Part 4 - The Delightful Satisfaction of Sakka

Then the Buddha asked Sakka whether he had previously experienced delightful satisfaction of this nature. Sakka replied: “Yes, Venerable Sir, I remember having experienced delightful satisfaction of this nature previously.”

“What kind of delightful satisfaction do you remember having experienced before?”

“Venerable Sir, in the past, there took place a great battle between the devas of Tāvatiṃsa and those of the asuras. The Tāvatiṃsa devas were the victor. Then as victor, I was very glad to reflect on the fact that the Tāvatiṃsa devas would now have the special privilege of enjoying both their own food pertaining to the Tāvatiṃsa realm as well as the food pertaining to the Asura realm. (However) Venerable Sir, my delightful satisfaction, then, was pleasure bolstered up with armed might. It was not helpful for disenchantment with the wheel of existence, for destroying desire, for cessation of the round of rebirth, for abandoning attachment, for special apperception, for an understanding of the Four Truths, for the realization of Nibbāna.

“Venerable Sir, the delightful satisfaction that I now have, on hearing the Bhagava’s discourse, is of a (superior) kind that does not need bolstering up with armed might. It is indeed conducive to disenchantment with the wheel of existence, to destroying desire, to cessation of the round of rebirth, to abandoning attachment, to special apperception, to an understanding of the Four Truths, to the realization of Nibbāna.”

The Six Benefits for Sakka on attaining Stream-Entry Knowledge

Then the Buddha asked: “Sakka, King of Devas, what benefits do you see (in your present status) so that you speak of its great delight?”

“Venerable Sir, I see six great benefits (in my present ariyahood) and that is why I extol it so much. The six are:

(1) Idheva tithamānassa devabhūtassu me sato
Punarāyu ca me laddho evaṇ jānāhi mārisa.

O Venerable One, who is free from dukkha, even while I have been listening to your discourse in this Indasāla Cave, I have been reborn as Sakka (by the name of Maghava) and will live thirty-six million years, by human reckoning, in the Tāvatiṃsa Deva realm. May the Venerable One, who is free from dukkha, take note of it. Venerable Sir, this is the first benefit that is behind extolling of my ariyahood.

(2) Cutāhaṃ diviyā kāyā āyuiṇ hitvā amānusaṃ
Amūḷo gabbhamessāmi yattha me ramatī mano.

O Venerable One, who is free from dukkha, when I die from deva existence and have relinquished the thirty-six million years' life, by human reckoning, of Tāvatiṃsa Deva existence, I shall, without any bewilderment (at death), be reborn in the human world in a high class or clan of my own preference Venerable Sir, this is the second benefit that is behind my extolling of my ariyahood.

(When an ariya passes away and takes another rebirth, he is never in a bewildered state. Mindful and with clear comprehension, he passes away from one existence to another, which is always in a fortunate destination. If reborn in the human world, he always belongs to the royal (warrior) caste or brahmin caste. Sakka has a desire for such noble birth when he reappears as a human being.)

(3) Svāhaṃ amūḷhapaññassa vihariaṇ sāsane rato
Ñāyena viharissāmi sampajāno paṭissato.

O Venerable One, who is free from dukkha, taking delight in the Teaching of the Perfectly Enlightened One, I (known by the name of Maghava) shall (enjoying, physical health) dwell in mindfulness and clear comprehension befitting an ariya. Venerable Sir, this is the third benefit that is behind my extolling of my ariyahood.

(4) Ñāyena me carato ca sambodhi ce bhavissati
Aññātā viharissāmi sveva anto bhavissati.

O Venerable One, who is free from dukkha, in me (known by the name of Maghava) who thus dwell in the noble practice of an ariya, if sakadāgāmīmagga arises, then, to gain still higher Path-Knowledge of anāgāmī-magga and arahatta-magga, I shall dwell in still further practice of the Path. When sakadāgāmī-magga is attained that will be my last human existence.

Venerable Sir, this is the fourth benefit that lies behind my extolling of my Ariyahood.

(5) Cutāham mānusā kāyā āyuṃ hitvātna mānusaṃ
Puna deva bhavissāmi devalokamhi uttamo.

O Venerable One, who is free from dukkha, when I (known by the name of Maghava) pass away from the human existence and leave behind the human body, relinquishing the human life, I shall be reborn in the Tāvatiṃsa Deva realm as Lord of Devas. Venerable Sir, this is the fifth benefit that lies behind my extolling of my ariyahood.

(6) Te panītatarā devā akanitthā yassasino
Ante me vattamānamhi so nivāso bhavissati.

O Venerable One free from dukkha, those devas, the ariya-Brahmās of the Akaniṭṭhā realm, the topmost of the planes of existence, is superior in all respects, such as life span and knowledge, to all other devas and Brahmās. They have big followership. When I have my last existence, I (known by the name of Maghava) shall be reborn in that Akaniṭṭhā Brahmā realm. Venerable Sir, this is the sixth benefit that lies behind my extolling of my Ariyahood.

