Dubbaṇṇiyasutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ jetavane. Tatra kho …pe… etadavoca: “bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, aññataro yakkho dubbaṇṇo okoṭimako sakkassa devānamindassa āsane nisinno ahosi. Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: ‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho. Ayaṁ yakkho dubbaṇṇo okoṭimako sakkassa devānamindassa āsane nisinno’ti. Yathā yathā kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti tathā tathā so yakkho abhirūpataro ceva hoti dassanīyataro ca pāsādikataro ca.

Near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove. “Once upon a time, mendicants, there was a native spirit who was ugly and deformed. He sat on the throne of Sakka, lord of gods. But the gods of the thirty-three complained, grumbled, and objected, ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! This ugly and deformed spirit is sitting on the throne of Sakka, the lord of gods.’ But the more the gods complained, the more attractive, good-looking, and lovely that spirit became.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā yena sakko devānamindo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavocuṁ: ‘idha te, mārisa, aññataro yakkho dubbaṇṇo okoṭimako sakkassa devānamindassa āsane nisinno. Tatra sudaṁ, mārisa, devā tāvatiṁsā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: “acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho. Ayaṁ yakkho dubbaṇṇo okoṭimako sakkassa devānamindassa āsane nisinno”ti. Yathā yathā kho, mārisa, devā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti tathā tathā so yakkho abhirūpataro ceva hoti dassanīyataro ca pāsādikataro cāti. So hi nūna, mārisa, kodhabhakkho yakkho bhavissatī’ti.

So the gods went up to Sakka and told him what had happened. He replied, ‘Surely, good fellow, that must be the anger-eating spirit!’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo yena so kodhabhakkho yakkho tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā dakkhiṇajāṇumaṇḍalaṁ pathaviyaṁ nihantvā yena so kodhabhakkho yakkho tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā tikkhattuṁ nāmaṁ sāveti: ‘sakkohaṁ, mārisa, devānamindo, sakkohaṁ, mārisa, devānamindo’ti. Yathā yathā kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo nāmaṁ sāvesi tathā tathā so yakkho dubbaṇṇataro ceva ahosi okoṭimakataro ca. Dubbaṇṇataro ceva hutvā okoṭimakataro ca tatthevantaradhāyīti. Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sake āsane nisīditvā deve tāvatiṁse anunayamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

Then Sakka went up to that spirit, arranged his robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, raised his joined palms toward the anger-eating spirit, and pronounced his name three times: ‘Good fellow, I am Sakka, lord of gods! Good fellow, I am Sakka, the lord of gods!’ But the more Sakka pronounced his name, the uglier and more deformed the spirit became, until eventually it vanished right there. Then Sakka, lord of gods, guiding the gods of the thirty-three, spoke this verse:

‘Na sūpahatacittomhi, nāvattena suvānayo; Na vo cirāhaṁ kujjhāmi, kodho mayi nāvatiṭṭhati.

‘My mind isn’t easily upset; I’m not easily drawn into the maelstrom. I don’t get angry for long, anger doesn’t last in me.

Kuddhāhaṁ na pharusaṁ brūmi, Na ca dhammāni kittaye; Sanniggaṇhāmi attānaṁ, Sampassaṁ atthamattano’”ti.

When I do get angry I don’t speak harshly, nor do I advertise my own virtues. I carefully restrain myself out of regard for my own welfare.’”