The “Linked Discourses on Deities” contains 81 discourses, each one of which depicts the Buddha in conversation with a deity. Typically a deity approaches the Buddha in the monastery at Sāvatthī, illuminating the night with their glory. The deity addresses the Buddha with a question or verse, which may be a praise, a challenge, a riddle, or simply a reflection. The Buddha responds, usually elevating the discourse to a higher plane. 

As always in Buddhist texts, a deity is not worshiped, but is regarded as a temporary rebirth in a higher plane; the deities learn from the Buddha, not the other way around. In most cases, the narrative framework is slim, and after a while it is dropped entirely, retaining just the verses. There’s no particular theme to the discourses, which range from the simple to the profound.