Subāhu — The Book of the Ones · Chapter Six · Poem 2 of 10
Setting
A rain-sheltered hut
Speaker
Subāhu, addressing the rain god directly
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
★☆☆☆☆ — the same formula, one word changed
Why this text
Subāhu's verse repeats Godhika's opening two lines almost exactly, then varies only its third line: instead of a serene mind in general, Subāhu names his mind as ‘immersed in the body’ — a specific nod to kāyagatāsati, mindfulness of the body, as his own particular practice inside the shared formula.
Reading guide
The same two lines, once more
Subāhu's first two lines — the rain falling like a sweet song, the hut roofed and pleasant — are identical to Godhika's, continuing the run of near-identical openings that began this chapter.
One word changed: the body, not just the mind
Where Godhika said only ‘my mind is serene’, Subāhu specifies ‘my mind is immersed in the body’ — naming kāyagatāsati specifically, a distinct meditative theme (mindfulness grounded in awareness of the body) rather than a generic description of calm.
A formula built for small variation
Two poems into this run, the pattern is now visible: each speaker keeps the shared frame and changes exactly one line, using it to name what is most particular about their own practice. Watch for what the next two poems choose to name.
Key terms
kāye — “in the body” — the word Subāhu adds to the shared formula, specifying where his mind is immersed.
susamāhita — “serene” or “well composed” — shared with Godhika's verse, here applied specifically to the body.
kāyagatāsati — “mindfulness immersed in the body” — the meditative theme this verse's third line points toward, though the compound itself is not spelled out in the verse.
kuṭikā — “little hut” — the shared setting of this whole run of poems.
pavassa — “rain forth” — the closing invitation, identical to Godhika's.
The text
The text in full: one verse, with no separate attribution line in this chapter. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1The heavens rain like a sweet song. My hut is roofed and pleasant, sheltered from the wind. My mind is immersed in my body: so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.
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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
How do Subāhu's first two lines compare to Godhika's verse just before it?
Correct: B. The same shared opening formula continues.
Question 2 of 10
What does Subāhu specify about his mind, unlike Godhika?
Correct: C. A specific nod toward mindfulness grounded in the body.
Question 3 of 10
What meditative theme does this verse's third line point toward?
Correct: D. Kāyagatāsati, though the compound isn't spelled out directly.
Question 4 of 10
What is the pattern emerging across this run of poems, according to this reading guide?
Correct: B. A formula built for small, telling variation.
Question 5 of 10
What does the verse invite the rain god to do?
Correct: A. The same closing invitation as Godhika's verse.
Question 6 of 10
What does 'kāye' mean?
Correct: D. The word Subāhu adds to the shared formula.
Question 7 of 10
How many poems in this chapter's opening run share nearly the same two opening lines?
Correct: D. Thag 1.51 through 1.54, this poem being the second.
Question 8 of 10
Where does this poem fall in the chapter?
Correct: C. Poem 2 of 10 in Chapter Six.
Question 9 of 10
What is the setting shared by this verse and the one before it?
Correct: B. The same domestic, rain-proof scene.
Question 10 of 10
What does 'pavassa' mean, closing this verse?
Correct: A. An unafraid, welcoming address to the sky, repeated from Thag 1.51.
