1.1Sāvatthiyaṁ jetavane.Near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove.1.2Tatra kho …pe… etadavoca:

1.3“bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, aññataro yakkho dubbaṇṇo okoṭimako sakkassa devānamindassa āsane nisinno ahosi.“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.

1.4Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti:But the gods of the thirty-three complained, grumbled, and objected,1.5‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho.‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing!1.6Ayaṁ yakkho dubbaṇṇo okoṭimako sakkassa devānamindassa āsane nisinno’ti.This ugly and deformed spirit is sitting on the throne of Sakka, the lord of gods.’1.7Yathā yathā kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti tathā tathā so yakkho abhirūpataro ceva hoti dassanīyataro ca pāsādikataro ca.But the more the gods complained, the more attractive, good-looking, and lovely that spirit became.

2.1Atha kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā yena sakko devānamindo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavocuṁ:So the gods went up to Sakka and told him what had happened. He replied,2.2‘idha te, mārisa, aññataro yakkho dubbaṇṇo okoṭimako sakkassa devānamindassa āsane nisinno.2.3Tatra sudaṁ, mārisa, devā tāvatiṁsā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti:2.4“acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho.2.5Ayaṁ yakkho dubbaṇṇo okoṭimako sakkassa devānamindassa āsane nisinno”ti.2.6Yathā yathā kho, mārisa, devā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti tathā tathā so yakkho abhirūpataro ceva hoti dassanīyataro ca pāsādikataro cāti.2.7So hi nūna, mārisa, kodhabhakkho yakkho bhavissatī’ti.‘Surely, good fellow, that must be the anger-eating spirit!’¹

3.1Atha 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: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:3.2‘sakkohaṁ, mārisa, devānamindo, sakkohaṁ, mārisa, devānamindo’ti.‘Good fellow, I am Sakka, lord of gods! Good fellow, I am Sakka, the lord of gods!’3.3Yathā yathā kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo nāmaṁ sāvesi tathā tathā so yakkho dubbaṇṇataro ceva ahosi okoṭimakataro ca.But the more Sakka pronounced his name, the uglier and more deformed the spirit became,3.4Dubbaṇṇataro ceva hutvā okoṭimakataro ca tatthevantaradhāyīti.until eventually it vanished right there.

3.5Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sake āsane nisīditvā deve tāvatiṁse anunayamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi:Then Sakka, lord of gods, guiding the gods of the thirty-three, spoke this verse:

4.1‘Na sūpahatacittomhi,‘My mind isn’t easily upset;4.2nāvattena suvānayo;I’m not easily drawn into the maelstrom.4.3Na vo cirāhaṁ kujjhāmi,I don’t get angry for long,4.4kodho mayi nāvatiṭṭhati.anger doesn’t last in me.

5.1Kuddhāhaṁ na pharusaṁ brūmi,When I do get angry I don’t speak harshly,5.2Na ca dhammāni kittaye;nor do I advertise my own virtues.5.3Sanniggaṇhāmi attānaṁ,I carefully restrain myself5.4Sampassaṁ atthamattano’”ti.out of regard for my own welfare.’”²