The Buddha teaches five qualities that make a woman extremely desirable or undesirable to a lady—attractiveness, wealth, ethical behavior, skill and energy, and bearing children.

SN 37.2 A Man

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato puriso ekantaamanāpo hoti mātugāmassa. Katamehi pañcahi? Na ca rūpavā hoti, na ca bhogavā hoti, na ca sīlavā hoti, alaso ca hoti, pajañcassa na labhati imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato puriso ekantaamanāpo hoti mātugāmassa.

Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato puriso ekantamanāpo hoti mātugāmassa. Katamehi pañcahi? Rūpavā ca hoti, bhogavā ca hoti, sīlavā ca hoti, dakkho ca hoti analaso, pajañcassa labhati imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato puriso ekantamanāpo hoti mātugāmassā”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato puriso ekantaamanāpo hoti mātugāmassa.

“Mendicants, when a man has five factors he is extremely undesirable to a lady.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Na ca rūpavā hoti, na ca bhogavā hoti, na ca sīlavā hoti, alaso ca hoti, pajañcassa na labhati

He’s not attractive, wealthy, or ethical; he’s idle, and he doesn’t beget children.

imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato puriso ekantaamanāpo hoti mātugāmassa.

When a man has these five factors he is extremely undesirable to a lady.

Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato puriso ekantamanāpo hoti mātugāmassa.

When a man has five factors he is extremely desirable to a lady.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Rūpavā ca hoti, bhogavā ca hoti, sīlavā ca hoti, dakkho ca hoti analaso, pajañcassa labhati

He’s attractive, wealthy, and ethical; he’s deft and tireless, and he begets children.

imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato puriso ekantamanāpo hoti mātugāmassā”ti.

When a man has these five factors he is extremely desirable to a lady.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Qualities:

Ethical conduct

Ethical conduct

A disciplined way of living grounded in harmlessness and integrity. Ethical conduct restrains the body and speech from harm, purifies behavior, and forms the foundation for collectedness and wisdom.

Also known as: moral integrity, right action, virtue
Pāli: sīla, sammākammanta
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Wisdom

Wisdom

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