Mahā Sīva untranslated

Mahā Sīva 01. King of Ceylon; he was the son of Muṭasīva and the younger brother of Uttiya, whom he succeeded. He reigned for ten years (197-87 B.C.) and built the Nagaraṅgaṇavihāra for Bhaddasāla Thera. He was succeeded by Sūratissa. Mhv.xxi.1ff.

Mahā Sīva 02. Mahā Sīva Thera. Resident of Vāmantapabbhāra. He was among the last of the Arahants, and had taken part in various assemblies led by the Bodhisatta (Ja.iv.490; vi. 30). It is probably this Thera who is referred to as Gāmantapabbhāravāsī Mahā Sīva in the Aṅguttara Commentary (AN­a.i.24, 29). He lived in Tissamahārāma at Mahā Gāma, and was the teacher of eighteen groups of monks. One of his pupils became an Arahant, and, being aware that his teacher was yet a puthujjana, went to him and asked his leave to be taught a stanza. But Mahā Sīva said his pupils were so numerous that he had no time to give him a stanza. The pupil waited for a whole day and night, and then getting no chance of learning, said, “If you are so busy now how will you find time to die?” Mahā Sīva heard and understood, and exerted himself strenuously for thirty long years, at the end of which time he became an Arahant.

Mahā Sīva 03. A famous Commentator, sometimes called Dīghabhāṇaka Mahā Sīva. His interpretations are quoted, with respect, in the Commentaries, e.g., DN­a.ii.430, 511, 543, 554, 805, 881, 883; SN­a.iii.171, 198; Vin-a.iii.711; Dhs-a. 405; Paṭis-a.80; AN­a.ii.490.

Mahā Sīva 04. Mahā Sīva Thera. An incumbent of Bhātivaṅka, during the reign of Duṭṭhagāmaṇī. One day he went to worship at the Mahā Thūpa, and there he saw two devatās offering flowers. In their previous lives they were two women who had worked for hire on the Mahā Thūpa. Mhv.xxx.46ff.

Mahā Sīva 05. Mahā Sīva Thera. Incumbent of Nigrodhapiṭṭhi and expert in the Tipiṭaka. Once, while preaching the Sīhanādasutta in King Vasabha’s palace, he described the splendours of the Relic Chamber in the Mahā Thūpa and the king expressed some difficulty in believing the report, but the Elder was able to convince the king that nothing was impossible where there was a combination of rājiddhi, deviddhi and ariyiddhi. The king was pleased, conveyed the Elder under the white umbrella to the Mahā Vihāra and made great offerings, lasting for seven days, to the Mahā Thūpa. Mhv­ṭ. 555.

Mahā Sīva 06. Mahā Sīva Thera. Mentioned as an eminent teacher of the Vinaya (Vin.v.3; Vin-a.i.63). He is probably identical with one of the foregoing.

Mahā Sīva 07. Mahā Sīva Thera. It was for him that Aggabodhi I. built a pariveṇa and also the Kurunda vihāra with a tank and a grove of coco palms. Cv.xlii.11, 16.

Mahā Sīva 08. A monk of Piyaṅgudīpa. See Mahā Sena (5).