Verses on Dhamma 2.7.p29

2.7.p29

Sakkopi sujaṃ asurakaññaṃ devanagaraṃ netvā aḍḍhateyyānaṃ accharākoṭīnaṃ jeṭṭhikaṭṭhāne ṭhapesi. Sā sakkaṃ varaṃ yāci – ‘‘mahārāja, mama imasmiṃ devaloke mātāpitaro vā bhātikabhaginiyo vā natthi, yattha yattha gacchasi, tattha tattha maṃ gahetvāva gaccheyyāsī’’ti. So ‘‘sādhū’’ti tassā paṭiññaṃ adāsi. Tato paṭṭhāya cittapāṭaliyā pupphitāya asurā ‘‘amhākaṃ nibbattaṭṭhāne dibbapāricchattakassa pupphanakālo’’ti yuddhatthāya saggaṃ abhiruhanti. Sakko heṭṭhāsamudde nāgānaṃ ārakkhaṃ adāsi, tato supaṇṇānaṃ, tato kumbhaṇḍānaṃ, tato yakkhānaṃ. Tato catunnaṃ mahārājānaṃ. Sabbūpari pana upaddavanivattanatthāya devanagaradvāresu vajirahatthā indapaṭimā ṭhapesi. Asurā nāgādayo jinitvā āgatāpi indapaṭimā dūrato disvā ‘‘sakko nikkhanto’’ti palāyanti. Evaṃ, mahāli, magho māṇavo appamādapaṭipadaṃ paṭipajji. Evaṃ appamatto panesa evarūpaṃ issariyaṃ patvā dvīsu devalokesu rajjaṃ kāresi. Appamādo nāmesa buddhādīhi pasattho. Appamādañhi nissāya sabbesampi lokiyalokuttarānaṃ visesānaṃ adhigamo hotīti vatvā imaṃ gāthamāha –

One day Wellborn asked Sakka for a boon, saying, "Great king, in this World of the Gods I have neither mother nor father nor brother nor sister; therefore pray take me with you wherever you go." "Very well," replied Sakka, promising to do for her as she had asked. Thenceforth, when the tree that is called Pied Trumpet-flower blooms, the Asuras cry out, "Now is the time when our heavenly Coral-tree blooms," and straightway they sally forth to attack Sakka. Therefore Sakka posts a guard to defend the Nāgas in the sea below, and likewise affords protection to the Supaṇṇas and the Kumbhaṇḍas and the Yakkhas, and likewise to the Four Great Kings. And over all, for the purpose of averting disaster, he places before the gates of the City of the Gods images of Indra bearing the thunderbolt in his hands. When the Asuras, after defeating the Nāgas and the other supernatural beings approach the City of the Gods and see the images of Indra, they cry out, "Sakka has made a sally," and flee away. End of Story of the Past.

"Thus, Mahāli, Prince Magha adopted the way of Heedfulness. Because he was so heedful, he obtained such sovereignty so exalted and came to rule over the two Worlds of the Gods. Heedfulness is praised by the Buddhas and by others likewise. For it is through Heedfulness that all attain the Higher Attainments, both those that are of this world and those that transcend this world." So saying, he pronounced the following Stanza,