Suppiya — The Book of the Ones · Chapter Four · Poem 2 of 10
Setting
No narrative setting; a short verse framed as an exchange
Speaker
Suppiya, describing his own goal as a trade
Form
One four-line verse
Length
under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
This reading guide does not assert a specific matching text for this poem in other Buddhist literatures.
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — a compact verse built entirely on the logic of exchange
Why this text
Suppiya frames liberation as a transaction: ‘I'll swap old age for the unaging, burning for quenching’ — not simply gaining something new, but trading one state directly for its opposite, culminating in ‘the supreme sanctuary from the yoke’.
Reading guide
A structure of exchange, not simple attainment
The verb nimināti, ‘to exchange or barter’, governs this whole verse: aging is traded for the unaging, burning for quenching — a transactional framing rather than a description of gradual development or arrival.
Two trades, then an escalating description of the result
After naming its two specific exchanges, the verse piles on two further descriptions of what is gained: ‘the ultimate peace’, then ‘the supreme sanctuary from the yoke’ — each term stronger than the last.
The yoke as a recurring image of bondage
Yogakkhema, ‘sanctuary from the yoke’, uses yoga, the same image of binding attachment that recurs across this collection and its companion, the Therīgātha, as a term for what keeps beings tied to further rebirth.
Key terms
ajara — “unaging” — what Suppiya says he will exchange for old age.
jīramāna — “aging” or “growing old” — the state being traded away.
nibbuti — “quenching” — exchanged for burning in this verse's second trade.
tappamāna — “burning” — describing the state of affliction being given up.
yogakkhema — “sanctuary from the yoke” — a compound combining yoga, the binding tie of attachment, with khema, safety or security.
The text
The text in full: one verse, with no separate attribution line in this chapter. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1I’ll swap old age for the unaging, burning for quenching—the ultimate peace, the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.
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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 structure does this verse use to describe Suppiya's goal?
Correct: C. The verb 'to exchange' governs the whole verse.
Question 2 of 10
What does Suppiya say he will exchange old age for?
Correct: B. The verse's first stated trade.
Question 3 of 10
What is exchanged for burning, according to the verse?
Correct: C. The verse's second stated trade.
Question 4 of 10
What two descriptions does the verse pile onto the result of these exchanges?
Correct: B. Two escalating descriptions closing the verse.
Question 5 of 10
What does 'yogakkhema' combine?
Correct: B. A compound naming sanctuary from bondage.
Question 6 of 10
What does 'ajara' mean?
Correct: A. What Suppiya says he will gain in exchange for old age.
Question 7 of 10
What does 'tappamāna' describe?
Correct: A. The state being traded away in this verse's second exchange.
Question 8 of 10
Does this verse describe gradual development, or a direct trade?
Correct: D. A transactional framing, not a description of gradual arrival.
Question 9 of 10
What does 'nibbuti' mean?
Correct: A. What is gained in exchange for burning.
Question 10 of 10
Where does this poem fall in Chapter Four?
Correct: D. Continuing the chapter's sequence of ten poems.
