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.
“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yamunā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave …pe…
seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, aciravatī nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave …pe…
seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sarabhū nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave …pe…
seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahī nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave …pe….
Pañcamaṁ.
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 …pe…
seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, aciravatī nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;
“… the Aciravatī river …”
evameva kho, bhikkhave …pe…
seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sarabhū nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;
“… the Sarabhū river …”
evameva kho, bhikkhave …pe…
seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahī nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave …pe….
“… the Mahī river …”
Pañcamaṁ.
Sign in to mark this page as read
Last updated on July 27, 2026