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## [106]
The *Upasakadasanga Sutra* unfolds.
A deva, disguised as a demon, tore the body of Kamadeva into pieces with a sharp sword. Yet, Kamadeva did not waver from his devotion. The deva then assumed the form of a ferocious, monstrous elephant, tossing Kamadeva into the sky, crushing him with its teeth and trampling him with its feet. After this, he tormented him as a terrifying serpent. How was this possible? How could Kamadeva, even after his body was torn apart, be tossed into the sky, trampled, and crushed? Here is the explanation: The deva, a *mithyatvi*, wanted to inflict severe pain on Kamadeva to make him abandon his dharma. Or perhaps he wanted to test his religious steadfastness. He did not want to kill him. This is a characteristic of *vaikriya-labdhi* bearing devas: they can sever, cut, and break the *pudgalas* of the body with the same speed with which they can instantly reassemble them. This happens so quickly that the afflicted individual experiences intense pain and the feeling of being cut, but the state of separation or severance of the body's *pudgalas* is extremely short-lived. Therefore, the body appears to be the same in its gross form. This is what happened to Kamadeva.
Kamadeva endured the excruciating pain, but he did not deviate from his dharma. Then, the deva appeared in his original form and explained the reason for his malicious act of tormenting Kamadeva. There is a mention of three councils, a family of eight queens, seven armies, etc., in the description of Indra and his celestial entourage. Their details are as follows:
**The three councils of Indra, the ruler of the Saudharma heaven:**
* **Shamitha Abhyantara:** This inner council consists of twelve thousand devas and seven hundred devis.
* **Chanda Madhyama:** This middle council consists of fourteen thousand devas and six hundred devis.
* **Jata Bahya:** This outer council consists of sixteen thousand devas and five hundred devis.
**The position of the devas and devis in each council:**
* **Abhyantara:** Devas are positioned at five *palya* levels, and devis at three *palya* levels.
* **Madhyama:** Devas are positioned at four *palya* levels, and devis at two *palya* levels.
* **Bahya:** Devas are positioned at three *palya* levels, and devis at one *palya* level.
**The family of each chief queen:**
Each chief queen has a family of five thousand devis. Thus, Indra's inner circle is considered to have a family of forty thousand devis.
**The armies:**
* **Five armies for fighting:** Elephants, horses, bulls, chariots, and infantry.
* **Two armies for entertainment:** Gandharvanik (musicians) and Natyanik (actors) for amusement and boosting morale.
This sutra mentions some names of Indra, such as Shatakratu and Sahasraksha, which are also famous in the Vedic tradition. The reason and significance of these names according to the Jain tradition have been explained earlier. According to the Vedic tradition, the reason for these names is different. It is as follows: