ཕག་མའ་རྟགས་པ་བརྗད་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བའ་མད 1

1

Homage to the Three Jewels!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in Śrāvastī, in Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.²¹

The Blessed One then addressed the monks: “Monks, there are five portents that appear to a god who is due to pass away. What are those five? His previously untarnished clothes become tarnished, his previously unwithered flower garlands become withered, sweat appears from both armpits, a foul odor emerges from his body, and a god who is due to pass away finds no satisfaction in his seat.²²

“Now, monks, a certain god who was due to pass away was writhing about on the ground, beating his chest,²³ as he cried and wailed pitifully, ‘Ah Mandākinī River! Ah lake!²⁴ Ah pool! Ah Caitraratha Grove! Ah Pāruṣyaka Grove! Ah Nandana Grove! Ah Miśrakā Grove!²⁵ Ah Pāriyātraka!²⁶ Ah lovely one!²⁷ Ah Pāṇḍukambala Rock!²⁸ Ah assembly hall of the gods! Ah Sudarśana!’²⁹

“Śakra, lord of the gods,³⁰ saw that god violently writhing about on the ground and wailing pitifully. Seeing this, he then approached the god and asked him, ‘My friend, why are you violently writhing about on the ground and wailing pitifully,