Mahā Nāma untranslated

Mahā Nāma. A lake in Nāgadīpa. Near it was the Mucalindavana. Ras.ii.18; see also Naga.

Mahā Nāma 01. Mahā Nāma Thera. He was born in a Brahmin family of Sāvatthī, and, after hearing the Buddha preach, entered the Saṅgha. Taking a formula of meditation, he dwelt on the hill called Nesādaka. Unable to prevent the rising of evil thoughts, he was disgusted with himself, and climbing a steep crag, made as if to throw himself down, and evoking insight became an Arahant.

In the time of Sumedha Buddha he was a Brahmin teacher skilled in the Vedas, and the Buddha visited him in his hermitage on the banks of the Sindhū and was given honey by him (Thag­a.vs.115; Thag­a.i.227ff). Mahā Nāma is probably identical with Madhudāyaka Thera of the Apadāna. Ap.ii.325f.

Mahā Nāma 02. Mahā Nāma Thera. One of the Pañcavaggiyā (Ja.i.82). He became a Sotāpanna on the third day after the preaching of the Dhammacakkappavattanasutta. He became an Arahant on the day of the preaching of the Anattalakkhaṇasutta, together with the other Pañcavaggiyā (AN­a.i.84; MN­a.i.390).

Mahā Nāma once visited Macchikāsaṇḍa, and there Citta gahapati, seeing him beg for alms and pleased with his bearing, invited him to his house, gave him a meal, and listened to a sermon by him. Citta was greatly pleased, and offered his pleasure garden of Ambāṭakavana to Mahā Nāma as a gift to the Saṅgha and built there a great monastery. Dhp­a.ii.74.

Mahā Nāma 03. A Sākiyan rājā, son of Amitodana; he was elder brother of Anuruddha and cousin of Gotama Buddha. When the Sākiyan families of Kapilavatthu sent their representatives to join the Saṅgha of their distinguished kinsman, Mahā Nāma allowed Anuruddha to leave the household, he knowing nothing of household affairs. Vin.ii.180f.; Dhp­a.i.133; iv.124, etc.; but according to Northern sources (Rockhill, p. 13) he was son of Dronodana; according to Thag­a. (ii.123) Ānanda was a brother (or, at least, a step-brother) of Mahā Nāma, for there Ānanda’s father is given as Amitodana. But see MN­a.i.289, where Mahā Nāma’s father is called Sukkodana and Ānanda’s Amitodana.

Mahā Nāma showed great generosity to the Saṅgha, and was proclaimed best of those who gave choice alms to the monks (AN.i.26). Once, with the Buddha’s permission, he supplied the Saṅgha with medicaments for three periods of four months each. The Chabbaggiyā, always intent on mischief, tried in vain to discourage him. Vin.iv.101; AN­a. (i.213) adds that this was during the period of want experienced by the Buddha and his monks at Verañjā. At the end of the year, Mahā Nāma wished to continue the supply of good food to the Buddha and his monks, but the Buddha refused his permission.

Mahā Nāma was a devoted follower of the Buddha and wished to understand the Dhamma. The books record several conversations between him and the Buddha, and Ānanda, Godha, and Lomasavaṅgīsa (see Mahā Nāmasutta and Lomasavaṅgīsa). Once when the Buddha arrived at Kapilavatthu he asked Mahā Nāma to find him lodging for the night. Mahā Nāma tried everywhere without success, and finally suggested that the Buddha should spend the night in the hermitage of Bharaṇḍu Kāḷāma (SN.v.327f). This he did, and was joined there the next morning by Mahā Nāma; as a result of the discussion between the Buddha, Mahā Nāma and Bharaṇḍu, the last-named left Kapilavatthu never to return. On another occasion, Mahā Nāma visited the Buddha at Nigrodhārāma where the Buddha was convalescing after a severe illness, and at once Mahā Nāma asked a question as to whether concentration followed or preceded knowledge. Ānanda, who was present, not wishing the Buddha to be troubled, took Mahā Nāma aside and explained to him the Buddha’s teachings on the subject. See Sakkasutta (SN.i.219f.).

Mahā Nāma had a daughter Vāsabhakhattiyā, born to him by a slave-girl named Nāgamuṇḍā, and when Pasenadi asked the Sākiyans to give him in marriage a Sākiyan maiden they met in the Mote Hall, and, following the advice of Mahā Nāma, sent Vāsabhakhattiyā to him. In order to allay any suspicions, Mahā Nāma sat down to a meal with her, taking one mouthful from the same dish; but before he could swallow it a messenger arrived, as secretly arranged, and summoned him away. He left, asking Vāsabhakhattiyā to continue her meal (Dhp­a.i.345f.; Ja.i.133; iv. 145f).

See also the Cūḷa Dukkhakkhandhasutta and Sekhasutta, both preached to Mahā Nāma.

His resolve to attain to eminence as the best distributor of pleasant food to the monks was made in the time of Padumuttara Buddha. He was then a householder of Haṁsavatī and heard the Buddha confer a similar rank on a monk (AN­a.i.213).

Mahā Nāma is included in a list of exemplary lay devotees (AN.iii.451). The Samantapāsādikā (Vin-a.iv.857) adds that Mahā Nāma was one month older than the Buddha and that he was a Sakadāgāmī.

Mahā Nāma 04. A Licchavī. One day while walking about in the Mahā Vana in Vesālī he saw some young Licchavīs paying homage to the Buddha and accused them of inconsistency. For details see the Kumārasutta (AN.iii.75ff.).

Mahā Nāma 05. King of Ceylon. He was the younger brother of Upatissa II. and was for some time a monk, but he carried on an intrigue with Upatissa’s wife, and she killed her husband. Then Mahā Nāma became a layman, assumed the sovereignty, and married Upatissa’s queen. He built refuges for the sick, enlarged the Mahā Pāli Hall, and erected the Lohadvāra, Ralaggāma, and Koṭipassāvana vihāras, which he gave to the monks of Abhayagiri a vihāra which he built on the Dhūmarakkha mountain, he gave, at the instigation of his queen, to the monks of Mahā Vihāra. He ruled for twenty-two years (409-31 CE.). It was during his reign that Buddhaghosa arrived in Ceylon and wrote his Commentaries, dwelling in a vihāra given by the king. Cv.xxxvii.209ff.; see also PLC. 96. The king seems to have also been called Sirinivāsa and Sirikuḍḍa.

Mahā Nāma 06. Incumbent of Dīghasaṇḍa (or Dīghāsana) Vihāra (Cv.xxxix.42). He is generally identified with the uncle of Dhātusena mentioned elsewhere (Cv.xxxviii.16). Moggallāna I. built for him the Pabbatavihāra (Cv.xxxix.42). Mahā Nāma is generally regarded as the author of the older part of the Mahā Vaṁsa. Mhv­ṭ. 687; e.g., in Gv.61, 66; Svd.1266; for a discussion on this see PLC.139ff.

Mahā Nāma 07. Author of the Saddhammappakāsanī Commentary on the Paṭisambhidāmagga (Gv.61; Svd.1196). The colophon to the book (Paṭis-a.526) states that he lived in the Uttaramanti pariveṇa in the Mahā Vihāra and finished his work in the third year after the death of Moggallāna (probably Moggallāna I.). The Gandhavaṁsa (Gv.70) says that the work was written at the request of an upāsaka, also named Mahā Nāma.

Mahā Nāma 08. See Mahā Nanda.