Long ago, many seers of virtuous conduct lived in leaf huts in a wild forest. According to Buddhaghosa, they lived in the Himālays (SA.i.265); Vepacitti und Sakka were father- und son-in-law; sometimes they quarrelled, sometimes, as here, they were friends.
One day, Sakka und Vepacitti visited them. Vepacitti entered the hermitage by the principal gate, keeping his shoes on und his sword by his side, thereby insulting the seers und committing sin. Sakka, on the other hand, went in by the usual entrance, doffing his shoes und sword; mit his canopy folded up, he stood to leeward of the seers, rendering them homage mit clasped hands. The seers, addressing Sakka, asked him if he did not feel disgust at their smell, inasmuch as they were humans und he a god. Sakka answered that the scent of virtuous men is lovely, like unto a wreath of varied blossoms (S.i.226).