1919.] Buddhaghosa’s Commentaries. 117 
of the Bodhi terrace. He was brought up during his early 
years in Brahmanic tradition. He mastered the three Vedas 
together with all the supplementary works on sciences and 
arts. He was an adherent of the system of Patafijali previous 
to his adoption of the Buddhist faith. Following the usage 
of his time he wandered about the country as a sophist. He 
called at a monastery where he happened to meet a Thera 
Revata, who is said to have defeated him ina philosophical 
discussion. He studied the Pali Tripitaka under Revata. He 
wrote a philosophical treatise entitled the Nanodaya. He also 
wrote a commentary on a certain section of the Dhamma- 
sangani under the name of the Atthasalini. He was engaged in 
writing a Parittaatthakatha when Thera Revata urged him to 
go to Ceylon. The Sasanavamsa tells us that he accidentally 
met on the way Thera Buddhadatta who was then returning 
where he composed all his commentaries ; thereafter he returned 
to India, It is recorded in the Sasanavamsa that Buddhaghosa. 
was a native of Ghosagama near the Bodhi terrace. The Brah- 
min Kesi was his father and Kesiya his mother. The primary 
object of his voyage to Ceylon was to retranslate the Tripitaka 
into Pali. The Mahavamsa is silent on these details. 
Buddhaghosa is reticent about himself. He nowhere tells 
us who he was or where he was born. There are occasional 
references to Ceylon and to his teachers and friends, from 
ives an apology for undertaking to write a commentary on 
the Vinaye Piteke first in reversal of the usual order of Dham- 
aand Vinaya. He says that ‘Vinaya is the foundation of the 
Buddhist faith. The Samantapasadika was followed by his 
commentaries on the four Nikayas in succession, which preceded 
his commentaries on the seven books of the Abhidhamma 
Pitaka. he Jataka commentary was evidently composed 
before the Paramattojyotika.” being a serial commentary on 
| Sdsanavamsa, page 29. : 
2 Papciaaishaseke, Jl. Ed. Helmer Smith, Vol. 1, page 21. ‘‘ Esa 
jatakatthakathayam vutta idha na vittharita. 
