Then Sakka, lord of gods, thought, “Pañcasikha is exchanging pleasantries with the Buddha.”

So he addressed Pañcasikha, “My dear Pañcasikha, please bow to the Buddha for me, saying: ‘Sir, Sakka, lord of gods, with his ministers and retinue, bows with his head at your feet.’”

“Yes, lord,” replied Pañcasikha. He bowed to the Buddha and said, “Sir, Sakka, lord of gods, with his ministers and retinue, bows with his head at your feet.”

“So may Sakka with his ministers and retinue be happy, Pañcasikha,” said the Buddha, “for all want to be happy—whether gods, humans, demons, dragons, fairies, or any of the other diverse creatures there may be.”

For that is how the Realized Ones salute such illustrious spirits. And being saluted by the Buddha, Sakka entered the Indasāla cave, bowed to the Buddha, and stood to one side. And the gods of the Thirty-Three did likewise, as did Pañcasikha.

And at that time the uneven places were evened out, the cramped places were opened up, the darkness vanished and light appeared, as happens through the glory of the gods.

Then the Buddha said to Sakka, “It’s incredible and amazing that you, the venerable Kosiya, who has so many duties and so much to do, should come here.”

“For a long time I’ve wanted to go and see the Buddha, but I wasn’t able, being prevented by my many duties and responsibilities for the gods of the Thirty-Three. This one time, sir, the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the frankincense-tree hut. Then I went to Sāvatthī to see the Buddha. But at that time the Buddha was sitting immersed in some kind of meditation. And a divine maiden of Great King Vessavaṇa named Bhūjati was attending on the Buddha, standing there paying homage to him with joined palms.

So I said to her, ‘Sister, please bow to the Buddha for me, saying: “Sir, Sakka, lord of gods, with his ministers and retinue, bows with his head at your feet.”’

When I said this, she said to me, ‘It’s the wrong time to see the Buddha, as he’s in retreat.’

‘Well then, sister, please convey my message when the Buddha emerges from that immersion.’ I hope that sister bowed to you? Do you remember what she said?”

“She did bow, lord of gods, and I remember what she said. I also remember that it was the sound of your chariot wheels that pulled me out of that immersion.”

“Sir, I have heard and learned this in the presence of the gods who were reborn in the host of the Thirty-Three before me: ‘When a Realized One arises in the world, perfected and fully awakened, the heavenly hosts swell, while the demon hosts dwindle.’ And I have seen this with my own eyes.