This article first briefly examines the textual structure of the Sakka
Saṃyutta of the Pāli Saṃyutta-nikāya in conjunction with two other versions
preserved in Chinese translation in Taishō vol. 2, nos 99 and 100. Then it
compares the main teachings contained in the three versions. These three
versions of this collection on the subject of Śakra, ruler of the gods,
represent three different early Buddhist schools within the Sthavira branch.
This comparative study of these three different versions focuses on some
shared images of Śakra and on disagreements of some teachings presented in
the three versions. It reveals similarities and significant differences in
structure and doctrinal content, thus advancing the historical/critical
study of early Buddhist doctrine in this area.