The Buddha teaches a repeated simile of great rivers slanting, sloping, and inclining to the east, showing how a mendicant who develops the noble eightfold path likewise inclines to extinguishment, applied across each river in this grouped discourse.

PTS 5.41

SN 45.116–120 Slanting East

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yamunā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe… dutiyaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, aciravatī nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe… tatiyaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sarabhū nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe… catutthaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahī nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe… pañcamaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kācimā mahānadiyo, seyyathidaṁ gaṅgā, yamunā, aciravatī, sarabhū, mahī, sabbā pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe… chaṭṭhaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yamunā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;

“Mendicants, the Yamunā river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east. …”

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe…

dutiyaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, aciravatī nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;

“… the Aciravatī river …”

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe…

tatiyaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sarabhū nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;

“… the Sarabhū river …”

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe…

catutthaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahī nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;

“… the Mahī river …”

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe…

pañcamaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kācimā mahānadiyo, seyyathidaṁ

“… all the great rivers …”

gaṅgā, yamunā, aciravatī, sarabhū, mahī, sabbā pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe…

chaṭṭhaṁ.

Qualities:

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 September 10, 2026

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