A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s3.t1.30

v2.c19.s3.t1.30

The semi-poetical and mythological Suttas, Nos. 17-21, probably also belong to the later stage of the tradition. Just as in the Purāṇas and in some sectarian sections of the epic, Indra is presented as paying homage to the god Śiva or Viṣṇu, so, in these Suttas, which *Rhys Davids*² so aptly calls "Tendenzschriften," *i.e.*, 'pamphlets with a purpose,' we find Indra and the other gods and demi-gods as devout worshippers of Buddha. The most interesting is the Sakkapañha-Sutta (No. 21), "the Sutta of the questions of Sakka." Sakka, *i.e.*, Indra, king of the gods, scarcely dares to approach the sublime Buddha. He first sends one of his Gandharvas, or heavenly musicians, in advance, in order to put the sublime sage into a favourable frame of mind, and strangely enough the Gandharva does this by singing a love-song.³ Needless to say, Buddha receives the god with his habitual friendliness, expounds the truths of religion to him, and replies to all his questions, whereupon Sakka bursts forth into an enthusiastic hymn of praise to the Sublime One. The Cakkavatti-Sīhanāda-Sutta (No. 26), which mentions Buddha Metteyya, the Buddhist Messiah, and must, if only for that reason, be a later work, is a kind of mythological story of the origin of moral ideas, and is a remarkable medley of vision, prophecy and sermon. The first beginnings (aggañña) are treated in still greater detail in the Aggañña-Sutta (No. 27). These fancies regarding the origin of the universe and the beings, and regarding the beginnings of culture and social order are also reminiscent of the Purāṇas. Nevertheless, the purpose of this Sutta is the same as that of the Ambaṭṭha-Sutta, namely, to demonstrate that the life of the saints (arhat) and the attainment of Nirvāṇa are independent of caste.