Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

4: The Book of the Fours

110. Vipers

1"Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of vipers. What four? The one whose venom is quick to come up but not virulent; the one whose venom is virulent but not quick to come up; the one whose venom is both quick to come up and virulent; and the one whose venom is neither quick to come up nor virulent. These are the four kinds of vipers. So too, there are these four kinds of persons similar to vipers found existing in the world. What four? The one whose venom is quick to come up but not virulent; the one whose venom is virulent but not quick to come up; the one whose venom is both quick to come up and virulent; and the one whose venom is neither quick to come up nor virulent.


2(1) "And how, bhikkhus, is a person one whose venom is quick to come up but not virulent? Here, someone often becomes angry, but his anger does not linger for a long time. It is in this way that a person is one whose venom is quick to come up but not virulent. So, I say, this person is just like a viper whose venom is quick to come up but not virulent.

3(2) "And how is a person one whose venom is virulent but not quick to come up? Here, someone does not often become angry, but his anger lingers for a long time. It is in this way that a person is one whose venom is virulent but not quick to come up. So, I say, this person is just like a viper whose venom is virulent but not quick to come up.

4(3) "And how is a person one whose venom is both quick to come up and virulent? Here, someone often becomes angry, and his anger lingers for a long time. It is in this way that a person is one whose venom is both quick to come up and virulent. So, I say, this person is just like a viper whose venom is both quick to come up and virulent.

5(4) "And how is a person one whose venom is neither quick to come up nor virulent? Here, someone does not often become angry, and his anger does not linger for a long time. It is in this way that a person is one whose venom is neither quick to come up nor virulent. So, I say, this person is just like a viper whose venom is neither quick to come up nor virulent.


"These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons similar to vipers found existing in the world."

1"Cattārome, bhikkhave, āsīvisā. Katame cattāro? Āgataviso na ghoraviso, ghoraviso na āgataviso, āgataviso ca ghoraviso ca, nevāgataviso na ghoraviso – ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro āsīvisā. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro āsīvisūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro? Āgataviso na ghoraviso, ghoraviso na āgataviso, āgataviso ca ghoraviso ca, nevāgataviso na ghoraviso.


2Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo āgataviso hoti, na ghoraviso? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo abhiṇhaṁ kujjhati. So ca khvassa kodho na dīgharattaṁ anuseti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo āgataviso hoti, na ghoraviso. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, āsīviso āgataviso, na ghoraviso; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

3Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo ghoraviso hoti, na āgataviso? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo na heva kho abhiṇhaṁ kujjhati. So ca khvassa kodho dīgharattaṁ anuseti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo ghoraviso hoti, na āgataviso. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, āsīviso ghoraviso, na āgataviso; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

4Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo āgataviso ca hoti ghoraviso ca? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo abhiṇhaṁ kujjhati. So ca khvassa kodho dīgharattaṁ anuseti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo āgataviso ca hoti ghoraviso ca. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, āsīviso āgataviso ca ghoraviso ca; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

5Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo nevāgataviso hoti na ghoraviso? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo na heva kho abhiṇhaṁ kujjhati. So ca khvassa kodho na dīgharattaṁ anuseti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo nevāgataviso hoti, na ghoraviso. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, āsīviso nevāgataviso na ghoraviso; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.


Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro āsīvisūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin"ti.


Dasamaṁ.
Valāhakavaggo paṭhamo.

6Dve valāhā kumbha udaka,
rahadā dve honti ambāni;
Mūsikā balībaddā rukkhā,
āsīvisena te dasāti.

Back to Top