At that time, long ago, there were unfortunate, ugly gods called Asuras living in the second heaven world.
Sakka, King of the Heaven of Thirty-Three, who in a previous life was known as Magha the Good, thought, "Why should we, the Thirty-Three, share our heaven with these Asuras? This is our world; let us live happily by ourselves."
He invited the Asuras to a feast and got them drunk on strong liquor. It seemed rebirth had made Sakka forget some of his own past teachings. Once the Asuras were intoxicated, he tricked them into descending to a lower world, just as vast as their own.
When the Asuras sobered up and realized the deception, they grew furious. They rose up and waged war against King Sakka. Soon, they were victorious, forcing Sakka to flee.
Retreating in his mighty war chariot, Sakka entered a vast forest where the Garulas nested. These were gods without supernatural powers, forced to travel by flapping heavy wings.
As Sakka's chariot tore through the forest, it upset the nests, causing the baby Garulas to fall. They cried out in fear and agony. Hearing their cries, Sakka asked his charioteer about the source of the distress.
The charioteer replied, "Those are the terrified shrieks of the baby Garulas. Your powerful chariot is destroying their nests and trees."
Hearing this suffering, Sakka realized all life, including his own, is temporary. The compassion of the Great Being, which transcends lifetimes, awoke within him. He declared, "Let the little ones fear no more. The first precept must not be broken; there can be no exception. I will not destroy even one life for the sake of a heavenly kingdom that must one day end. Instead, I will offer my life to the victorious Asuras. Turn back the chariot!"
So the chariot turned back toward the Heaven of Thirty-Three. Seeing Sakka return, the Asuras assumed he had brought reinforcements from other worlds. In panic, they fled back to their lower heaven without looking back.