1. Simple Version
1At Sāvatthī. [250] “Bhikkhus, I will teach you about the devas of the gandhabba order. Listen to that….
2“And what, bhikkhus, are the devas of the gandhabba order? There are, bhikkhus, devas dwelling in fragrant roots,289 The gandhabbas are associated with fragrant substances, no doubt because the word is based on the stem gandha, meaning scent. Spk: Those dwelling in fragrant roots are born with the support of a tree whose roots are fragrant, but the entire tree is available to them as a dwelling place. The same for the other types. On the Vedic origins of the Buddhist conception of the gandhabbas, see Wijesekera, “Vedic Gandharva and Pāli Gandhabba,” in Buddhist and Vedic Studies, esp. pp. 191-93.
devas dwelling in fragrant heartwood, devas dwelling in fragrant softwood, devas dwelling in fragrant bark, devas dwelling in fragrant shoots, devas dwelling in fragrant leaves, devas dwelling in fragrant flowers, devas dwelling in fragrant fruits, devas dwelling in fragrant sap, and devas dwelling in fragrant scents.
3“These, bhikkhus, are called the devas of the gandhabba order.”
2. Good Conduct
1At Sāvatthī…. Sitting to one side, that bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, what is the cause and reason why someone here, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in the company of the devas of the gandhabba order?”
2“Here, bhikkhu, someone practises good conduct of body, speech, and mind.290 Rebirth as a gandhabba is considered favourable and is thus the direct result of good conduct, unlike rebirth as a nāga or supaṇṇa, which is of mixed status and thus the result of ambivalent kamma.
He has heard: ‘The devas of the gandhabba order are long-lived, beautiful, and abound in happiness.’ He thinks: ‘Oh, with the breakup of the body, after death, may I be reborn in the company of the devas of the gandhabba order!’ Then, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the devas of the gandhabba order.
3“This, bhikkhu, is the cause and reason why someone here, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in the company of the devas of the gandhabba order.”
3. Giver (1)
1At Sāvatthī…. Sitting to one side, that bhikkhu [251] said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, what is the cause and reason why someone here, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in the company of the devas who dwell in fragrant roots?”
2“Here, bhikkhu, someone practises good conduct of body, speech, and mind. He has heard: ‘The devas who dwell in fragrant roots are long-lived, beautiful, and abound in happiness.’ He thinks: ‘Oh, with the breakup of the body, after death, may I be reborn in the company of the devas who dwell in fragrant roots!’ He becomes a giver of fragrant roots. Then, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the devas who dwell in fragrant roots.
3“This, bhikkhu, is the cause and reason why someone here, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in the company of the devas who dwell in fragrant roots.”
4-12. Giver (2-10)
1(The same paradigm is repeated for each of the other groups of gandhabbas—those who dwell in fragrant heartwood, etc.—as enumerated in §1, each the giver of the corresponding type of gift.) [252]
13-22. With the Support of Giving (1)
1At Sāvatthī…. Sitting to one side, that bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, what is the cause and reason why someone here, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in the company of the devas who dwell in fragrant roots?”
2“Here, bhikkhu, someone practises good conduct of body, speech, and mind. He has heard: ‘The devas who dwell in fragrant roots are long-lived, beautiful, and abound in happiness.’
3“He thinks: ‘Oh, with the breakup of the body, after death, may I be reborn in the company of the devas who dwell in fragrant roots!’ He gives food…. He gives drink…. He gives clothing…. He gives a vehicle…. He gives a garland…. He gives a fragrance…. He gives an unguent…. He gives a bed…. He gives a dwelling…. He gives a lamp. Then, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the devas who dwell in fragrant roots.
4“This, bhikkhu, is the cause and reason why someone here, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in the company of the devas who dwell in fragrant roots.” [253]
23-112. With the Support of Giving (2)
(Repeat the paradigm of §§13-22 for each of the other types of gandhabbas, those who dwell in fragrant heartwood, etc.)
[254]