Lakkhaṇa untranslated

Lakkhaṇa 01. Son of Dasaratha and brother of Rāma, Sītā and Bharata. He is identified with Sāriputta. Ja.iv.130; for details see the Dasarathajātaka (Ja 461).

Lakkhaṇa 02. One of the eight Brahmins who recognized the auspicious signs at the birth of the Bodhisatta (Ja.i.56). The Milinda (Mil. 236) speaks of him as one of the Buddha’s first teachers.

Lakkhaṇa 03. Lakkhaṇa Thera. Mentioned as having stayed with Mahā Moggallāna on Gijjhakūṭa. Once, when they were going down to Rājagaha for alms, Lakkhaṇa noticed that at a certain spot Moggallāna smiled; on asking him why, he was told to wait till they saw the Buddha. When the question was repeated in the Buddha’s presence, Moggallāna said that he had smiled on seeing various Petas with gruesome forms flying through the air. From the text it would appear that these visions were seen again on several occasions. SN.ii.254; Vin.iii.104ff.; the stories of some of the Petas seen and of their past lives are given in detail in Dhp­a.ii.68ff.; iii.60ff.; 410ff., 479.

The Commentary (SN­a.ii.159) explains that Lakkhaṇa was one of the thousand Jaṭilas ordained by the Buddha (when he converted the Tebhātikajaṭilas). He attained Arahant-ship at the conclusion of the preaching of the Ādittapariyāya desanā. He was called Lakkhaṇa because of his marvellous personality, “like unto Brahma’s” (Brahmasamena). It adds further that Lakkhaṇa’s failure to see the Petas was not because he lacked the divine eye but because he was not giving attention (anāvajjento), as a clairvoyant must. It is said (Vin.iii.105) that when Moggallāna related his vision, some of the monks blamed him for claiming superhuman powers (uttarimanussadhamma), but the Buddha declared him free from blame.

Lakkhaṇa 04. A deer, son of the Bodhisatta, identified with Sāriputta. For his story see the Lakkhaṇajātaka.