Katyayana (Buddhist)

For the Sanskrit grammarian, see Katyayana.

Statue of Maha Katyayana in Thai tradition.

Maha Katyayana

Katyayana was a disciple of Gautama Buddha.

Katyayana, also known as Kaccana (or Kaccayana), Mahakatyayana, Mahakaccana and in Japanese as Kasennen, is one of the "Ten Disciples of the Buddha". [(1) Mahakashyapa, 2) Ananda, 3) Shariputra, 4) Subhuti, 5) Purna, 6) Mahamaudgalyayana, 7) Maha Katyayana, 8) Aniruddha, 9) Upali and 10) Rahula.] He was foremost in explaining Dharma. He was born in a brahmin family at Ujjayini (Ujjain) and received a classical Brahminical education studying the Vedas. Katyayana studied assiduously under Asita on Mount Vindhya, who had predicted that Prince Siddharta would become either a cakravartin, a great worldly ruler, or a Buddha. With a group of seven friends he invited the Buddha to visit, and gained enlightenment (bodhi) while listening to him preach. He was ordained, and made numerous converts in the state of Avanti.

Tradition attributes the authorship to Katyayana of the Nettipakarana, a work of grammar, and the Petakopadesa, a treatise on exegetical methodology, although these were most probably composed by a school descended from him.

He is known as Phra Sangkajai in Thai Buddhism and portrayed as extremely portly.

In Lotus Sutra Chapter 6 (Bestowal of Prophecy), the Buddha bestows prophecies of enlightenment on the disciples Mahakashyapa, Subhuti, Maha Katyayana, and Mahamaudgalyayana.

References

Chandra, Lokesh (2002). Dictionary of Buddhist Iconography. Aditya Prakashan. pp. 1652–1653. ISBN 8177420496.  Keown, Damien (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Oxford University Press. p. 140. ISBN 0198605609. 

Persondata
Name	Katyayana
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death