Piyañjaha Thera untranslated

Piyañjaha Thera. He belonged to the family of a Licchavī nobleman of Vesālī and, when he grew up, his chief interest was war, hence his name (“ever destroying what is dear to his enemies”). When the Buddha visited Vesālī, Piyañjaha found faith in him, joined the Saṅgha and became an Arahant, dwelling in the forest.

In the time of Vipassī Buddha he had been a tree sprite, and, standing on the edge of a concourse of Devas because his influence was small, he had heard the Buddha preach. One day seeing a bank of pure sand by a beautiful river, he reflected that the Buddha’s virtues were more numerous than even the grains of sand. Seventy-three kappas ago he was a king named Pulinapupphiya. Thag.vs.76; Thag­a.i.168f.

He is probably identical with Ñāṇasaññaka of the Apadāna. Ap.i.161.