• Deva

1. Deva.Aggasāvaka of Sujāta Buddha. He was a chaplain's son, and the Buddha's first sermon was addressed to him and his friend Sudassana (J.i.38; BuA.168, 170). He is also called Sudeva (Bu.xiii.25).

2. Deva. A devaputta, son of Virūpakkha and brother of Kālakanni (J.iii.261).

3. Deva. A monk, resident in Kappukagāma (v.l. Kambugāma). Vohārikatissa heard him preach and restored for him five buildings (Mhv.Xxxvi.29; Dpv. xxii.41).

This may be the Thera whom Sanghatissa heard preaching the Andhakavinda Sutta. The king, being very pleased with him, set up an offering of gruel to the monks of the Mahāvihāra (Dpv.xxii 50).

4. Deva. A thera of Ceylon at whose request Upasena wrote the Mahā Niddesa Commentary (MNidA.i.1).

5. Deva.See also Maliya(Malaya-)-deva and Mahādeva.

6. Deva. A Thera of Ceylon, who, according to the Gandhavamsa (Gv. p.63), wrote the Sumanakūtavannanā. This work is, however, generally ascribed to Vedeha (P.L.C.223f; Svd.1263).

7. Deva.Senāpati of Kittisirimegha. He was stationed at Badalatthalī, and accompanied Ratnāvalī when he took the young Parakkamabāhu to Kittisirimegha. Cv.xxvii.82.

8. Deva. Lankādhināyaka. A general of Gajabāhu II. Cv.lxx.104, 324.

9. Deva. A general of Parakkamabāhu I. He took part in the campaigns against Gajabāhu, and later was sent to his rescue in Pulatthipura. Deva was imprisoned there, and Parakkamabāhu sent housebreakers to release him, after which he was despatched with an army to Gangātatāka, where he defeated Mānābharana. At Hedillakhandagāma he defeated Mahinda. The last we hear of him is that he fell into his enemy's power at a village called Surulla. Parakkamabāhu went to rescue him, but had to abandon the effort. It is possible that he was ransomed and became Lankāpura. (See below.) Cv.lxx.123, 153-7, 245, 285, 300, 316; lxxii.45, 75, 82, 122, 137f.

10. Deva. A general of Parakkamabāhu I., called Lankāpura, probably identical with 9. He fought against Sūkarabhātu, and later took part in the Sinhalese expedition to South India and fought in fierce battles at Tirippāluru and Rājinā, capturing the latter place. Cv.lxxv.130; lxxvi.250, 310, 324, 326.

11. Deva. A minister of Āyasmanta. He was sent to erect a vihāra at Valligāma. Cv.lxxx.38.

12. Deva. A setthi of Vedisagiri. His daughter Devī was married to Asoka, who met her while staying at her father's house on his way to Ujjeni. MT.324; Sp.i.70.

13. Deva. A minister of Devagāma. He once gave food to a starving dog. He was reborn in the same village, and later entered the Order at Pupphavāsa Vihāra. During the Brāhmanatiya famine a tree deity looked after him for twelve years. Once men looking for food wished to kill him, but he was saved by his luck. He became an arahant, and the deity looked after him for twelve years more. Ras.ii.13f.