Mentioned in a list of well-known leaders of the Ājīvakā. They were declared by Pūraṇa Kassapa, in his classification of the chaḷabhijātas, to be brilliant white.¹ (A.iii.384; DA.i.162; SNA.i.372, etc; but see MA.ii.632, where they rank lower than the Ājīvakā, who are there considered as the parama-sukkābhijāta.)

There seems to be some uncertainty as to Nanda’s name. The list in which the name occurs runs as follows: Nanda Vaccho, Kiso Saṅkicco, Makkhali Gosālo.

The Suttanipāta Commentary (SNA.i.372.) seems to treat Nanda and Vaccha as two distinct persons. The Majjhimanikāya Commentary, (MA.i.463; see also M.i.524) however, says that Nanda was his personal name and Vaccha that of his clan (gotta).

The austerities practised by Nanda Vaccha are detailed in the Mahāsaccaka Sutta (M.i.238)

Elsewhere (M.i.524) the Buddha is reported as saying that though the Ājīvakā had existed for a long time, they had only produced three distinguished leaders: Nanda Vaccha, Kisa Saṅkicca, and Makkhali Gosāla