• Kaccāyana

1. Kaccāyana Thera. Author of the Kaccāyanavyākarana, the oldest of the Pāli grammars extant. Orthodox tradition identifies him with Mahā Kaccāna.

He was probably a South Indian and belonged to the Avanti school founded by Mahā Kaccāna (P.L.C.179ff; Gv.66; Svd.1233f). He was, perhaps, also the author of the Nettippakarana.

Kaccāyana probably belongs to the fifth or sixth century A.D.

The Gandhavamsa (p.59) ascribes to Kaccāyana the authorship of the

• Kaccāyanagandha,
• Mahāniruttigandha,
• Cūlaniruttigandha,
• Petakopadesagandha,
• Nettigandha and
• Vannanītigandha.

2. Kaccāyana Thera.An arahant. He was a disciple of Padumuttara Buddha, and was declared by him to be chief among those who could expound in detail what the Buddha stated in brief. It was this declaration made in the presence of Mahā Kaccāna, which made the latter, in that birth an ascetic in Himavā, wish for a like proficiency for himself under a future Buddha. Ap.ii.464; ThagA.i.484.

3. Kaccāyana.In the Vidhurapandita Jātaka, the Yakkha Punnaka calls himself and is addressed as Kaccāyana (J.vi.273), Kaccāna (J.vi.283, 286, 301, 327) and Kātiyāna (J.vi.299, 306, 308). The scholiast seems to offer no explanation.

4. Kaccāyana.See also Kaccāna.