Thanks for the book reference, Jon.

I google-searched both reference and could only read one of them via
the google book librabry (Nirvana and Other Buddhist Felicities). I
found there that the life in Tavatimsa realms lasts for 36.000.000
human years...which also indicates that the lifespan of Sakka is
36.000.000 human years.
This reference is in English. What I actually want to confirm by
posting a thread in this Pali yahoogroups is the relevance between the
English translation and the Pali language. So if there is anyone from
this group who would be willing to have a look at the Pali
words/sentences and verify whether or not the English translation
about Sakka's lifespan(36.000.000 years) is correct, and if possible
with explanation on the Pali--how it can be 36.000.000 years--.
Thank you.


With Metta,
Jo.

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "Jon Fernquest" <bayinnaung@...> wrote:
>
> "...the lifespan of Sakka..."
>
> Regarding Sakka see the book "Early Buddhist Mythology" by J.R.
> Haldar, Manohar, 1977.
>
> Pages 82 to 95 will tell you just about everything you could possibly
> nned know about Sakka citing many Jataka and the Tipitaka. Here is the
> beginning:
>
> "In Pali literature, the word 'Sakka' is used as a rank or position of
> the king of the Tavatimsa gods and not as a personal name. He who
> comes in the Tavatimsa to rule over it will be called Sakka. As the
> universe consists of many cakkavalas and there is a Tavatimsa-devaloka
> in each cakkavala and each Tavatimsa is ruled by a Sakka, the number
> of Sakkas (i.e. kings of the Tavatimsa devalokas) is many Besides, in
> each cakkavala, we come in contact with many Sakkas within a world
> cycle within a world cycle (i.e. the life..."
>
> Also see Buddhist Cosmology in Steven Collins, Nirvana and other
> Buddhist Felicities, 1998, pages 297-304.
>
> With metta,
> Jon Fernquest
>
>
>
>
> > Dear all,
> >
> > Could anyone kindly let me know about whether or not the translation
> of PTS for the lifespan of Sakka is correct.
> >
> > In CSCD, Jat. II [310] it's written as follows:
> > sakko sa.t.thi ca vassasatasahassaani tisso ca vassako.tiyo aayu.m
> khepetvaa cavi, a~n~no sakko nibbati.
> > By PTS, it's translated:
> > Sakka had lived for sixty times an hundred thousand years and thirty
> millions of years, then was born on earth again.
> >
> > sixty times an hundred thousand years = 6.000.000 years?
> > thirty millions of years = 30.000.000 years?
> > so overall, 6.000.000+30.000.000 = 36.000.000 years, am i right?
> >
> > while in Dictionary of Pali Proper Name (DPPN), under the
> explanation of Mandhaataa, it's mentioned as "thirty-six million years
> and sixty times one hundred thousand", so it makes
> 36.000.000+6.000.000 = 42.000.000 years.
> >
> > While in Pali-English dictionary, the word ko.ti is defined as up to
> a hundred thousand (in number), so if we refer back to the PTS
> translation, it should be 6.000.000 + 3.000.000 (not 30.000.000) =
> 9.000.000 years, am i right?
> >
> >
> > We need this information as we are doing the translation, so please,
> please, please, anyone who wants to give any comment or knows any
> accurate information related to this, please share it with me, will you?
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > With Metta,
> > Jo.
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
> >
> > Real people. Real questions. Real answers. Share what you know.
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>