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# SN 11:22 · Ugly (Dubbaṇṇiya Sutta)
- URL: https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-11-22/
- Published: 2026-06-01T01:46:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-13T16:38:21.000Z
- Description: Saṁyutta Nikāya · SN 11:22. Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu.
- Author: Ninth Heaven Literature & Arts Association (NHLAA)
- Tags: Buddhism, Sutta Piṭaka, Text, Indian, The Buddha, Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, Verse, Pali, Early Buddhist, Library

Near Sāvatthī. “Once, monks, a certain yakkha—ugly & misshapen—sat down on Sakka the deva-king’s seat. Then the devas of the Thirty-three were indignant, annoyed, & complained: ‘Isn’t it amazing, good sirs! Isn’t it astounding! This yakkha—ugly & misshapen—has sat down on Sakka’s seat!’ But the more the devas of the Thirty-three were indignant, annoyed, & complained, the more well-formed that yakkha became, the more good-looking & inspiring.

“Then the devas of the Thirty-three went to Sakka the deva-king and, on arrival, said to him, ‘Just now, dear sir, a certain yakkha—ugly & misshapen—sat down on your seat. The devas of the Thirty-three were indignant, annoyed, & complained: “Isn’t it amazing, good sirs! Isn’t it astounding! This yakkha—ugly & misshapen—has sat down on Sakka’s seat!” But the more the devas of the Thirty-three were indignant, annoyed, & complained, the more well-formed that yakkha became, the more good-looking & inspiring.’

“‘Then, dear sirs, he must be an anger-eating yakkha.’

“So Sakka the deva-king approached the anger-eating yakkha and, on arrival, arranging his upper robe over one shoulder & kneeling with one knee on the ground, raised his hands palm-to-palm over his heart toward the anger-eating yakkha and announced his name three times, ‘I, dear sir, am Sakka the deva-king! I, dear sir, am Sakka the deva-king! I, dear sir, am Sakka the deva-king!’[1](https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN11%5F22.html?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) The more Sakka the deva-king announced his name, the uglier & more misshapen the yakkha became. Then, having become uglier & more misshapen, he disappeared right there.

“Then Sakka the deva-king, sitting down on his seat & conciliating the devas of the Thirthy-three, on that occasion recited these verses:

“‘I’m not easily upset in mind,

nor easily led into a whirl.

I don’t get angry for long.

Anger doesn’t persist in me.

When angry, I don’t speak harshly

or insist on my virtues.

I keep myself well under control

with an eye to my own good.’”

Note

1\. Repeating one’s name in this fashion was, at that time, considered a sign of respect. See [DN 16, note 46](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/dn-16/).

See also: [MN 21](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/mn-21/); [SN 1:71](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-1-71/); [SN 3:23](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-3-23/); [SN 7:2](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-7-2/); [AN 3:35](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-3-35/); [AN 3:133](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-3-133/); [AN 4:200](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-4-200/); [AN 5:161–162](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-5-161/); [AN 7:60](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-7-60/); [AN 10:80](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-10-80/); [Dhp XVII](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/dhp-17/)

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*Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) licence, for free distribution only. Source: [dhammatalks.org](https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN11%5F22.html?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) (Metta Forest Monastery).*