(The six benefits that Sakka enjoys on hearing the discourse in the Indasāla Cave are:—

(i) Attaining Stream-Entry at Indasāla cave; passing away and instant rebirth, also at Indasāla cave, as Sakka again; (ii) On passing away from that Sakka existence, rebirth in a noble lineage in the human world in a non-bewildered state, his path to final enlightenment as an arahat being limited to seven existences only; (iii) Continued practice of the path in his future existences without bewilderment; (iv) Attaining sakadāgāmī-magga in a human existence which will be his last human existence; (v) On passing away from that last human existence, being destined to become Sakka (for the third time); (vi) Attaining anāgāmī-magga as Sakka, and being reborn in progressively higher existences in the five Pure Brahmā realms namely: Aviha realm, Atappa realm, Sudassā realm, Sudassī realm, Akaniṭṭhā realm; and to attain arahatship in the Akaniṭṭhā realm.

The sixth benefit, which is to result in rebirth in the five Brahmā-worlds should be noted here particularly for the immense durations of sublime existence in the Pure Abodes: As an anāgāmī-puggala (Non-Returner), Sakka will enjoy the ecstasy of a Pure Brahmā in the Avihā realm for a thousand aeons (mahā-kappas); passing away from that realm, he will be reborn in the Atappā realm for two thousand aeons; then in the Sudassā realm for four thousand aeons: then in the Sudassī realm for eight thousand aeons; and finally, in the Akaniṭṭhā realm for sixteen thousand aeons. Thus a total of thirty-one thousand aeons of the ecstasy of the Brahmā existence.

In the matter of the kind of extraordinarily prolonged existence full of ecstasy there are only three outstanding ariya disciples under Buddha Gotama’s Teaching, namely; Sakka, Anāthapiṇḍika and Visākhā. They enjoy similar life span.

Sakka concluded with these words:

“Venerable Sir, it is because I see these six benefits that I extol the delightful satisfaction (of my attainment).”

Then Sakka repeated his former experience with the forest-dwelling samaṇas and brāhmanas who failed to answer his questions, but how he had to teach them the seven modes of conduct leading to Sakkahood. (Please refer to his story which was related to the Buddha earlier.)

Then he sang in praise of the Buddha in the following stanzas:

Taṇhā sallassa hantāraṃ buddhaṃ appaṭipuggalaṃ
Ahaṃ vande mahāvīraṃ buddhamādicca bandhunaṃ

To the Buddha, the unrivalled One, Knower of the Four Truths, kinsman of the Sun (having Gotama clan as common lineage) (or in an other sense, being father of the sun in the propagation of the Supramundane), the One possessed of great endeavour, who has destroyed all darts of craving, the Perfectly-Enlightened One, I (known as Maghava) make my obeisance with raised palms.

Yam karomasi brahmauno samaṃ devehi mārisa
Tadajja tuyhaṃ dassāma handa sāmaṇ karoma te

O Venerable One, who is free from dukkha, formerly we had paid our tribute to the Brahmā, as with other devas; but from today onwards, we shall give our offerings to You. Now, we pay our obeisance to You!

Tvameva asi Sambuddho tuvaṃ satthā anuttaro
Sadevakasmiṃ lokasmiṃ natthi te paṭipuggalo

O Venerable One, who is free from dukkha, You alone are the Perfectly-Enlightened One, Teacher of devas and humans. There is none to equal You, in personal glory or in the embodiment of the Dhamma in all the worlds of sentient beings including the world of devas.

Sakka’s Reward to Pañcasikha Deva

After singing in praise of the Buddha in those three stanzas, Sakka said to Pañcasikha:

“O Pañcasikha, through your good offices, we have the privilege of seeing the Homage-Worthy, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened Buddha. I am greatly indebted to you for this. I appoint you to your father’s office (as Chief of Gandhabba devas). You will be the (next) chief of gandhabbas. I also betroth you to Sūriyavaschasā, the maiden of exquisite features whom you deeply yearn for.”

Sakka’s Joyous Utterance

After that, Sakka was so glad that he slapped the good earth (as though a person were to slap his friend’s arm in intimate affection) and uttered these words of joyous expression thrice:

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā sambuddhassa

Veneration to the Exalted One, the Homage-Worthy, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened.

(In this connection, Sakka slapped the good earth because (he attained the Supramundane,) while he remained on the earth and also because this great earth has produced such a marvellous personage as the Buddha, so that he had a profound regard for the good earth.)

After listening to the Buddha’s answers, Sakka acquired the Eye of the Dhamma, being able to dispel certain defilements and thereby understand that “whatever is in the nature of arising, has the nature of perishing”. He thus attained Stream-Entry, as also did the eighty thousand devas who were in his company then.

This discourse, being a series of answers to Sakka’s questions, is known (in the Piṭaka) as the Discourse Concerning Sakka’s Questions, Sakka Pañha.