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He belonged to a rich brahmin family of Sāvatthi. When on
his way to the park one day, at the age of seven, he saw, for the first time,
persons afflicted with old age, disease, and death. These filled him with
horror, and he went to the monastery, heard the Buddha preach, and, with his
parents' consent, entered the Order. He was called "Mānava" because he left the
world so young.
In the time of Vipassī Buddha he was a physiognomist, and,
having seen the child, declared that he would certainly become a Buddha, and
worshipped him. In subsequent lives he became king many times under the names of
Sammukhāthavika, Pathavīdundubhi, Obhāsa, Sadinacchedana, Agginibbāpaka, Vātamma,
Gatipacchedana, Ratanapajjala, Padakkamana, Vilokana and Girisāra (ThagA.ivs.73;
ThagA.i.162ff).
He is evidently identical with Sammukhāthavika Thera of
the Apadāna. Ap.i.158f.

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