SN 55.26-27) or approached at his own monastery (as in most of this saṃyutta's own discourses). He teaches the four factors explicitly addressed to “a female noble disciple” (itthī ariyasāvikā), and Kāḷigodhā confirms them of herself directly, exactly as Anāthapiṇḍika and Mahānāma have each done elsewhere in this saṃyutta.

Reading guide

The Buddha initiates the visit

Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse's own opening is genuinely unusual within this saṃyutta: the Buddha “robed up in the morning and…went to the home of Kāḷigodhā” on his own initiative, rather than responding to a summons or being approached at his own residence.

The four factors, grammatically marked as female

Confirmed by direct reading, the formula here is explicitly stated for “a female noble disciple” (itthī ariyasāvikā), with generosity as the fourth factor rather than bare ethical conduct — matching the same substitution already confirmed at SN 55.6 and SN 55.32.

Self-confirmation, in her own words

Confirmed by direct reading, Kāḷigodhā's own response mirrors Anāthapiṇḍika's own pattern exactly: not passive acceptance, but a direct declaration, “these four factors of stream-entry…are found in me, and I exhibit them,” followed by the Buddha's own direct confirmation, “you have declared the fruit of stream-entry.”

Key terms

itthī ariyasāvikā — “a female noble disciple” — this discourse's own explicit grammatical marking of the formula's own addressee
attano pi ye kulepāhonti deyyadhammā, sabbaṁ taṁ appaṭivibhattaṁ sīlavantehi kalyāṇadhammehi saṁvibhajāmi — “I share without reservation all the gifts available to give in our family with those who are ethical and of good character” — Kāḷigodhā's own account of her own generosity, the fourth factor
mayhaṁ ete, bhante, bhagavatā cattāro sotāpattiyaṅgā desitā saṁvijjanti — “these four factors of stream-entry…are found in me, and I exhibit them” — Kāḷigodhā's own direct self-confirmation
lābhā te, godhe, suladdhaṁ te — “you're fortunate, Godhā, so very fortunate” — the Buddha's own direct confirmation, closing this discourse
sotāpattiphalaṁ tvaṁ byākāsi — “you have declared the fruit of stream-entry” — the identical confirmation formula already met at SN 55.27's own closing

The text

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

§1At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery. Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the home of Kāḷigodhā the Sakyan lady, where he sat on the seat spread out. Then Kāḷigodhā went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to her: “Godhā, a female noble disciple who has four things is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening. What four? It’s when a female noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … And she lives at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share. A female noble disciple who has these four things is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.”

Kāḷigodhā's own self-confirmation“Sir, these four factors of stream-entry that were taught by the Buddha are found in me, and I exhibit them. For I have experiential confidence in the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … And I share without reservation all the gifts available to give in our family with those who are ethical and of good character.” “You’re fortunate, Godhā, so very fortunate, You have declared the fruit of stream-entry.”

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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
What is unusual about this discourse's own opening, compared to most of this saṃyutta?
Correct: A. Confirmed by direct reading — a rare instance of the Buddha's own initiative, distinct from this saṃyutta's own more common pattern.
Question 2 of 3
What serves as the fourth factor in this discourse's own formula, and where else has this project confirmed the same substitution?
Correct: A. Confirmed by direct comparison — the same generosity-based variant met twice before in this saṃyutta.
Question 3 of 3
How does Kāḷigodhā's own response compare to Anāthapiṇḍika's own pattern elsewhere in this saṃyutta?
Correct: A. Confirmed by direct comparison — the identical self-confirmation pattern already met at SN 55.27.
Answered 0 of 3 · Correct 0

Further reading

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