Brahmā Sahāmpati

Senior Mahābrahmā who beseeches the Buddha to teach the Dharma after his awakening; representative of the Brahmā world as devoted to the Buddha. Never a creator-god in Buddhist sources.

Domains

• brahma world
• patronage of the dispensation

Powers

• Entreat the Buddha to turn the Dharma wheel
• Preside as senior of the Mahābrahmā gods
• Beseeches the newly awakened Buddha to teach the Dharma

Epithets

• ब्रह्मा सहम्पति sanskrit · Brahmā Sahampati · sutraLord of the Sahā world who entreated the Buddha to teachĀyācana Sutta, Saṃyutta Nikāya 6.1 (Brahmā's request); Vinaya, Mahāvagga (primary)
• महाब्रह्मा sanskrit · Mahābrahmā · sutraThe Great Brahmā; ruler of the brahmā-worldBrahmajāla Sutta, Dīgha Nikāya 1; Kevaṭṭa Sutta, Dīgha Nikāya 11 (primary)
• Sahāṃpati Sanskrit · Sahampati · epithet'Lord of the Sahā world'Saṃyutta Nikāya 6.1, Āyācana Sutta. (primary)

Relations

• syncretism: BrahmaBuddhism absorbs the creator Brahmā as a class of exalted but non-creating, mortal Brahmās; Sahāmpati keeps the seniority and dignity yet kneels to beg the Buddha to teach — a deliberate demotion.Brahmāyācana Sutta, Saṃyutta Nikāya 6.1; Ariyapariyesanā Sutta, Majjhima Nikāya 26 (primary); K.R. Norman, 'The Buddha's View of Devas', in Collected Papers II (1991) (secondary)

Sources

• existence: Pali Canon, Ayācana-sutta (SN 6.1) (primary); Pali Canon, Ariyapariyesanā-sutta (MN 26) (primary)