DiscoverSNSN 1–11SN 1SN 1.63

A deity engages the Buddha in verse on craving, exploring a teaching on suffering, liberation, and the law of kamma.

SN 1.63 Craving

“Kenassu nīyati loko,
kenassu parikassati;
Kissassu ekadhammassa,
sabbeva vasamanvagū”ti.

“Taṇhāya nīyati loko,
taṇhāya parikassati;
Taṇhāya ekadhammassa,
sabbeva vasamanvagū”ti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Kenassu nīyati loko,

“What leads the world on?

kenassu parikassati;

What drags it around?

Kissassu ekadhammassa,

What is the one thing

sabbeva vasamanvagū”ti.

that has everything under its sway?”

“Taṇhāya nīyati loko,

“Craving leads the world on.

taṇhāya parikassati;

Craving drags it around.

Taṇhāya ekadhammassa,

Craving is the one thing

sabbeva vasamanvagū”ti.

that has everything under its sway.”

Qualities:

Craving

Craving

☁️ dark quality

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Wisdom

Wisdom

☀️ bright quality

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026

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