Nigrodha Kappa Thera untranslated

Nigrodha Kappa Thera. He was the preceptor (upajjhāya) of Vaṅgīsa, and together they lived in Aggāḷavacetiya (SN.i.185), where Kappa died. When Vaṅgīsa questioned the Buddha as to the destiny of Kappa, the Buddha’s answer was that he had completely passed away (Thag.vs.1263ff.; Snp.vs.343ff). It is said that Vaṅgīsa was away when Kappa died, and had also seen him sleeping with his hands curled up (Thag­a.ii.211; Snp­a.i.346). This was unlike a khīṇāsava, but, in Kappa’s case, it was due to long continued habit. Vaṅgīsa, not knowing this, was assailed with doubts as to his teacher’s attainments. Kappa was a vihāragaruka that is, he attached importance to keeping to his cell. When he came back from his alms rounds, he would enter his cell and not leave it again until evening or the next day. This caused disaffection in Vaṅgīsa’s heart, which the latter quelled by force of reasoning (SN.i.186; SN­a.i.208).

In Nigrodha Kappa, Kappa was the Thera’s personal name, but the prefix Nigrodha was given because he attained Arahant-ship at the foot of a nigrodha (banyan) tree. Snp­a.i.346; because he dwelt under a banyan, says SN­a.i.207.