Mahā Nāga untranslated

Mahā Nāga 01. Mahā Nāga Thera. The son of Madhuvāseṭṭha of Sāketa. While the Buddha was at Añjanavana, Mahā Nāga saw the wonder wrought by Gavampati and entered the Saṅgha under him, attaining to Arahant-ship in due course.

In the past he had given a dādima (pomegranate) fruit to Kakusandha Buddha (Thag­a.i.442f).

Several verses uttered by him in admonition of the Chabbaggiyā, because of their failure to show regard for their co-religionists, are found in the Theragāthā. Thag.vss.387-92.

Mahā Nāga 02. Son of Muṭasiva and viceroy of Devānampiyatissa. His wife was Anulā, for whose ordination Saṅghamittā came over from Jambudīpa (Mhv.xiv.56; Dpv.xi.6; xvii.75). His second wife was a foolish woman who tried to poison him in order to get the throne for her son. While he was building the Taraccha tank, she sent him some mangoes, the top one of which, intended for him, was poisoned. But it was her son who ate the mango and died. Mahā Nāga thereupon went to Rohaṇa, where he founded the dynasty of that name at Mahā Gāma. His son was Yaṭṭhālayaka Tissa. Mahā Nāga built the Nāgamahāvihāra and the Uddhakandaraka vihāra. Mhv.xxii.2ff.

Mahā Nāga 03. A resident of Niṭṭhulaviṭṭhika in Girijanapada. He was the father of Goṭha-imbara. Mhv.xxiii.49.

Mahā Nāga 04. Son of Vaṭṭagāmaṇī. He later came to be known as Coranāga. Mhv.xxxiii.45.

Mahā Nāga 05. See Mahā Dāṭhika Mahā Nāga.

Mahā Nāga 06. Mahā Nāga Thera. Incumbent of Bhūtārāma. As a mark of favour, Kaniṭṭhatissa built for him the Ratanapāsāda at Abhayagirivihāra. Mhv.xxxvi.7.

Mahā Nāga 07. Mahā Nāga Thera. Incumbent of Samudda vihāra. He was among those who accepted the gift of a meal by Prince Sāliya, in his birth as a blacksmith. Mhv­ṭ. 606.

Mahā Nāga 08. Mahā Nāga Thera. Incumbent of Kāḷavallimaṇḍapa. He was among those who accepted the meal given by Sāliya in his previous birth (Mhv­ṭ. 606). He was one of the last to attain Arahant-ship among those who left the world with the Bodhisatta in various births (Ja.iv.490). He did not sleep for seven years, after which he practised continual meditation for sixteen years, becoming an Arahant at the end of that time. Snp­a.i.56; MN­a.i.209; SN­a.iii.155.

His fame was great, and there is a story of a Brahmin who came all the way from Pāṭaliputta to Kāḷavallimaṇḍapa in Rohaṇa to visit him. The Brahmin entered the Saṅgha under him and became an Arahant (AN­a.i.384). Once, while Mahā Nāga was begging alms at Nakulanagara, he saw a nun and offered her a meal. As she had no bowl, he gave her his, with the food ready in it. After she had eaten and washed the bowl, she gave it back to him saying, “Henceforth there will be no fatigue for you when begging for alms.” Thereafter the Elder was never given alms worth less than a kahāpaṇa. The nun was an Arahant. Dhs-a.399.

Mahā Nāga 09. Mahā Nāga Thera. Incumbent of Bhātiyavaṅka vihāra He received alms from Sāliya in his previous birth. Mhv­ṭ. 606.

Mahā Nāga 10. Mahā Nāga Thera. Incumbent of Maddha (?) vihāra. He was one of the last to become Arahant among those who left the world with the Bodhisatta in various births. Ja.vi.30.

Mahā Nāga 11. Mahā Nāga Thera. He and his brother, Cūḷa Nāga, householders of Vasāḷanagara, renounced the world and became Arahants. One day, while visiting their own village, they went to their mother’s house for alms. The mother, not quite sure who they were, asked if they were her sons. But they, not wishing for any bonds of affection, gave an evasive reply. SN­a.ii.125.

Mahā Nāga 12. Mahā Nāga Thera. He lived in Uccatalaṅka (Uccavālika). Talaṅkavāsi Dhammadinna (q.v.) was his pupil and became an Arahant through his intervention. Vibh-a.489; Vsm.634.

Mahā Nāga 13. Mahā Nāga Thera. He once went to his mother’s house for alms and while sitting there entered into jhāna. The house caught fire and all the others fled. When the fire was put out the Thera was discovered unhurt, and the villagers did him great honour. Finding his attainments discovered, he rose into the air and went to Piyaṅgudīpa. Vsm.706.

Mahā Nāga 14. A king of Ceylon, mentioned in the Dhammasangaṇi Commentary (Dhs-a.399). While travelling to India from Ceylon he won the favour of an Elder, and on his return became king. Out of gratitude he established gifts of medicine in Setambaṅgaṇa for as long as he lived. (Dhs-a.399).

Mahā Nāga 15. Teacher of Saṅgharakkhita Sāmaṇera (q.v.). He was called Sāmuddika Mahā Nāga. DN­a.ii.558.

Mahā Nāga 16. Nephew of Bhayasīva. During a time of famine he sold his upper garment and obtained food for a man learned in magic spells. The latter, in gratitude, took him to the Gokaṇṇasamudda, and there, having conjured up a Nāga, prophesied Mahā Nāga’s future. Mahā Nāga entered Silākāla’s service, and was sent by him to collect revenue in Rohaṇa. Later he was made Andhasenāpati, and he established himself master of Rohaṇa. He once attempted to fight against Dāṭhāpabhuti, but soon gave up the attempt. Taking advantage of the confusion in Kittisirimegha’s dominions, Mahā Nāga advanced against him, killed him, and seized the throne. Among his benefactions was the grant of the village of Jambalambaya to Uttara vihāra, Tintinika to Mahā Vihāra, and Vasabha in Uddhagāma to Jetavana vihāra, together with three hundred fields for the supply of rice soup. He also gave Cīramātikavāra to the Mahā Vihāra and instituted a gift of rice soup. He renovated the Mayūrapariveṇa and Anurārāma in the Mahā Devarattakurava vihāra in Kāsikhanda. He reigned for only three years (556-9 CE.), and was succeeded by his nephew, Aggabodhi I. (Cv.xli.69ff), who built a vihāra in his memory and assigned it to an Elder versed in the Tipiṭaka. Cv.xlii.24; Cv.Trs.i.68, n.2.

Mahā Nāga 17. A monk of Kontaraṭṭhakapabbata vihāra. He died seated in mid­air, and Kākavaṇṇatissa, having heard of it from a crow, paid him great honour. Ras.ii.64.