sanctification were yet living; he (Buddho) allotted, from amongst those who were capable of illustrating the word of Thathágato, this important task to me,in the same manner that a Chakkawatti rája confers on an eldest son, who is capable of sustaining the weight of empire, the office of Parinayako. I must therefore render unto Thathágato a service equivalent to the honor conferred. Bhagavá has assigned to me a most worthy commission. Let me place implicit faith in whatever Bhagavá has vouchsafed to propound.

"This being achieved, men of various nations and tongues, rejecting the dialects which had become confused by its disorderly mixture with the Sanscrit and other languages, will, with facility acquire, by conformity to the rules of grammar propounded by Tathagato, the knowledge of the word of Buddho: Thus the Thero Mahá Kachcháyano, who is here (in this work) called simply Kachcháyano, setting forth his qualification; pursuant to the declaration of Buddho, that 'sense is represented by letters,' composed the grammatical work called Niruttipitako."* Mahavansa, p. xxvii.

Before I notice some of the objections urged against the above tradition, it may perhaps be convenient to

* “Another name for the Rúpasiddhi.”—In the above note Turnour identifies Rúpasiddhi with Niruttipitaka. But, it would seem that the latter is an original work of Mahá Kachcháyana, different from his Grammar, and different also from his theological work entitled the Nettipakarana. See Kachcháyana Vannaná.

refer to the various other Páli writers who have given it the sanction of their high authority.

Kachcháyana commences his work, as we have already seen, with Atthó akkhara saññàto; and it has already been shewn from the passage quoted by Turnour, that that Suttan was declared by Buddha himself. This is more clearly stated as follows in the Sutta Niddesa.

Atthó akkhara saññáto-ti ádi máha ; idan suttan kena vuttan? Bhagawatá vuttan. Kadà vuttanti-Yama Uppala námaká dve Brahmaná khaya-vaya kammaṭṭhánan gahetvá gachchhantá Nadí-tíre Khaya-vayanti kammaṭṭháne karíyamáne eko udake machchan ganhitun charantan bakan disvá, udaka bakoti vicharati. Eko ghate patan disvá ghața pato ti vicharati. Tadá Bhagavá obhásan munchitvá attho akkhara saññáto-ti vákyan ṭhapesi. Tesan cha Kammaṭṭhánan patiṭṭhahi, Tasmá Bhagavatá vuttanti vuchchati. Taññatvá mahá Kachcháno Bhagavantan yachitvá Himavantan gantvá Mano-sila tale dakkhina disábhágan sísan katvá puratthima disábhimukho hutvá attho akkhara saññáto-tiádikan Kachcháyana pakaranan rachi.

'It is said that 'sense is represented by letters,' &c. By whom was this suttan declared? It was laid down by Bhagavá. (To explain) when it was declared:Two Brahman (Priests) Yama and Uppala, having learnt (from Gotama) the khaya-vaya branches of Kammatthánan,* went away; and, whilst engaged in

* Such studies as Abstract Meditation, &c., preparatory to the attainment of the paths leading to Nibban.

abstract meditation, repeating 'khaya-vaya' on the banks of the Nadí, one of them saw a crane proceeding to catch a fish in the water, and began muttering* udako bako, 'water-crane.' The other, seeing a ghatepatan, 'a cloth in a pot,' began muttering ghata-pato. At this time Bhagavá by means of a light which he issued, declared the sentence, Attho akkhara saññato— 'The sense is represented by letters.' Their Kammaṭṭhanan was also effectual. Wherefore it is said that this Suttan was declared by Bhagavá. When Mahá Kachcáhyana learnt this, he proceeded with Bhagavá's permission to Himavanta. Reclining in the Mano-silá region with his head towards the south, and facing the east, he composed the Kachcháyana-pakarana, consisting of (the Suttans) attho akkhara saññáto, &c.'

In the atthakatha to the Anguttara Nikaya, Mahá Kachcháyana is spoken of;† and the Tíká to the same work contains further particulars, which are embodied in the following extract from

THE KACHCHA'YANA VANNANA'.

A'chariya pana lakkhana vutti udáharana sankhátan iman Kachcháyana gandha pakaranan Kachcháyanattherena eva katanti vadanti. Tena ahá eka nipáta Anguttara tíkáyan‘Maha Kachcháyanatthero pubba patthaná vasena Kachchyána pakaranan, Mahá Nirutti pakaranan, Netti pakaranan, cháti pakaranattayan sangha majjhe pakásesi.

* Or rather pondering on what he had observed.

† Vide extract there-from infra.

Teachers say that this Kachcháyana gandha pakarana, which numbers lakkhana (Rules), vutti (supplementary notes), and Udháharana (Examples), was composed by Kachcháyana thera himself. Wherefore the Tíká to the Anguttara of the Ekanipáta says, 'the thera Mahá Kachcháyana, according to his previous aspirations, published in the midst of the priesthood the three compositions, viz. Kachcháyana Pakarana, Mahá Nirutti Pakarana, and Netti Pakarana.'

The literary qualifications of the théra Kachcháyana, seem to have been indeed such as to warrant the belief that he devoted his time to the elucidation of the language of Dhamma. He was, as is abundantly proved in the Páli works, a distinguished member of the Buddhist fraternity. He is also mentioned in the Tibetan Buddhistical Annals, as one of the disciples of Gotama; and it is expressly stated of him, that 'he recited the Sútra on emancipation in the vulgar dialect.' By 'the vulgar dialect,' Mons. De Korési doubtless meant the language to which Colebrooke had previously given that appellation—the Mágadhí. Gotama himself states that of all his pupils Mahá Kachchayana was the most competent to elucidate his Dhamma. In the very language of the sage, which is here quoted from the Ekanipáta of the Angutta Nikáya, -Etanaggan Bikkhawé mama sávakánan bikkúnan sankhittena bhásitassa vitthárena atthan vibhajantanan, yadidan Mahá Kachcháno-Priests, he who is Mahá Kachcháyana is the chief of all the bikkhus, my pupils, who can minutely elucidate the sense of what is

concisely expressed.' That this supremacy refers both to the literary, and the theological attainments of Kachcháyana appears from the following comment, which we extract from the Atthakatha to the Anguttara Nikaya.

Aññe kira Tatágatassa sankhepa vachanan attha vasena vá púritun sakkonti vyañjana vasena vá; ayan pana thero ubhayenápi sakkoti: tasma aggo-ti vutto.

'Some are able to amplify the concise words of Tathagata either by means of letters, or by [shewing] their sense. But this thera can do so in both ways.

He is therefore called the chief.'

In the Nyása or the Mukha-matta-dípaní, which is supposed to be the earliest commentary on Kachcháyana's Páli Grammar, and is, as may be proved, older than the Rúpasiddhi, the author of this Grammar is not only identified with the Kachcháyana thera, whose 'intellectual supremacy was extolled by Buddha', but his memory is thus respected by an 'obeisance.'

Kachcháyanan cha muni vannita buddhi-massa
Kachcháyanassa mukha matta mahan karissan
Parampará gata vinichchaya nichchayan cha.

'Also (bowing down to) Kachcháyana, whose intellectual attainments had been complimented by Buddha, I shall comment upon the positive conclusions (Rules), which have been handed down by tradition as the very oral (teachings) of this Kachcháyana.'

* Mukhamatta 'the very (word of) mouth,' a term which does not necessarily imply the absence of writing.

H