Gods Adore Arahats
7 (5) The Story of Venerable Mahàkaccàyana (Verse 94)
While residing at the Pubbàràma Monastery, the Buddha
spoke this verse, with reference to Venerable Mahàkaccàyana.
For once upon a time, on the occasion of the terminal
festival, the Buddha sat on the ground fl oor of the mansion of
the Mother of Migàra, surrounded by a company of eminent
lay disciples. At this time Venerable Kaccàyana resided in the
Avanti country. Now this Venerable, although obliged to come
from a great distance, regularly attended the preaching of the
Dhamma. Therefore, when the Venerables sat down, they
always left a seat for Venerable Kaccàyana.
Sakka the king of gods drew near with his celestial reti-
nue from the two Worlds of Gods, and honoured the Buddha
with celestial perfumes and garlands. Not seeing Venerable
Kaccàyana, he thought to himself, ‘Why is my noble Venerable
nowhere seen? It would be well if he were to draw near.” At
that very moment the Venerable drew near, and showed him-
self sitting in his proper seat. When Sakka saw the Venerable,
he grasped him fi rmly by the ankles and said, “It is indeed
well that my noble Venerable has come; that my noble Vener-
able should come, was the very thing I wished for.” So saying,
he rubbed the Venerable’s feet with both hands, honoured
him with perfumes and garlands, and having paid obeisance
to him, stood respectfully on one side.
The monks were offended and said, “Sakka shows
respect of persons in rendering honour. Such honour as this,
he has not rendered to the rest of the Chief Disciples. The
moment he saw Venerable Kaccàyana, he grasped him by the
ankles and said, ‘It is indeed well that my noble Venerable has
come; that my noble Venerable should come, was the very
thing I wished for.’ So saying, he rubbed the Venerable’s feet
with both hands, honoured him with perfumes and garlands,
and having paid obeisance to him, stood respectfully on one
side.” The Buddha, hearing their talk, said, “Monks, those
monks who, like my son Kaccàyana, keep the doors of their
senses guarded, are beloved both by gods and men.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 94)
yassa indriyàni sàrathinà sudantà assà yathà samathaü
gatàni, pahãõamànassa anàsavassa tàdino tassa devà api
pihayanti
yassa: whose; indriyàni: senses; sàrathinà: like by chari-
oteer; sudantà: (are) well tamed; assà yathà: like horses;
samathaü: calmness; gatàni: have reached; pahãõamànassa:
judgement given up; anàsavassa: taintless; tàdino: mentally
stable one; tassa: their (sight); devà api: even gods; pihay-
anti: (are) pleased by.
Those whose senses are calmed as a horse trained by a horse-
tamer, who have fully given up judgement, who is free of
infl uences, the sight of those mentally stable ones pleases even
the gods.
Commentary
indriyàni. the senses. “Sense” is a name for the six senses mentioned
in the Suttas. They are: 1) Eye: cakkhu; 2) Ear: sota; 3) Nose: ghàna;
4) Tongue: jivhà; 5) Body: kàya; 6) Thought: mano.
tàdino: steady; unaffected by the infl uences within and without. The
Buddha is steady in four ways because he has ended his wanderings
in saüsàra. These are the four ways in which he is steady on that
account: (1) Bhagavà kàmogham tinno: The Buddha has crossed the fl ood
of desires. (2) Bhagavà bhavogham tinno: the Buddha has crossed the
fl ood of being; (3) Bhagavà Avijjogham tinno: the Buddha has crossed
the fl ood of unawareness. Due to these and many other reasons the
Buddha is steady, stable (tàdi).
A person’s stability is the emotional stability that comes from
not reacting to what is seen, heard, smelt, tasted or touched. The reac-
tion begins with the judgement of things as good or bad, pleasant or
unpleasant. Guarding the senses (indriya saüvara) prevents the reac-
tion. When not reacting, the senses are calmed.
