sutta » sn » sn11 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.12

Sakkanāmasutta

Sakka's Names Sakka’s Names

Sāvatthiyaṁ jetavane.
At Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove.
Near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū etadavoca:
There the Blessed One said to the bhikkhus:
There the Buddha said to the mendicants:

“sakko, bhikkhave, devānamindo pubbe manussabhūto samāno magho nāma māṇavo ahosi, tasmā maghavāti vuccati.
“Bhikkhus, in the past, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he was a brahmin youth named Magha; therefore he is called Maghavā.
“Mendicants, in a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he was a brahmanical student named Magha. That’s why he’s called Maghavā.

Sakko, bhikkhave, devānamindo pubbe manussabhūto samāno pure dānaṁ adāsi, tasmā purindadoti vuccati.
Bhikkhus, in the past, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he gave gifts in city after city; therefore he is called Purindada, the Urban Giver.
In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he was first to give gifts. That’s why he’s called Purindada, the Firstgiver.

Sakko, bhikkhave, devānamindo pubbe manussabhūto samāno sakkaccaṁ dānaṁ adāsi, tasmā sakkoti vuccati.
Bhikkhus, in the past, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he gave gifts considerately; therefore he is called Sakka.
In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he gave gifts ably. That’s why he’s called Sakka the Able.

Sakko, bhikkhave, devānamindo pubbe manussabhūto samāno āvasathaṁ adāsi, tasmā vāsavoti vuccati.
Bhikkhus, in the past, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he gave a rest house; therefore he is called Vāsava.
In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he gave the gift of a guest house. That’s why he’s called Vāsava the Houser.

Sakko, bhikkhave, devānamindo sahassampi atthānaṁ muhuttena cinteti, tasmā sahassakkhoti vuccati.
Bhikkhus, Sakka, lord of the devas, thinks of a thousand matters in a moment; therefore he is called Sahassakkha, Thousand-eyed.
Sakka thinks of a thousand things in a moment. That’s why he’s called Sahassakkha the Thousand-Eyed.

Sakkassa, bhikkhave, devānamindassa sujā nāma asurakaññā pajāpati, tasmā sujampatīti vuccati.
Bhikkhus, Sakka's wife is the asura maiden named Sujā; therefore he is called Sujampati, Sujā's husband.
Sakka’s wife is the titan maiden named Sujā. That’s why he’s called Sujampati, Sujā’s Husband.

Sakko, bhikkhave, devānamindo devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ issariyādhipaccaṁ rajjaṁ kāreti, tasmā devānamindoti vuccati.
Bhikkhus, Sakka, lord of the devas, exercises supreme sovereignty and rulership over the Tavatimsa devas; therefore he is called lord of the devas.
Sakka rules as sovereign lord over the gods of the Thirty-Three. That’s why he’s called lord of gods.

Sakkassa, bhikkhave, devānamindassa pubbe manussabhūtassa satta vatapadāni samattāni samādinnāni ahesuṁ, yesaṁ samādinnattā sakko sakkattaṁ ajjhagā.
Bhikkhus, in the past, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he adopted and undertook seven vows by the undertaking of which he achieved the status of Sakka.
In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he undertook seven vows. And it was because of undertaking these that he achieved the status of Sakka.

Katamāni satta vatapadāni?
What were the seven vows?
What seven?

Yāvajīvaṁ mātāpettibharo assaṁ,
‘As long as I live may I support my parents.’
As long as I live, may I support my parents.

yāvajīvaṁ kule jeṭṭhāpacāyī assaṁ,
‘As long as I live may I respect the family elders.’
As long as I live, may I honor the elders in the family.

yāvajīvaṁ saṇhavāco assaṁ,
‘As long as I live may I speak gently.’
As long as I live, may I speak gently.

yāvajīvaṁ apisuṇavāco assaṁ,
‘As long as I live may I not speak divisively.’
As long as I live, may I not speak divisively.

yāvajīvaṁ vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvaseyyaṁ muttacāgo payatapāṇi vossaggarato yācayogo dānasaṁvibhāgarato,
‘As long as I live may I dwell at home with a mind devoid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, delighting in relinquishment, devoted to charity, delighting in giving and sharing.’
As long as I live, may I live at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share.

yāvajīvaṁ saccavāco assaṁ,
‘As long as I live may I speak the truth.’
As long as I live, may I speak the truth.

yāvajīvaṁ akkodhano assaṁ—sacepi me kodho uppajjeyya, khippameva naṁ paṭivineyyanti.
‘As long as I live may I be free from anger, and if anger should arise in me may I dispel it quickly.’
As long as I live, may I be free of anger, or should anger arise, may I quickly get rid of it.

Sakkassa, bhikkhave, devānamindassa pubbe manussabhūtassa imāni satta vatapadāni samattāni samādinnāni ahesuṁ, yesaṁ samādinnattā sakko sakkattaṁ ajjhagāti.
In the past, bhikkhus, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he adopted and undertook these seven vows by the undertaking of which he achieved the status of Sakka.
In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he undertook seven vows. And it was because of undertaking these that he achieved the status of Sakka.

Mātāpettibharaṁ jantuṁ,
When a person supports his parents,
A person who respects their parents,

kule jeṭṭhāpacāyinaṁ;
And respects the family elders;
and honors the elders in the family,

Saṇhaṁ sakhilasambhāsaṁ,
When his speech is gentle and courteous,
whose speech is gentle and courteous,

pesuṇeyyappahāyinaṁ.
And he refrains from divisive words;
and has given up divisiveness;

Maccheravinaye yuttaṁ,
When he strives to remove meanness,
who’s committed to getting rid of stinginess,

saccaṁ kodhābhibhuṁ naraṁ;
Is truthful, and vanquishes anger,
is truthful, and has mastered anger:

Taṁ ve devā tāvatiṁsā,
The Tavatimsa devas call him
the gods of the Thirty-Three

āhu sappuriso itī”ti.
Truly a superior person.”
call them really a true person.”