Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v1.c12.1855

v1.c12.1855

Kāḷudāyī Thera.—Son of one of Suddhodana’s ministers at Kapilavatthu; he was born on the same day as the Buddha and grew up as his playfellow. After Gotama left the world, Suddhodana made Kāḷudāyī one of his most trusted counsellors. When the king heard of his son’s Enlightenment he sent several of his ministers with large retinues to bring the Buddha to Kapilavatthu, but they all became arahants as soon as they heard the Buddha’s preaching and then forgot their mission. In the end the king sent Kāḷudāyī, on the understanding that he should first be allowed to join the Order.¹ He went to the Buddha and, having listened to him, himself became an arahant. When the rains fell, covering the earth with the glory of leaves and flowers, Kāḷudāyī felt that it was time for the Buddha to visit his kinsmen, and gave him their invitation, singing the season’s beauties in a series of verses. The Buddha took sixty days in covering the sixty leagues from Rājagaha to Kapilavatthu, and each day Kāḷudāyī went by air to the king’s palace to tell him of the progress made in the journey and to bring back to the Buddha from the palace a bowl full of excellent food. By the time the Buddha reached his home his kinsmen were already full of faith in him. Because Kāḷudāyī accomplished this feat, he was declared pre-eminent among those who gladdened the clans (kulappasādakānaṃ aggo²).