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Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 11.12

Sakka’s Names

Sakkanāmasutta

Setting
Sāvatthī, Jeta's Grove — the Buddha addressing the mendicants directly
Speakers
The Buddha alone; no visiting deity appears in this discourse
Form
A direct teaching explaining seven epithets in turn, then repeating SN 11.11's seven vows in full
Length
~3.5 minutes to read
Northern parallel
A rough counterpart may exist in the Chinese Saṃyukta-āgama (T99), though this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★★☆☆☆ — a satisfying payoff for names already encountered earlier in this saṃyutta

Why this discourse

Several of Sakka's epithets have already appeared unexplained earlier in this saṃyutta — Vāsava addressed directly in SN 11.4 and SN 11.5's verses, Sujampati closing SN 11.7's curse-formula — and this discourse finally supplies their origins, one by one, each traced to a specific act from Sakka's human past life: a student named Magha, the first to give gifts, one who gave ably, one who gave a guest house, one who thinks quickly, one married to the titan maiden Sujā, one who rules the gods of the Thirty-Three. The discourse then closes by repeating, word for word, the same seven vows given in SN 11.11, tying the etymology directly back to the ethical conduct that earned each name.

Reading guide

Names explained, not merely used

Throughout Paṭhamavagga, Sakka's epithets appeared without comment — readers were left to absorb titles like Vāsava or Sujampati as simply part of his identity; this discourse is the first to stop and explain where each one actually comes from.

A payoff for careful readers of earlier discourses

Sujampati, used in SN 11.7's closing curse-formula with no explanation at the time, is finally given its full origin here — Sakka's wife, the titan maiden Sujā — rewarding attention paid to earlier, unexplained details.

Each epithet traced to a specific human act

None of the seven explanations rest on divine nature or raw power; each one is grounded in something Sakka actually did as a human being — a name earned, not simply held from the start.

Generosity as the most repeated theme across the names

Three of the seven epithets — Purindada, Sakka itself, and Vāsava — all trace back to different aspects of giving, making generosity the single most represented quality in the entire naming sequence.

The same seven vows, now given full context

Rather than introducing new ethical content, the discourse's closing section repeats SN 11.11's seven vows verbatim, now framed explicitly as what stands behind every one of the names just explained.

Key terms

māṇavo… maghavā — “a student… Maghavā” — the etymology of one of Sakka's most frequently used epithets, from his human name Magha.
purindado — “Purindada, the Firstgiver” — an epithet traced to Sakka being first to give gifts as a human being.
sakko — “Sakka, the Able” — the etymology of Sakka's own core name, from giving gifts ably.
sujampatī — “Sujā's Husband” — the explicit origin of the epithet already used, unexplained, in SN 11.7's closing curse.
devānamindo — “Lord of Gods” — the final epithet explained, from Sakka's rule over the gods of the Thirty-Three.

The text

The discourse in full. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1Near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove. There the Buddha said to the mendicants: “Mendicants, in a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he was a student named Magha. That’s why he’s called Maghavā, the Bounteous One.

§2In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he was first to give gifts. That’s why he’s called Purindada, the Firstgiver.

§3In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he gave gifts ably. That’s why he’s called Sakka, the Able.

§4In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he gave the gift of a guest house. That’s why he’s called Vāsava, the Houser.

§5Sakka thinks of a thousand needs in an hour. That’s why he’s called Sahassakkha, the Thousand-Eyed.

§6Sakka’s wife is the titan maiden named Sujā. That’s why he’s called Sujampati, Sujā’s Husband.

§7Sakka rules as sovereign lord over the gods of the thirty-three. That’s why he’s called Devānaminda, the Lord of Gods.

§8In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he undertook seven vows. And it was because of undertaking these that he achieved the status of Sakka. What seven? As long as I live, may I support my parents. As long as I live, may I honor the elders in the family. As long as I live, may I speak gently. As long as I live, may I not backbite. As long as I live, may I live at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share. As long as I live, may I speak the truth. As long as I live, may I be free of anger, or should anger arise, may I quickly get rid of it. In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he undertook seven vows. And it was because of undertaking these that he achieved the status of Sakka.

§9A child who respects their parents, and honors the elders in the family, whose speech is gentle and courteous, and has given up backbiting; who’s committed to getting rid of stinginess, is truthful, and has mastered anger: the gods of the thirty-three declare them to be a true person.”

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Self-check quiz

Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 10
What does this discourse explain about several of Sakka's epithets?
Correct: A. A payoff discourse explaining names used unexplained earlier.
Question 2 of 10
Which epithet, used earlier in SN 11.7 without explanation, is finally explained here?
Correct: A. A satisfying payoff for readers who noticed the earlier unexplained title.
Question 3 of 10
What is the origin of the epithet Maghavā?
Correct: A. The first epithet explained in this discourse.
Question 4 of 10
What theme connects Purindada, Sakka, and Vāsava, three of the seven epithets?
Correct: A. Generosity is the most represented theme across the naming sequence.
Question 5 of 10
What does the epithet Sahassakkha refer to?
Correct: A. An epithet describing Sakka's quick, thorough thinking.
Question 6 of 10
What does the epithet Devānaminda mean, and where does it come from?
Correct: A. The final epithet explained in the sequence.
Question 7 of 10
What does the discourse do after explaining all seven epithets?
Correct: A. Tying the etymology explicitly back to the ethical conduct behind each name.
Question 8 of 10
According to this discourse, are these epithets grounded in divine nature or in human conduct?
Correct: A. Each name earned through action, not simply held from the start.
Question 9 of 10
What kind of person do the gods of the Thirty-Three declare, echoing SN 11.11's closing verse?
Correct: A. The identical closing verse from SN 11.11, repeated here.
Question 10 of 10
Where does the Buddha deliver this teaching to the monks?
Correct: A. The consistent setting across this saṃyutta's discourses.
Answered 0 of 10 · Correct 0

Further reading

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