No narrative setting beyond what the verses state; no closing attribution
Speaker
The nun Sāmā, speaking entirely in the first person about a specific, dated struggle
Form
A six-line verse followed by a four-line verse, closing the Book of the Twos
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
★★☆☆☆ — notable for its candor about repeated failure
Why this text
This poem closes the Book of the Twos with something the collection rarely states this plainly: outright failure, repeated, before success finally comes. Sāmā names leaving her dwelling four or five times without finding peace of mind, before dating her breakthrough precisely to ‘the eighth night’.
Reading guide
Failure counted, not glossed over
‘Four or five times I left my dwelling’ states a specific number of attempts, followed directly by an honest verdict: ‘I had failed to find peace of heart, or any control over my mind’ — no softening, no framing of these attempts as partial progress.
A breakthrough dated with precision
Where most poems in this collection describe attainment without a timeline, this one is specific: ‘now it is the eighth night since craving was eradicated’ — a practice diary's precision applied to a spiritual breakthrough.
The exact closing quatrain of Thig 2.9, repeated
This poem's second verse is word for word the same as Thig 2.9's closing four lines: ‘though subject to so many painful things... fulfilled the Buddha's instructions.’ Two different women's accounts, closing this book on the identical formula.
A fitting close to a book of individual struggle
The Book of the Twos ends not on a triumphant image but on an honest account of difficulty overcome slowly — a counterpoint to Thig 2.2's Jentā, who opened this book's second poem with a confident, completed report, and a reminder that this collection preserves failure alongside success.
Key terms
Sāmā — this poem's speaker, whose account is unusually specific about the number of failed attempts before her breakthrough.
cittassa vūpasama — “peace of heart” — what Sāmā says she repeatedly failed to find before her eventual success.
aṭṭharattā — “the eighth night” — the precise timing Sāmā gives for when craving was eradicated.
taṇhākkhaya — “the ending of craving” — the same term closing Thig 2.9, repeated word for word in this poem's second verse.
cariyā — not used here; the last of this book's poems, closing on a formula shared exactly with the poem immediately before it.
The text
The text in full: two verses, closing the Book of the Twos. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1Four or five times I left my dwelling. I had failed to find peace of heart, or any control over my mind. Now it is the eighth night since craving was eradicated.
§2Though subject to so many painful things, I have, through my love of diligence, reached the ending of craving, and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.
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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 many times does Sāmā say she left her dwelling without success?
Correct: B. A specific count, stated plainly.
Question 2 of 10
How does the verse describe these earlier attempts?
Correct: B. No softening or reframing as progress.
Question 3 of 10
How precisely does the verse date the eventual breakthrough?
Correct: B. A practice diary's precision applied to a spiritual breakthrough.
Question 4 of 10
What does this poem's second verse share with Thig 2.9's closing?
Correct: B. Two different women's accounts closing on the identical formula.
Question 5 of 10
How does this poem's tone compare to Thig 2.2's Jentā, opening this book's second poem?
Correct: B. A reminder that this collection preserves failure alongside success.
Question 6 of 10
What does 'cittassa vūpasama' mean?
Correct: A. Named as what eluded her across several attempts.
Question 7 of 10
Does this poem have a closing attribution?
Correct: B. No formal attribution note closes this poem.
Question 8 of 10
What position does this poem hold in the Therigatha?
Correct: B. The tenth and last poem of ten in this second book.
Question 9 of 10
What does 'aṭṭharattā' mean?
Correct: A. A specific, dated detail unusual among this collection's poems.
Question 10 of 10
What overall impression does this closing poem leave about the path to awakening in this collection?
Correct: B. An honest counterpoint closing this book of individual struggle.
