Śakra

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

Śakra (Sanskrit) or Sakka (Pāli) is the ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-three gods in Buddhist cosmology. His full title is Śakro devānām indraḥ (Pāli: Sakko devānaṃ indo "Śakra, lord of the gods").

Śakra is sometimes identified with the Vedic deity Indra, but has a different name (although Sanskrit indra, Pāli inda is sometimes used as an epithet in the sense "lord"). In Buddhist texts, Śakra's myth and character are very different from those of Indra. In Hindu texts, Śakra is sometimes named as one of the twelve Ādityas[1].

Śakra rules the heaven of the Thirty-three gods, which is located on the top of Mount Sumeru (cf. Meru), imagined to be the polar center of the physical world, around which the Sun and Moon revolve. The heaven of the Thirty-three is the highest of the heavens which is in direct contact with the Earth.

Like the other deities of this heaven, Śakra is long-lived but mortal. When one Śakra dies, his place is taken by another deity who becomes the new Śakra.

Buddhist stories about Śakra (past or present) are found in the Jātaka stories and in several sutras, particularly in the Saṃyutta Nikāya.

Śakra is married to Sujā, daughter of the chief of the Asuras, Vemacitrin (Pāli Vepacitti).

Despite this relationship, a state of war generally exists between the Thirty-three gods and the Asuras, which Śakra manages to resolve with minimal violence and no loss of life.

In the Chinese Buddhist tradition, Śakra's birthday each year is celebrated on the ninth day of the first lunar month of the Chinese calendar (usually in February). Chinese Buddhists sometimes identify Śakra with the Jade Emperor in Chinese mythology.

Śakra is mentioned in many Buddhist sūtras, and is often shown consulting the Buddha on questions of morality. Together with Brahmā, he is considered a protector of the Buddhist religion.