Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
37. Mātugāma Saṃyutta
3. Tatiya Vagga

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Saḷāyatana-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
37. Kindred Sayings about Womankind
3. Third Chapter

Sutta 29

Aṇga Suttaṃ

Quality

Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids

Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[166]

[1][olds] Thus have I heard:

The Exalted One once addressed the brethren, saying:

"Brethren."

"Lord," responded those brethren to the Exalted One.

The Exalted One thus spake:

"There are these five powers in a woman, brethren.

What five?

The power of beauty,
the power of wealth,
the power of kin,
the power of sons,
the power of virtue.

 

§

 

Suppose, Brethren, a woman is possessed
of the power of beauty,
but not of the power of wealth.

Thus is she defective by one quality.

But suppose her possessed
of the power of beauty,
and of the power of wealth
then is she complete by that quality.

■

Suppose, Brethren, a woman is possessed
of the power of beauty,
and of the power of wealth
but not of the power of kin.

Then is she defective by that one quality.

But suppose her possessed
of the power of beauty,
and of the power of wealth
and of the power of kin
then is she complete by that quality.

■

Suppose, Brethren, a woman is possessed
of the power of beauty,
and of the power of wealth
and of the power of kin,
but not of the power of sons.

Then is she defective by that one quality.

But suppose her possessed
of the power of beauty,
and of the power of wealth
and of the power of kin,
and of the power of sons
then is she complete by that quality.

■

Suppose, Brethren, a woman is possessed
of the power of beauty,
and of the power of wealth
and of the power of kin,
and of the power of sons
but not of the power of virtue.

Then is she defective by that one quality.

But suppose her possessed
of the power of beauty,
and of the power of wealth
and of the power of kin,
and of the power of sons
and of the power of virtue
then is she complete by that quality.

Such, Brethren, are the five powers of womanfolk."