1At Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove. There the Blessed One said this: "Bhikkhus, once in the past a certain ugly deformed yakkha sat down on the seat of Sakka, lord of the devas. [n.658] Spk: He was a dwarf the colour of a burnt stump and with a pot belly. He sat down on Sakka's Yellowstone Throne (paṇḍukambalasīla; see Dhp-a I273,9–12; BL 1:320). It is said that he was actually a brahma from the form realm. Having heard about Sakka's patience, he came in order to test him; for it is impossible for any malevolent spirit (avaruddhaka-yakkha) to infiltrate a place so well guarded. Thereupon the Tāvatiṁsa devas found fault with this, grumbled, and complained about it, saying: ‘It is wonderful indeed, sir! It is amazing indeed, sir! This ugly deformed yakkha has sat down on the seat of Sakka, lord of the devas!’ But to whatever extent the Tāvatiṁsa devas found fault with this, grumbled, and complained about it, to the same extent that yakkha became more and more handsome, more and more comely, more and more graceful.

2"Then, bhikkhus, the Tāvatiṁsa devas approached Sakka and said to him: ‘Here, dear sir, an ugly deformed yakkha has sat down on your seat … . But to whatever extent the devas found fault with this … sn.i.238 that yakkha became more and more handsome, more and more comely, more and more graceful.’ - ‘That must be the anger-eating yakkha.’

3"Then, bhikkhus, Sakka, lord of the devas, approached that anger-eating yakkha. [n.659] Spk: Sakka had heard from the devas: "It is impossible to make that yakkha budge by harsh means, but if one assumes a humble manner and remains firm in patience, one can get him to leave." Thus he adopted this tactic. Having approached, he arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt down with his right knee on the ground, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards that yakkha, he announced his name three times: ‘I, dear sir, am Sakka, lord of the devas! I, dear sir, am Sakka, lord of the devas!’ To whatever extent Sakka announced his name, to the same extent that yakkha became uglier and uglier and more and more deformed until he disappeared right there.

"Then, bhikkhus, having sat down on his own seat, instructing the Tāvatiṁsa devas, Sakka, lord of the devas, on that occasion recited these verses:

1Sāvatthiyaṁ 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.

2Atha 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.

3Atha 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: