• Nigrodha

A Paribbājaka. Once, when he was staying with a large number of colleagues at the Udumbarikārāma near Rājagaha, Sandhāna, on his way to see the Buddha, stopped him and entered into conversation. The Buddha, by his divine ear, hearing their talk, approached them and continued the discussion with Nigrodha; this discussion is recorded in the Udumbarika Sīhanāda Sutta.

D.iii.36ff.; this discussion is also referred to in the Kassapa Sihanāda Sutta (D.i.175 f.). There Nigrodha is said to have felt great joy, but this is not mentioned in the Udumbarika Sihanāda (see D.iii.57).

The Bodhisatta born as the son of a Banker in Rājagaha, later becoming king of Benares. For details see the Nigrodha Jātaka.

He belonged to an eminent brahmin family of Sāvatthi. On the day of the dedication of Jetavana, he saw the majesty of the Buddha and entered the Order, becoming an arahant soon after. Eighteen kappas ago, in the time of Piyadassī Buddha, he left great riches and became an ascetic, dwelling in a sāla grove. Once, seeing the Buddha wrapped in samādhi, he built a bower over him, and stood there with clasped hands until the Buddha awoke from his samādhi. Then, at the Buddha's wish, the Sangha too came to the sāla grove, and in their presence the Buddha predicted the ascetic's future (ThagA.ii.74f; Thag.21).

Nigrodha is probably identical with Sālamandapiya of the Apadāna. Ap.ii.431f.; but the same Apadāna verses are also given under Tissa Thera (ThagA.ii.273).

See Nigrodhamiga and Vattabbaka Nigrodha.

A Sākiyan, owner of the Nigrodhārāma. J. i.88.

Commonly known as Nigrodha sāmanera. He was the son of Sumana, the eldest of Bimbisāra's children, and his mother was Sumanā. When Asoka slew Sumana, his wife, who was with child, fled to a candāla village, where the guardian deity of a nigrodha tree built her a hut. Here she gave birth to her son, whom she named after her benefactor. The chief candāla looked after them. When Nigrodha was seven years old, the Thera Mahāvaruna ordained him, and he became an arahant in the tonsure hall. One day, while walking near the palace, Asoka saw him and, because of their connection in a past life, was attracted by him. Nigrodha had been one of the three brothers who gave honey to a Pacceka Buddha in a past life (for the story see Asoka and Mhv.v.49ff). Nigrodha had called the Pacceka Buddha a candāla, hence he was born in a candāla village. Asoka invited Nigrodha to the palace and entertained him, and Nigrodha preached to him the Appamāda Vagga. The king was greatly pleased, and offered to give food daily at the palace to thirty two monks in Nigrodha's name. It was this visit of Nigrodha to Asoka which ultimately resulted in the conversion of the latter to the faith of the Buddha (for details see ibid., 37-72; Dpv. vi.34ff.; vii.12, 31; Sp.i.45ff). It is said (MA.ii.931) that Asoka paid great honour to Nigrodha throughout his life. Three times a day he sent to Nigrodha gifts of robes carried on the backs of elephants, with five hundred measures of perfume and five hundred caskets of garlands. All these Nigrodha would distribute among his colleagues, and most of the monks of Jambudīpa at that time wore robes, which were the gift of Nigrodha.

Called Māragiri. A general of Parakkamabāhu I. He was stationed at Uddhavāpi. Cv.lxxii.164, 174.

A locality in Anurādhapura, through which the sīmā of the Mahāvihāra passed. Dpv.xiv.34; Mhv.136; Mhv. p. 332. vs.14.