SN 37.28PTS SN 4.2461 min read

One

Ekasutta

A man with one power has a woman under his control: authority.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 37.28Linked Discourses 37.28
0.23. Balavagga3. Powers

0.3EkasuttaOne

1.1“Ekena ca kho, bhikkhave, balena samannāgato puriso mātugāmaṁ abhibhuyya vattati.“Mendicants, by means of one power a man lives having mastered a lady.1.2Katamena ekena balena?By means of what one power?1.3Issariyabalena abhibhūtaṁ mātugāmaṁ neva rūpabalaṁ tāyati, na bhogabalaṁ tāyati, na ñātibalaṁ tāyati, na puttabalaṁ tāyati, na sīlabalaṁ tāyatī”ti.When a lady has been mastered by the power of authority, her powers of attractiveness, wealth, relatives, children, and ethical behavior do not avail her.”¹

1.4Catutthaṁ.

Translator’s notes

At AN 6.52:5.2, “authority” (or “sovereignty”) is said to be a woman’s ultimate goal. An aristocrat shares the same goal, thus a king wields the power of authority (issariyabala, AN 8.27:1.3).
↩ sn37.28:1.3