He was born in the family of a rājā in the Malla country and visited the Buddha. The Buddha taught him a discourse suitable to his temperament, and he entered the Order. He lived in the forest in meditation, but his thoughts were distracted. The Buddha, seeing this, went through the air and spoke to him alone, asking him to persevere. Thus incited, he strove hard and attained Arahantship.

He was once a kinnara on the banks of the Candabhāgā, and seeing Atthadassī Buddha journeying through the air, he stood still, gazing at him with clasped hands. The Buddha alighted and sat under a tree, where the kinnara offered him flowers and sandalwood. Sīha was three times king, under the name of Rohiṇī (ThagA.i.179). He is probably identical with Candanapūjaka of the Apadāna. Ap.i.165.