• Vāsettha

1. Vāsettha. The constant attendant of Nārada Buddha. J. i.37; Bu.x.23.

2. Vāsettha, Vāsittha. The name of an old rsi held in high esteem for his knowledge. He was one of the originators of the Vedic runes.

Vin.i.245; D.i.104; M.ii.164, 200; Mil.162, etc.; cf. Vasistha in Vedic Index.

3. Vāsettha. Name of a gotta, probably tracing its descent to the sage Vāsettha (Skt. Vasistha). In the Mahā Parinibbāna Sutta (D.ii.147, 159) we find the Mallas of Kusināra addressed as Vāsetthā, as well as the Mallas of Pāvā (D.iii.209). It was a gotta held in esteem (ukkattha). E.g., Vin.iv.8.

4. Vāsettha. A young brahmin who, with his friend Bhāradvāja, visited the Buddha and held discussions with him. These discussions are recorded in the Tevijja Sutta, the Vāsettha Sutta, and the Aggañña Sutta.

Buddhaghosa says (DA.ii.399; SnA.ii.463; cf. Sn., p.116) that Vāsettha was the chief disciple of Pokkharasāti. According to him again (DA.ii.406; cf.iii.860, 872), Vāsettha's first visit to the Buddha was on the occasion of the preaching of the Vāsettha Sutta, at the conclusion of which he accepted the Buddha as his teacher. He again did so, when, at his next visit, the Buddha preached to him the Tevijja Sutta. Soon after, he entered the Order, and, at the conclusion of the preaching of the Aggañña Sutta, he was given the higher ordination and attained arahantship. He belonged to a very rich family and renounced forty crores when he left the world. He was an expert in the three Vedas.

5. Vāsettha. A lay disciple, evidently distinct from Vāsettha (3). He visited the Buddha at the Kūtāgārasālā in Vesāli and the Buddha preached to him (A.iv.258). See Vāsettha Sutta (2). He is mentioned among the Buddha's eminent lay disciples. A.iii.451.

6. Vāsettha. A brahmin; see Dhūmakāri. The scholiast explains (J.iii.402) that he belonged to the Vāsetthagotta.

7. Vāsettha. A brahmin of Kapilavatthu, father of Vappa Thera. ThagA.i.140.

8. Vāsettha. A very rich brahmin, father of Sela Thera. Ap.i.318.