Part 1 - Interview with Śyāmahastī on Thirty-Three Gods of Camarendra

In that period, at that time, there was a city named Vāṇijyagrāma. Description. There was a Caitya named Dyūtipalāśa outside the city. Bhagavān Mahāvīra arrived there, till people went back after hearing the sermon. In that period, at that time, Indrabhūti Gautama, the senior-most disciple of Bhagavān Mahāvīra was seated with his knee erect. In that period, at that time, Bhagavān Mahāvīra had another disciple, Śyāmahastī by name, who, like Roha, was gentle by nature and who was also seated with his knee erect. The said monk Śyāmahastī had a question in his mind so that he got up and came to Indrabhūti Gautama. Thrice he moved round him, till paid his homage and obeisance and submitted as follows:

Śyāmahastī—Bhante! Is it a fact that Camarendra, the Indra of Asurakumāras, their king, has thirty-three gods with him?

Indrabhūti—Yes, it is.

Śyāmahastī—Bhante! What is the reason for this?

Indrabhūti—Śyāmahastī! The description of these thirty-three gods is as follows. In that period, at that time, in Bharatakṣetra, there was a city named Kākandī. In that city, there lived thirty-three followers of the Śramaṇa path, who were mutually helpful. They were rich, till free from fear. They knew about embodied soul and matter and they knew virtue and vice. These thirty-three followers were house-holders with noble thoughts and noble conduct, careful and well-behaved, but later they became lax, degenerated from their austerity, developed bad conduct and became unscrupulous in their behaviour. They lived for many years within the Śramaṇa fold after which they reduced their body through fortnightly fasts missing thirty meals at a time and passed away, but they did not undergo confession and atonement for their lapses, they have been born āe thirty-three gods under Camarendra, the Indra of the Asuras, their king.

Śyāmahastī—Bhante! Does it mean then that Camarendra acquired these thirty-three gods only after the thirty-three followers at Kākandī had passed away?

On hearing this question Bhagavān Gautama became somewhat confused and he had no ready answer to meet it. So he got up, and with monk Śyāmahastī following, he came to Bhagavān Mahāvīra, till made the following submission,

Q. 35. Bhante! Is it a fact that Camarendra, the Indra of the Asuras, their king, has thirty-three gods under him?

A. 35. Yes, Gautama! It is.

Q. 36. Bhante! What is the reason for this, repeat what is said above, till since then Camaredra has thirty-three gods?

A. 36. Gautama! Camarendra has always had these thirty-three so that it is not correct to say that they were not there nor is it correct to say that at any time they will not be there. They are eternal, except that when one group checks out, another checks in. So there is no vacancy at any time.