English
He created thirty-three heads, each a quarter-league and half a league in size, and in the middle of all, for Sakka's sake, he created a beautiful head named Sudassana, thirty leagues in size. Above it was a jeweled pavilion twelve leagues in size. Within it, here and there, seven-gem banners, a league high, arose. At the edges hung networks of small bells, from which, when stirred by a gentle breeze, a sound like a divine song, resembling the sound of a five-part musical instrument, issued forth. In the middle of the pavilion, Sakka's one-league There is a jeweled couch prepared, where Sakka sits. On thirty-three elephants, on each elephant, he creates seven tusks, each of which is fifty yojanas long. On each tusk, there are seven ponds, from each pond, seven lotus clusters, in each cluster, there are seven flowers, each flower has seven petals, on each petal, seven celestial maidens dance. Thus, all around, in a fifty-yojana area, on the elephant tusks themselves, there is a dancing festival. The pond named Nandā is fifty yojanas. Some say "five hundred yojanas." The Cittalatāvana forest is sixty yojanas. Some say "five hundred yojanas." It is adorned with a thousand divine trees, as are the Nandanavana and Phārusakavana forests. Here, Sakka, surrounded by a host of celestial nymphs, descends a sixty-yojana golden main street, and celebrating a festival, he wanders in the Nandanavana and other forests. The Pāricchattaka coral tree is three hundred yojanas in circumference all around, its trunk is fifteen yojanas in girth, and it is one yojana high. At its base is the Paṇḍukambalasilā stone slab, the color of jayasumana flowers, sixty yojanas long, fifty yojanas wide, and fifteen yojanas high. Such is its softness that when Sakka sits, half his body sinks in, and when he stands up, what was sunken fills up. The Sudhammā divine assembly hall is three hundred yojanas in length and width, nine hundred yojanas in circumference, and five hundred yojanas in height. Its floor is made of crystal, the nails for joining pillars, beams, and rafters, such as those with lion figures, are made of jewels, the pillars are made of gold, the pillar bases and rafters are made of silver, the lion figures are made of coral, the crossbeams, side-pavilions, and cornices are made of the seven precious gems, the roof is made of sapphire bricks, the roof structure is made of gold, the finials are made of silver. There is a creeper named Āsāvatī, "it is pu the gods attend for a thousand years, when the Pāricchattaka tree blossoms, they attend for one year. They are delighted from the time it becomes like a tree with yellow leaves. As it is said: “Monks, at the time when the Pāricchattaka koviḷāra tree of the Tāvatiṃsa gods has yellow leaves, the Tāvatiṃsa gods, monks, are delighted at that time, thinking, ‘Now the Pāricchattaka koviḷāra tree has yellow leaves, before long it will have shed its leaves,’” and so on (A.N. 7.69). When the Pāricchattaka koviḷāra tree is in full bloom, its radiance spreads five hundred yojanas all around, and its fragrance travels a hundred yojanas downwind. When the Pāricchattaka tree is in bloom, there is no need to climb, no need to pull down with a hook, no need for a basket to gather flowers. A cutting wind arises and cuts the flowers from their stalks, a receiving wind receives them, an ushering wind carries them into the Sudhammā assembly hall, a sweeping wind removes the old flowers, a spreading wind arranges the petals, stamens, and filaments as it spreads them, in the center is the Dhamma seat, a jeweled couch one yojana in size, above it is a three-yojana white parasol, then the seat of Sakka, the king of gods, is spread, then those of the thirty-two divine sons, then those of other powerful deities. For other deities, the flower filaments themselves serve as seats. The gods enter the assembly hall and sit down. Then a cloud of pollen rises from the flowers, strikes the filaments above, and falls, making the bodies of the deities, three gavutas in size, appear as if adorned with lacquered ornamentation. This sport of theirs concludes in four months. Thus, it should be understood that the Blessed One knew the Tāvatiṃsa realm, endowed with these perfections, in every way. Similarly, regarding the Asura realm, they are called Asuras because, unlike the gods, they do not shine (na suranti), do not rule (na īsaranti), and do not radiate (na virocanti). Suras are gods, their opponents, or asuras. It is said that Sakka, when he was a young man named Magha in the village of Macala, gathered thirty-three men and performed good deeds, fulfilling seven vows. When he passed away there, he was reborn in the deva realm together with his retinue. Then the former devas, saying, "New deva sons have arrived, let us honor them," offered divine lotuses, and invited them to share half the kingdom. Sakka was not content with half the kingdom. Then the resident devas said, "Let us honor the