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Nārada

1. See Nārada Buddha

2. Nārada.– The personal attendant of Sujāta Buddha. Bu.xiii.25.

3. Nārada.– A Brahmin in the time of Padumuttara Buddha, who praised the Buddha in three stanzas. He was a former birth of Nāgita (or Atthasandassaka) Thera. ThagA.i.180; Ap.i.168.

4. Nārada.– A brahmin in the time of Atthadassī Buddha, a former birth of Paviṭṭha (or Ekadaṃsaniya) Thera. He was also called Kesava. ThagA.i.185; Ap.i.168 f.

5. Nārada.– Minister of Brahmadatta, king of Bārāṇasī. He was entrusted with escorting the ascetic Kesava, when lie fell ill, to Kappa’s hermitage in Himavā. Nārada is identified with Sāriputta. For details see the Kesava Jātaka. J.iii.143 ff., 362; DhA.i.344.

6. Nārada.– A sage, younger brother of Kāḷadevala and pupil of Jotipāla (Sarabhaṅga). He lived in the Majjhimadesa in Arañjaragiri. He became enamoured of a courtesan, and was saved only through the intervention of Sarabhaṅga. For details see the Indriya Jātaka. J.iii.463 ff; v.133 f.

7. Nārada.– An ascetic, son of the ascetic Kassapa. He was tempted by a maiden fleeing from brigands, but his father came to his rescue. For details see the Cūḷanārada Jātaka. J.iv.220 ff.

8. Nārada.– King of Mithilā, seventh in direct descent from Sādhina. He is identified with Ānanda. For details see the Sādhīna Jātaka. J.iv.355 ff.

9. Nārada.– A brahmin sage, called a deva-brāhmaṇa, and Nāradadeva. One day, having wandered about in Tāvatiṃsa, he was returning to his dwelling in Kañcanaguhā holding a Pāricchattaka flower over his head, when the four daughters of Sakka — Āsā, Saddhā, Sirī, and Hirī — asked him to give it to them. He agreed to give it to that one among them whom they should choose as their queen. They sought the advice of their father, who directed them to Macchariya Kosiya. Kosiya decided in favour of Hirī.

Nārada is identified with Sāriputta. For details see the Sudhābhojana Jataka (J.v.392 ff). It is probably this same Nārada who is mentioned as being present when Kuṇāla (q.v.) delivered his famous diatribe against women. He is described as possessing the five higher knowledges (pañcābhiññā) and as being attended by ten thousand ascetics. When Kuṇāla had finished his discourse, Nārada supplemented it with all he knew of the vices of women (Ibid.,424, 450 ff., 456). He is also mentioned as having admonished Mahājanaka when the latter renounced the world. In that context, Nārada is described as belonging to the Kassapa clan. J.vi.56, 58, 68. In SNA.i.359 he is called Nārada Devala. This may be a wrong reading for Nāradadeva.

10. Nārada.– The Bodhisatta born as a Mahā Brahma. He helped Rujā to convince her father, Aṅgati, of the truth as declared by her. He came down to earth and frightened Aṅgati by revealing to him the horrors of hell. In this context he is described as belonging to the Kassapa clan. For details see the Mahānāradakassapa Jataka. J.vi.220, 242 ff; Ap.ii.483.

11. Nārada.– A celebrated physician, probably identical with the famous sage above (9). Mil.272.

12. Nārada.– The fifth future Buddha. Anāgat. p.40.

13. Nārada.– A Thera, mentioned once as staying at the Ghositārāma in Kosambī, with Mūsila, Paviṭṭha, and Ānanda. In the course of discussion he declares that, though aware of the nature of nibbāna, he is not an Arahant (S.ii.115 f). Elsewhere (A.iii.57 f) he is mentioned as staying in the Kukkuṭārāma in Pāṭaliputta. At that time King Muṇḍa was grieving over the death of his wife, Bhaddā, to the neglect of everything else, and his treasurer, Piyaka, suggested that he should visit Nārada. The king agreed, and Nārada taught him on the inevitability of old age, disease, death, etc. Muṇḍa was consoled, and buried the body of his wife, which he had until then preserved.

He may be identical with the Thera mentioned in the Petavatthu Commentary (PvA.2, 10, 11, 14, 204, 208, 210, 211) as finding out from various hungry ghosts the stories of their deeds, and in the Vimānavatthu Commentary (VvA.165, 169, 203) as visiting various mansion (vimāna) in the course of his wanderings among the deva worlds (devacārikā). He is stated as having repeated the stories he learnt to the compilers of teachings (dhammasaṅgāhaka) to be embodied in their rescensions.

14. Nārada.– The Bodhisatta born as an ascetic. For his story see Devala.

15. Nārada.– A yakkha who presided over Nāradakūṭa. Offerings, which included a man from each village, were brought to him once a year. Dīpaṅkara Buddha visited him and, after performing many miracles, converted him. He, with ten thousand other yakkhas, became a Stream-winner. Bu.ii.199; BuA.101.

16. Nārada.– A class of devas mentioned, with the Pabbatas, as being wise. SN.vs.543; SNA.ii.435; see also J.vi.568, 571; Mtu.iii.401.

17. Nārada.– An ascetic, also called Kassapa. A former birth of Caṅkolapupphiya Thera (q.v.) Ap.i.215.

18. Nārada.– An ascetic, also called Kassapa, a former birth of Ekāsanadāyaka (q.v.) Ap.ii.381.