• Lakkhana

1. Lakkhana. Son of Dasaratha and brother of Rāma, Sītā and Bharata. He is identified with Sāriputta. J. iv.130; for details see the Dasaratha Jātaka.

2. Lakkhana. One of the eight brahmins who recognized the auspicious signs at the birth of the Buddha (J.i.56). The Milinda (Mil.. 236) speaks of him as one of the Buddha's first teachers.

3. Lakkhana Thera. Mentioned as having stayed with Mahā Moggallāna on Gijjhakūta. Once, when they were going down to Rājagaha for alms, Lakkhana noticed that at a certain spot Moggallāna smiled; on asking him why, he was told to wait till they saw the Buddha. When the question was repeated in the Buddha's presence, Moggallāna said that he had smiled on seeing various Petas with gruesome forms flying through the air. From the text it would appear that these visions were seen again on several occasions. S. ii.254; Vin.iii.104ff.; the stories of some of the Petas seen and of their past lives are given in detail in DhA.ii.68ff.; iii.60ff.; 410ff., 479.

The Commentary (SA.ii.159) explains that Lakkhana was one of the thousand Jatilas ordained by the Buddha (when he converted the Tebhātika Jatilas). He attained arahantship at the conclusion of the preaching of the ādittapariyāyadesanā. He was called Lakkhana because of his marvellous personality, "like unto Brahmā's" (brahmasamena). It adds further that Lakkhana's failure to see the Petas was not because he lacked the divine eye but because he was not giving attention (anāvajjento), as a clairvoyant must. It is said (Vin.iii.105) that when Moggallāna related his vision, some of the monks blamed him for claiming superhuman powers (uttarimanussadhamma), but the Buddha declared him free from blame.

4. Lakkhana. A deer, son of the Bodhisatta, identified with Sāriputta. For his story see the Lakkhana Jātaka.