Chapter 1-4: Lokapālas of Īśānendra

Q. 1. Bhante! How many have been stated to be the Lokapālas of Īśāna, the Indra of the gods, their king?

A. 1. Gautama! They have been stated to be four. They are: Soma, Yama, Varuṇa and Vaiśramaṇa.

Q. 2. Bhante! How many have been stated to be the vimānas of the Lokapālas?

A. 2. Gautama! They have been stated to be four. They are: Sumana, Sarvatobhadra, Valgu, Suvalgu.

Q. 3. Bhante! Where is located the great vimāna named Sumana of Mahārāja Soma, the Lokapāla of Īśāna, who is the Indra of the gods and their king?

A. 3. Gautama! To the north of Mount Meru in Jambu-dvīpa, from the flat ground of the Ratnaprabhā hell,...till there is Īśāna-kalpa, there are five celestial palaces, which are, Aṅkāvataṃsaka, Sphatikāvataṃsaka, Ratnāvataṃsaka and Jātarūpāvataṃsaka, with Īśānāvataṃsaka at the centre of them. As one goes obliquely to the east of the great vimāna Īśānāvataṃsaka, and covers a distance of an unlimited thousand yojanas, there is the great vimāna named Sumana, which belongs to Mahārāja Soma, the Lokapāla of Īśāna, the Indra of the gods, their king. Its length and breadth are 122 lakh yojanas each. Other details are the same as that of (the great vimāna of Mahārāja Soma, the Lokapāla of Śakrendra,...till the end of the section.

The description of the vimāna of each Lokapāla constitutes a Chapter, and so four vimānas make four Chapters complete, but differences are in their life-span. The life-span in each case is as follows:

Mahārāja Soma and Yama have each a life-span of three quarters less than two palyopamas, Vaiśramaṇa has a life-span of two Palyopamas and Varuṇa has three quarters added to a palyopama. The progeny-like gods have each a lifespan of one palyopama.

Chapters One-Two-Three-Four end.

Notes (based on commentary of Abhayadeva Sūri):

(There is no commentary available for this section).