Pancasikha (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

: ''Pañcaśikha'';

Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...

: ''Pañcasikha'') is a

gandharva A ''gandharva'' () is a member of a class of celestial beings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, whose males are divine performers such as musicians and singers, and the females are divine dancers. In Hinduism, they ...

in the Buddhist pantheon.

Character

Pañcaśikha is the god who receives messages from the

Four Heavenly Kings The Four Heavenly Kings are four Buddhism, Buddhist gods or Deva (Buddhism), ''devas'', each of whom is believed to watch over one cardinal direction of the world. The Hall of Four Heavenly Kings is a standard component of Chinese Buddhism, Ch ...

and their ministers regarding the deeds done in the human world. He would pass information on to Mātali, who in turn informed the king of

Trāyastriṃśa The (Sanskrit; Pali ), (''Tushita''; ''Heaven of the Thirty-three''), is an important celestial realm of the devas in Buddhist cosmology. The word ' is an adjective formed from the numeral ', or "33" and can be translated in English as "bel ...

, Śakra. He is also king among the gandharvas, a status granted by Śakra. His lover is the female gandharva Bhadrā Sūryavarcasā (Sanskrit; Pali: ''Bhaddā Suriyavaccasā''). His favorite instrument is the Beluvapanduvīnā, a

stringed instrument In musical instrument classification, string instruments, or chordophones, are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer strums, plucks, strikes or sounds the strings in varying manners. Musicians play so ...

that originally belonged to

Mara Mara or MARA may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Mara (''Doctor Who''), an evil being in two ''Doctor Who'' serials * Mara (She-Ra), fictional characters from the ''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'' and ''The New Advent ...

. In Mahayana sources, this is described as a lute made of beryl or lapis lazuli (Ch: 琉璃琴 or 瑠璃寶裝箜篌).

Literature

Sakkapañha Sutta/Śakraparipṛcchā Sūtra

Pañcaśikha makes his most notable appearance in the Sutra of the Questions of Śakra; the ''Sakkapañha Sutta'' in the

Pali Canon The Pāḷi Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhism, Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant Early Buddhist texts, early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from t ...

and the ''Śakraparipṛcchā Sūtra'' (帝釋所問經) in the

Taishō Tripiṭaka The ''Taishō Tripiṭaka'' (; Japanese: ''Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō''; " Taishō Revised Tripiṭaka") is a definitive edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon and its Japanese commentaries used by scholars in the 20th century. The name is abbr ...

; where his role as interlocutor becomes apparent. Śakra, on wishing to see the Buddha appeared with a retinue of gods in the human world above Mount Vediyaka. The light created by their glory was noticed by the residents of the local village, who assumed that the mountain had caught on fire. Śakra persuaded Pañcaśikha to charm the Buddha out of his meditation in order to gain his attention. Pañcaśikha obliged and went to the cave in which the Buddha was staying. He addressed him with a song about the

Three Jewels In Buddhism, refuge or taking refuge refers to a religious practice which often includes a prayer or recitation performed at the beginning of the day or of a practice session. Its object is typically the Three Jewels (also known as the Triple ...

and romantic love.

Pañcaśikha’s Song

“My lady Suriyavaccasā, oh my Sunshine— I pay homage to your father Timbaru, through whom was born a lady so fine, to fill me with a joy I never knew. As sweet as a breeze to one who’s sweating, or when thirsty, a sweet and cooling drink, so dear is your shining beauty to me, just like the teaching is to all the

saints In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Orth ...

! Like a cure when you’re struck by fever dire, or food to ease the hunger pain, come on, darling, please put out my fire, quench me like water on a flame. As elephants burning in the heat of summer, sink down in a lotus pond to rest, so cool, full of petals and of pollen— that’s how I would plunge into your breast. Like elephants bursting bonds in rutting season, beating off the pricks of lance and pikes— I just don’t understand what is the reason I’m so crazy for your shapely thighs! For you, my heart is full of passion, I’m in an altered state of mind. There is no going back, I’m just not able, I’m like a fish that’s hooked up on the line. Come on, my darling, hold me, fair of thighs! Embrace me, with your so bashful eyes! Take me in your arms, my lovely lady, that’s all I’d ever want or could desire. Ah, then my desire was such a small thing, my sweet, with your curling wavy hair; now, like to

arahants In Buddhism, an ''Arhat'' () or ''Arahant'' (, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and has been liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth. The unde ...

an offering, it’s grown so very much from there. Whatever the merit I have forged by giving to such perfected beings— may that, my altogether gorgeous, ripen in togetherness with you. Whatever the merit I have forged in this wide open land, may that, my altogether gorgeous, ripen in togetherness with you. Absorbed, the Sakyan meditates, unified, alert, and mindful, the sage aims right at the deathless state— like me, oh my Sunshine, aiming for you! And just like the sage would be rejoicing, were he to awaken to the truth, so I’d be rejoicing, lady, were I to end up as one with you. If Sakka were to grant me just one wish, as Lord of the holy Thirty-Three, my darling, you’re the only one I’d wish for, so strong is the love I hold for you. Like a freshly blossoming sal tree is your father, my lady so wise. I pay homage to him, bowing down humbly, to he whose daughter is of such a kind.”

The Buddha's response

The Buddha praised Pañcaśikha for his ability to harmonize his voice and instrument and asked him when he composed the song. Pañcaśikha relayed the story of when he fell in love with the goddess Bhaddā Suriyavaccasā shortly after the Buddha's enlightenment.

Other

Within Pali literature, Pañcaśikha is seen in the ''Pañcasikha Sutta'' where he visits the Buddha and asks him why some beings attain

arhatship In Buddhism, an ''Arhat'' () or ''Arahant'' (, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana (Buddhism), Nirvana'' and has been liberated from the Rebirth (Buddhism ...

in their present lives while others do not. The ''Bilārakosiya Jātaka'' states that in a past life, Ananda held the office of Pañcaśikha. He also appears in Sanskrit literature such as the Avadānaśataka. He is also counted among deities in Mahayana texts such as the Samādhirāja Sūtra, the Dānapāramitā Sūtra and the Pratītyasamutpāda Sūtra.

References

{{Reflist Buddhist gods Gandharvas