Indagutta
PersonUn thera à qui le roi Duṭṭhagāmaṇī confia la supervision de la construction du Mahā Thūpa à Anurādhapura, crédité de grands pouvoirs psychiques, notamment la création d’une vaste ombrelle de cuivre au-dessus du sanctuaire et le fait d’avoir permis à tout insulaire souhaitant assister à sa dédicace de le faire et de rentrer chez lui le jour même.
A thera. He superintended the construction of the Mahā Thūpa at Anurādhapura (Mhv.xxxviii.98; Dpv.xix.5, 6, 8). Duṭṭhagāmaṇī consulted him with regard to all details and appointed him superintendent (kammādhiṭṭhāyaka) from the commencement of the work (MT.550 f). He had great psychic powers, and at the festival of the dedication of the thūpa he created a parasol of copper, as great as the universe, to ward off any harm that might befall those taking part in the celebrations (Mhv.xxxi.85). He was at the side of the king throughout the festival (Mhv.xxxi.105), and, by virtue of his power, all the inhabitants of Sri Lanka, who wished to worship the relics at the Mahā Thūpa, were enabled to go to Anurādhapura the moment the wish to do so entered their hearts, and to return the same day (Mhv.xxxi.115).
This Indagutta is probably to be identified with the thera Indagutta, the head of a great pariveṇa in Rājagaha, who came to Sri Lanka with eighty thousand monks to be present at the foundation-ceremony of the Mahā Thūpa (Mhv.xxix.30).
Found an error in the dictionary?