“What is authority in the world? What’s the best of valuables? What in the world is a rusty sword? Who is a pest in the world?
Who gets arrested when they take things away? And who is loved when they take things away? And who is approved by the astute when they come again and again?”
“Sway is authority in the world. A woman is the best of valuables. Anger in the world is a rusty sword. A bandit is a pest in the world.
A bandit gets arrested when they take things away. And an ascetic is loved when they take things away. An ascetic is approved by the astute when they come again and again.”
Authority
SN 1.77 · Issariyasutta
Connections
Collection & context
- Saṃyutta NikāyaThe collection containing this text
- The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
- Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
- The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting
Books
- The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta NikāyaBhikkhu Bodhi; Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) · Complete collection edition
About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0
This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.
Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.