Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v1.c6.756

v1.c6.756

Aññāta-Koṇḍañña (*v.l.* Aññā-Koṇḍañña) Thera.—He was the son of a very wealthy brahmin family of Doṇavatthu near Kapilavatthu and was born before the Buddha. He came to be called by his family name Koṇḍañña. He was learned in the three Vedas, excelling in the science of physiognomy. When the Buddha was born he was among the eight brahmins¹ sent for to prognosticate, and though he was yet quite a novice he declared definitely that the babe would be a Buddha. Thereafter he lived awaiting the Bodhisatta's renunciation. After this happened he left the world with four others, and the five later became known as the Pañcavaggiya.² When, after the Enlightenment, the Buddha visited them at Isipatana and preached the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, Koṇḍañña and eighteen crores of brahmas won the Fruit of the First Path. As he was the first among humans to realise the Dhamma the Buddha praised him saying "aññāsi vata bho Koṇḍañño" twice; hence he came to be known as Aññāta Koṇḍañña.³ Five days later when the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta was preached he became arahant.⁴ He was the first to be ordained with the formula "ehi, bhikkhu" and the first to receive higher ordination. Later, at Jetavana, amidst a large concourse of monks, the Buddha declared him to be the best of those who first comprehended the Dhamma.⁵ He was also declared to be preeminent among disciples of long-standing (rattaññūnaṃ⁶). In the assembly of monks he sat behind the two chief disciples. Finding that his presence near the Buddha was becoming inconvenient to himself and others,⁷ he obtained the Buddha’s permission to go and live on the banks of the Mandākinī in the Chaddanta-vana, where he stayed for twelve years, only returning at the end of that period to obtain the Buddha’s leave for his parinibbāna. The elephants in the forest took it in turns to bring him his food and to look after him. Having bidden farewell to the Buddha, he returned to Chaddanta-vana, where he passed away.⁸ We are told⁹ that all Himavā wept at his death. The obsequies were elaborately performed by eight thousand elephants with the deva Nāgadatta at their head. All the devas from the lowest to the highest brahma world took part in the ceremony, each deva contributing a piece of sandalwood. Five hundred monks, led by Anuruddha, were present. The relics were taken to Veluvana and handed over to the Buddha, who with his own hand deposited them in a silver cetiya which appeared from the earth. Buddhaghosa states that the cetiya existed even in his time.¹⁰