[^258]: Sigālaka only appears in this sutta. His name means "little jackal".

[^259]: Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 5.5.1 recommends offerings to Agni in the east, Indra or Soma in the south, the All-gods in the west, Mitra and Varuṇa in the north, and Bṛhaspati in the middle. The quarters themselves are divine, since one can travel them and never reach the end (Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.1.5). Atharva Veda 12.3.7--10 gives a domestic prayer for the quarters; here Yama dwells in the south with the Fathers, while Soma is in the west, and the other directions are not associated with specific deities. Maitrī Upaniṣad 7.1--6 details the spiritual meanings of the six quarters. In Buddhism, the quarters are said to be inhabited by the respective Four Great Kings as per DN 32.

[^260]: Sigālaka followed blindly without considering the meaning as urged by Chāndogya Upaniṣad 1.3.11.

[^261]: It is unusual to find "six" directions. Normally it is four, then eight (with intermediate directions), then ten (above and below). Praśna Upaniṣad 1.6 lists the six, then the intermediates.

[^262]: The Buddha outlines the contents of the discourse to follow.

[^263]: The teaching is structured to reinforce memorization. Give the number of items (twice), so you will notice if any are missing; list the items; recapitulate the numbers; then recapitulate the items once more in verse.

[^264]: First we learned what the bad deeds were, now we learn why people do them.

[^265]: "Drains on wealth" is apāyamukha, literally "openings for departure". This is emphasized here since Sigālaka wants to be a good son and not squander the family fortune.

[^266]: The most common phrase in Pali for alcoholic beverages lists three items. Surā is brewed from grains with yeast (Bu Pc 51:2.1.2) Meraya is made from flowers, fruits, or sugars (Bu Pc 51:2.1.4). Madya is apparently a catchall. Together they correspond fairly well with the modern classification of alcoholic drinks as "beer, wine, and liquor". See also Manu 11.94, Arthaśāstra 2.25, Suśrutasaṁhitā 1.45, Amarakośodghāṭana 3.6.

[^267]: Now each of the six drains on wealth are expanded and explained.

[^268]: Vārunī is said to have been distilled from hogweed with palm sap, "toddy".

[^269]: Assume vāruṇī is a truncated instrumental.

[^270]: Kāhiti is third person singular future of karoti.

[^271]: The subcommentary explains atthā as dhanā ("riches").

[^272]: Having explained the six drains on wealth, the Buddha moves on to the next item in the table of contents.

[^273]: Parents are in the east because that is where the sun is born. Tutors are to the south (dakkhiṇā) as they are owed an offering (dakkhiṇā). Family is one's legacy, so they lie with the setting sun in the west. Good friends keep you on the upright way to the north. Servants support you and make your life possible, like the earth below. And spiritual teachers lead you to heaven or transcendence above.

[^274]: "Protection in every region" (disāsu parittāṇaṁ) refers to when the student has completed their studies and goes off to travel, the teacher does what they can to ensure their safety in other regions.

[^275]: Marriage is based on mutual care and respect, not on dominance and obedience.