Overview
The Buddha occasionally provided direct counseling to lay families experiencing domestic trouble. In the household of the wealthy benefactor Anāthapiṇḍika, the daughter-in-law Sujātā was acting arrogantly and disrupting the home. The Buddha calmly taught her a framework categorizing all wives into seven types—three leading to hell, and four leading to heaven.
The List
The Unwholesome Wives (Bound for Hell):
- Vadhakā-bhariyā - The Slayer-wife: A wife who is pitiless, corrupt, loves other men, despises her husband, and plots his ruin.
- Corī-bhariyā - The Thief-wife: A wife who secretly squanders, hides, or steals the wealth her husband works hard to earn.
- Ayyā-bhariyā - The Tyrant-wife: A wife who is lazy, gluttonous, foul-mouthed, harsh, and treats her hardworking husband like a servant.
The Wholesome Wives (Bound for Heaven):
- Mātā-bhariyā - The Motherly-wife: A wife who loves and protects her husband and his wealth with the same tender care a mother gives her only child.
- Bhaginī-bhariyā - The Sisterly-wife: A wife who respects her husband with the same deference and modesty a younger sister shows an older brother.
- Sakhī-bhariyā - The Friendly-wife: A wife who rejoices at the sight of her husband with the same pure joy one feels when a dear friend returns from a long journey.
- Dāsī-bhariyā - The Handmaid-wife: A wife who is calm, unbothered by anger, compliant, and endures even harsh words without retaliation.
Textual References
- Canonical: Bhariyā Sutta (AN 7.63) – After hearing this discourse, Sujātā is deeply humbled and chooses to become a “Handmaid-wife.”