Sīha — The Book of the Ones · Chapter Nine · Poem 3 of 10
Setting
No narrative frame; a direct address, naming its own listener
Speaker
Unnamed; the verse does not identify who is urging Sīha on
Form
One four-line verse, entirely second-person exhortation
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
★★☆☆☆ — plain vocabulary, a vivid closing image
Why this text
For the second poem in a row, this verse is not first-person testimony but direct address — and unlike Thag 1.82, which spoke to an anonymous ‘child’, this one names its own listener within the verse itself: ‘Meditate diligently, Sīha’. Whoever is speaking urges him toward tireless practice, closing with a vivid instruction to ‘quickly discard this bag of bones’.
Reading guide
A verse that names its own listener
Sīhappamatto vihara, ‘live diligently, Sīha’, builds the addressee's name directly into the verse's opening compound — a different technique from Thag 1.82, which addressed an unnamed ‘child’ one poem earlier. Both verses share the same underlying structure, though: entirely second-person exhortation, with no narrative frame and no identification of who is speaking.
Whose voice is this?
This reading guide does not resolve who is urging Sīha on. Elsewhere in the wider canon, the Buddha frequently addresses individual monks directly by name in exactly this way, which would fit the pattern here — but the verse gives no attribution, and this reading guide does not assume it.
A vivid closing image, new to this collection
Jaha sīghaṁ samussayaṁ, ‘quickly discard this bag of bones’, uses samussaya (‘heap, aggregate’) for the body in a way not seen earlier in this collection — a blunt, physical image for letting go of the body itself, alongside this verse's more familiar call to ‘develop skillful qualities’.
A name shared with a well-known lay donor
Sīha (‘lion’) is also the name of General Sīha, a well-known figure already covered elsewhere on this site (AN 7.57), remembered in the wider canon for his generosity and his conversion from Jainism to the Buddha's teaching. Traditional accounts describe him remaining a lay donor rather than taking ordination, which argues against this being the same person — a more specific reason for caution than the usual ‘same name, no confirmation’, though still not a settled conclusion.
Key terms
appamatta — “diligent, heedful” — built into the verse's opening address to Sīha.
rattindivaṁ — “day and night” — ratti (‘night’) plus divā (‘day’), describing the pace of the practice urged.
bhāveti — “develops, cultivates” — the verb behind this verse's instruction to develop skillful qualities.
samussaya — “heap, aggregate” — here used for the body itself, in this verse's closing image.
Sīha — “lion” — also the name of a well-known lay donor covered elsewhere on this site (AN 7.57).
The text
The text in full: one verse, with no separate attribution line in this chapter. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1Meditate diligently, Sīha, tireless all day and night. Develop skillful qualities, and quickly discard this bag of bones.
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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 does this verse address its listener?
Correct: A. Sīhappamatto vihara, 'live diligently, Sīha'.
Question 2 of 10
How does this differ from Thag 1.82, the poem immediately before it?
Correct: C. Both are second-person exhortation, but this one builds the name into the verse itself.
Question 3 of 10
Does this reading guide identify who is speaking to Sīha?
Correct: C. The verse gives no attribution.
Question 4 of 10
What does the verse's closing line instruct?
Correct: A. Jaha sīghaṁ samussayaṁ, the verse's final image.
Question 5 of 10
What does 'samussaya' mean, as used in this verse?
Correct: B. A blunt, physical image not seen earlier in this collection.
Question 6 of 10
What well-known figure shares this elder's name, according to this reading guide?
Correct: D. Remembered for his generosity and conversion from Jainism.
Question 7 of 10
According to this reading guide, does the traditional account of General Sīha support identifying him with this elder?
Correct: D. A more specific reason for caution than a bare 'same name, unconfirmed'.
Question 8 of 10
What does 'bhāveti' mean?
Correct: A. The verb behind the instruction to develop skillful qualities.
