A householder of Vesāli, declared by the Buddha to be the best of those who gave agreeable gifts (manāpadāyakānaṃ).⁹

His original name is not known. He came to be called Ugga-seṭṭhi, because he was tall in body, lofty in morals and of striking personality. The very first time he saw the Buddha, he became a Stream-winner and later a Non-returner. When he was old, the thought came to him one day, while he was alone, “I will give to the Buddha whatever I consider most attractive to myself and I have heard from him that such a giver obtains his wishes. I wish the Buddha would come to my house now.” The Buddha, reading his thoughts, appeared before his door with a following of monks. He received them with great respect and, having given them a meal, announced to the Buddha his intention of providing him and the monks with whatever they found agreeable.¹⁰

While staying at the Kūṭāgārasālā in Vesāli, the Buddha once declared to the monks that Ugga was possessed of eight marvellous qualities. The rest of the story is very similar to that of Ugga of Hatthigāma, given above. This Ugga states as the first wonderful thing which happened to him, the faith he found in the Buddha at their very first meeting; three and four are the same; the fifth is that whatever monk he waits on, he does it whole-heartedly; the sixth, that if the monk teaches he would listen with attention, if the monk does not teach, Ugga would teach to him the doctrine; the seventh is the same; the eighth that he has got rid of all the five lower fetter (orambhāgiya-saṃyojana) mentioned by the Buddha. The conversation is reported to the Buddha who agrees that Ugga does possess the qualities mentioned.¹¹

The Saṃyuttanikāya ¹² repeats under Ugga of Vesāli the same discussion with the Buddha as was given in connection with Ugga of Hatthigāma, regarding the reason why some beings do not attain complete freedom in this very life. This is perhaps due to uncertainty on the part of the compilers as to which Ugga took part in the original discussion.

A sutta in the Aṅguttaranikāya ¹³ gives a list of things of which Ugga himself was fond. We are told that he offered these things to the Buddha. The list includes rice-cakes made in the shape of Sāla-blossoms, the flesh of sucking pig and Kāsi robes. These and other things were given not only to the Buddha, but, according to the Commentary,¹⁴ also to five hundred monks. The Sutta goes on to say that Ugga died soon after and was born among the Manomaya-devā. He visited the Buddha from the deva-world and stated that he had achieved his goal (of reaching Arahantship).

He is included in a list of householders who possessed six special qualities: unwavering loyalty to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha, Noble conduct, insight, and liberation.¹⁵

His desire to become chief of those who give agreeable things was first conceived in the time of Padumuttara Buddha, when he was a householder in Haṃsavatī; he heard the Buddha describe one of his disciples as being a giver of such gifts.¹⁶