new deva sons," and prepared a fragrant drink. Sakka gave a sign to his retinue: "Friends, do not drink the fragrant drink, just pretend to drink it." They did so. The resident devas, drinking the fragrant drink offered in golden cups to their fill, became intoxicated and fell asleep here and there on the golden ground. Sakka said, "Seize the rascals, take away the rascals!" He had them grabbed by their feet and thrown to the base of Sineru. By Sakka's merit and power, all his followers also fell there. Then, due to the power of their karma, season, and origin, an asura realm ten thousand yojanas deep was born at the bottom of Sineru, adorned with the beautiful coral tree, the Pāricchattaka. Sakka placed a guard to prevent their return. Regarding this, it is said: "Between the two unassailable cities, five kinds of protection are established; the snake's hood and the hārī, and four great ones filled with passion." Here, "between the two unassailable cities" means between the two cities of devas and asuras. It is said that the two cities became known as unassailable cities because they could not be taken by war. For when the asuras are strong, the devas flee, enter the deva city, and when the gates are closed, even hundreds of thousands of asuras cannot do anything. When the devas are strong, the asuras flee, having conquered the city of the Asuras, even if a hundred thousand Sakka-gods enter when the gates are closed, they cannot do anything. Thus, these two cities are called Ayujjhapurāni (Invincible Cities). Between them, in these five places, such as the Uragas, Sakka has established protection. There, by the word Uraga, Nāgas are taken. They are very powerful in water, therefore, in the first terrace of Sineru, is their protection. Around Sineru, it is said, thick and wide, four encircling areas, five thousand yojanas in extent, are guarded by Nāgas, Garuḷas, Kumbhaṇḍas, and Yakkhas, for the protection of the Tāvatiṃsa abode. By them, it is said, half of Sineru is surrounded, and these are called the terraces and girdles of Sineru. By the word Karoṭi, Supannas (Garuḷas) are taken. Karoṭi, it is said, is their food and drink, by that they got their name, in the second terrace is their protection. By the word Payassahārī, Kumbhaṇḍas are taken. They are, it is said, Dānava-Rakkhasas, in the third terrace is their protection. By the word Madanayuta, Yakkhas are taken. They are, it is said, of uneven conduct, fond of battle, in the fourth terrace is their protection. And the "Four Great Ones" refers to the Four Great Kings. For they, in each direction of Sineru, in the great continents surrounded by five hundred small islands like Yugandhara and others, are called "Great Ones" due to the great benefit to be ruled, in the fifth terrace is their protection. Those Asuras, however, in terms of life, complexion, fame, and power, are similar to the Tāvatiṃsa gods. Therefore, not knowing themselves in between, when the Pāṭalī tree blooms, they say: "This is not the city of the gods, there the Pāricchattaka blooms, but here is the beautiful Pāṭalī. We were deceived by the old Sakka by being made to drink liquor, and our city of the gods was taken. Let us go and fight with him!" Mounting elephants, horses, and chariots, taking gold, silver, and jewel shields, being ready for battle, sounding the Asura drums, they split the water of the great ocean in two and rise up. When they rise, like termites to a termite mound, they go to the gods. They begin to ascend Sineru. Then for them, first, with the Nāgas, a battle occurs. Indeed, in that battle, no one's skin or hide is cut, no blood arises, it is merely like the wooden-ram-battle of boys, just mutual frightening. Hundreds of crores, thousands of crores of Nāgas, having fought with them, enter the Asura city and return. But if the Asuras are strong, then the Nāgas retreat and in the second terrace, with Supaṇṇas, become one and fight. This method applies to Supaṇṇas and others too. But when the Asuras crush those five places, then even those five forces, gathered together, retreat. Then the four Great Kings go and report the news to Sakka. Sakka, having heard their words, mounts the Vejayanta chariot, one and a half hundred yojanas long, and either goes forth himself, or sends a son. But on one day, having thus gone forth, having overwhelmed the Asuras in battle, having cast them into the ocean, he causes statues resembling himself to be made and placed at the four gates. Therefore, the Asuras, even having conquered Nāgas and others and arrived, seeing the Indra statues, flee, thinking "Sakka has come forth!" Thus, the opponents of the Suras are Asuras, Vepacitti, Pahārāda, and others; their abode is the Asura abode. But to show that it is ten thousand yojanas in length and width, it is said "likewise the Asura abode." "Avīci Great Hell and Jambudīpa" - here too the word "likewise" should be applied. The meaning is that Avīci Great Hell and Jambudīpa