妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.93

1.93

Eulogy: Below this is the third [part], listing their names, which has two parts: first, listing their names individually; and second, concluding with the prominence of their names.
Among these twenty-one persons, some are ordered according to who left home earlier or later. The Sūtra on Repaying Kindness says: "He first liberated the five persons; next he liberated Yaśas and his fifty disciples; next he liberated Uruvilvā[-Kāśyapa] and his five hundred disciples; next he liberated Gayā[-Kāśyapa] and his three hundred disciples; next he liberated Nadī[-Kāśyapa] and his two hundred disciples; next he liberated the son of Śāri and his one hundred disciples; and next he liberated Maudgalyāyana and his one hundred disciples—bringing the grand total to one thousand two hundred and fifty persons." Others are ordered according to the greatness or smallness of their virtuous practice, as when Kāśyapa is listed second and the son of Śāri is listed above Kātyāyana, etc., which varies as appropriate.
The "Disciples Chapter" of the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra uses virtue and eloquence as the sequence, because when commanded to inquire about his illness, one must rely on wisdom and eloquence to be capable of responding.
The Sūtra of Twelve Years says: "In the second year after first attaining awakening, he liberated the five monks; in the third year, he converted the three Kāśyapa brothers; and in the fifth year, he liberated Maudgalyāyana." Due to differences in capacities and aptitudes, the various schools' recitations in compiling the sūtras differ.
The Sukhāvatīvyūha-sūtra says: "The one who understood the original limit is Ājñātakauṇḍinya." In Sanskrit it is Ājñātakauṇḍinya. Kauṇḍi is a brahmin clan name; [the suffix] nya is masculine gender; ājñāta means "understanding," because he was the first to realize and understand. The Sūtra of Cause and Effect fully explains the reasons for liberating these four persons: Kauṇḍinya, Uruvilvā, Gayā, and Nadī. Initially, after the prince leapt over the city walls, the royal father ordered a total of five persons from his inner and outer relatives to guard the prince. These five disputed with each other, practicing asceticism or indulgence as true path practice. The prince admonished and examined them, following various non-Buddhists to practice asceticism and indulgence in order to surpass their practices; seeing that none of these were proper methods, he abandoned them, ate milk porridge, received kuśa grass, and attained awakening under the bodhi tree. Later, he went to the Deer Park to liberate these five persons. When he first turned the wheel of the Dharma, the Buddha asked whether they understood or not. Among the five persons, Kauṇḍinya first responded, "I now understand!" The devas of the Śuddhāvāsa heaven and others also said, "He has understood!" Therefore, this was made his name, calling him "Understanding." The Kauṇḍi clan was very numerous; he was designated by "understanding," and nya is a masculine marker to distinguish him from females, hence he is also called nya. The Great Prajñā[-pāramitā-sūtra] says "Ājñā-Kauṇḍinya."
In Sanskrit it is Mahākāśyapa. Mahā means great. Kāśyapa is a clan name, translated here as "Light-Drinker." It is a brahmin clan. In ancient times, there was a rṣi whose body possessed radiance that drank in and eclipsed the light of the sun and moon. Kāśyapa was his descendant, and Kāśyapa's own body also had light capable of drinking in the sun and moon; named after his clan, he was called Light-Drinker. The son of a wealthy elder, he renounced great wealth and his noble clan to leave home. Capable of great practices, having few desires and knowing contentment, he practiced the dhūta austerities. Known to great people, he was designated with the title "Great" to distinguish him from the other Kāśyapas. As in the third fascicle of the Sūtra of Cause and Effect and Maitreya's commentary, the origins of the above two clan names are fully set forth.
The next three Kāśyapas all belong to the Light-Drinker clan, being three brothers. In Sanskrit it is Uruvilvā; the word Youlou is a corruption. Here it is translated as "Papaya" (bilva). On his chest there was a swelling like a papaya. Also, a dragon in a pond was named Papaya, and he was named after that dragon. Gayā is the name of a mountain, namely Mount Gayāśīrṣa; it also refers to a city, which was called Gayā City because it was near this mountain. In Sanskrit it is Nadīkā; the word Nati is a corruption. This is the name of a river. The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka[-sūtra] in Dharmarakṣa's translation calls them "the three Kāśyapas: Upper-Time, Elephant, and River." However, the Sūtra of Cause and Effect says that these three persons all cultivated the path near a river, and the Buddha used spiritual powers to transform them and bring them into the Dharma. The eldest was named after the papaya-like swelling on his chest, or after the pond dragon; the second after the mountain; and the third after the river.