One of the Cloud-group of devas. They are embodied in the thunder clouds (cumulus clouds), and when they wish to revel and delight themselves, thunder clouds make their appearance in the sky. SN.iii.256

One of the four great continents into which the earth is divided. According to the Aṅguttara Nikāya, AN.i.227 AN.v.59 each cakkavāla (world-system) has an Aparagoyāna.

5continent

Asita¹KaṇhāsiriKāladevala

An ascetic who possessed various psychic powers. Once, while in Tāvatiṃsā heaven, he saw the whole city decked with splendour and the gods engaged in great rejoic …

A young brahmin, sixteen years old, of Sāvatthī, very learned in the Vedas and allied subjects. Five hundred brahmins staying in the city asked him to hold a discussion with the Buddha and refute his …

A World ruler. The world itself means “Turner of the Wheel,” the Wheel (Cakka) being the well known Indian symbol of empire. More than one thousand sons are his; his dominions extend throughout the …

The name given to a whole world-system, there being countless such systems.

1solar system

KallavāḷaputtaKallavālaKanavālamutta

A village in Māgadha. Mahā-Moggallāna lived there immediately after his ordination, and on the seventh day, while meditating there, he became an arahant, being a …

MahāmoggallānaMoggallānaKolita

The second of the Chief Disciples of the Buddha. He and Sāriputta went forth as disciples of Sañjaya. After some time, Sāriputta, wandering about in Rājagaha, met Assaj …

Nephew of Asita Kāladevala. When Asita realized that he would not live to see the Buddha, he sought out Nālaka and asked him to leave the world at once and become an ascetic and hold himself in readin …

The eastern of the four continents which compose a Cakkavāla. AN.i.227 AN.v.59

5continent

Puṇṇa¹

He was born in the family of a householder of Suppāraka in the Sunāparanta country. One day he asked the Buddha for a short lesson so that, having learnt it, he might go back to dwe …

SineruMahāneruMeruSumeruHemameru

A mountain, forming the center of the world. MN.i.338 DN.iii.199 It is eighty thousand leagues broad. AN.iv.100

Sineru is often used in similes, its chief characteri …

SusumāragiriSuṃsumāragiri

A city in the Bhagga country, of which it was probably the capital. Near the city was the Bhesakalāvana where the Buddha stayed.

During his visits there he preached the Anu …

A class of devas. When they wish to regale their bodies, the weather becomes cool. SN.iii.256

A mythical region. A detailed description of it is given in the Āṭānāṭiya Sutta. DN.iii.199ff. The men who live there own no property nor have they wives of their own; they do not have to work for t …

UvālaUpavāla

He was examined by the Saṅgha in connection with an offence he had committed. He first denied it, then confessed it, then denied it again, and made counter-charges and spoke lies, knowi …

The horse of Mahāsudassana. He is all white, with a crow black head and a dark mane. DN.ii.174 SN.iii.145

A class of deities, spirits of the skies, divided into cloud spirits of heat, cloud spirits of cold, cloud spirits of air, cloud spirits of wind, cloud spirits of rain. The changes of weather are due …