| Pañcaśikha | |
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.jpg) TheStatue ofDeva Pañcaśikha playingKrachappi(Phin) inThai artRattanakosin Art period inUbosot ofWat Niwet Thammaprawat located within the grounds of theBang Pa-In Royal PalaceBang Pa-in districtPhra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya ProvinceThailand.[1][2] | |
| Sanskrit | पञ्चशिख Pañcaśikha |
| Pāli | पञ्चसिख Pañcasikha |
| Burmese | ပဉ္စသီခ; ပၪၥသိခ |
| Chinese | |
| Japanese | |
| Korean | |
| Thai |
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| Tibetan |
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| Vietnamese | Ngũ Kế |
 Religion portal | |
Pancasikha (Sanskrit:Pañcaśikha;Pali:Pañcasikha) is agandharva in the Buddhist pantheon.[3]
Pañcaśikha is the god who receives messages from theFour Heavenly Kings and their ministers regarding the deeds done in the human world. He would pass information on to Mātali, who in turn informed the king ofTrāyastriṃśa,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).[4]
His favorite instrument is the Beluvapanduvīnā, astringed instrument that originally belonged toMara. 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).[5]
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Pañcaśikha makes his most notable appearance in theSutra of the Questions of Śakra; theSakkapañha Sutta in thePali Canon and theŚakraparipṛcchā Sūtra (帝釋所問經) in theTaishō Tripiṭaka; 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 theThree Jewels and romantic love.
“My lady Suriyavaccasā, oh my Sunshine—
I pay homage to your fatherTimbaru,
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 thesaints!
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 toarahants 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, theSakyan 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.
IfSakka were to grant me just one wish,
as Lord of the holyThirty-Three,
my darling, you’re the only one I’d wish for,
so strong is the love I hold for you.
Like a freshly blossomingsal 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 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.
Within Pali literature, Pañcaśikha is seen in thePañcasikha Sutta where he visits the Buddha and asks him why some beings attainarhatship in their present lives while others do not. TheBilārakosiya Jātaka states that in a past life, Ananda held the office of Pañcaśikha.
He also appears in Sanskrit literature such as theAvadānaśataka. He is also counted among deities in Mahayana texts such as theSamādhirāja Sūtra, theDānapāramitā Sūtra and thePratītyasamutpāda Sūtra.