A cave on the Vediya mountain, to the north of Ambasandá, which was a brahmin village, east of Rájagaha. Once, when the Buddha was staying there, Sakka visited him and asked him the questions recorded in the Sakkapańha Sutta (D.ii.263).
Buddhaghosa says (DA.iii.697) that the cave lay between two overhanging rocks, with a large sála-tree at the entrance. The village community had added walls with doors and windows and had ornamented it with polished plaster scroll-work and garlands and had presented it to the Buddha.
In Fa Hsien's time (Giles, 48f), it was still inhabited and he describes it as being one yojana north-east of Nálandá. Hiouen Thsang, however, found it deserted. He calls it Indraka-saila-gúhá (Beal ii.180-1).
Both pilgrims noticed marks on the rock; according to Fa Hsien they were the answers to Sakka's questions written by the Buddha with his finger, while Hiouen Thsang says that both questions and answers were written on the stone.
The cave is identified with one about two miles to the south-west of the modern village of Giriyek. (CAGI. 539ff; Stein, Ind. Antiq. 1901, p.54).
It is said that on the occasion of the preaching of the Sakkapańha Sutta, eight hundred million devas realised the Truth (Mil.349).
See also Somanassa (3).