Buddhaghosa

1. Buddhaghosa Thera

The greatest of Commentators on the Tipitaka. He was a Brahmin. The Sās. (p. 29) says his father was a purohita, named Kesa, his mother being Kesī. Gv.66 says his father was the purohita of King Sangāma. He was born in a village near Buddhagayā and became proficient in the Vedas and allied branches of knowledge. One day he met a monk, named Revata, and on being defeated by him in controversy, entered the Order to learn the Buddha's teachings. Because his speech was profound, like that of the Buddha, and because his words spread throughout the world (like those of the Buddha), he came to be called Buddhaghosa. While dwelling with Revata, he wrote the Ñānodaya and the Atthasālinī, and also began to write a Parittatthakathā (a concise commentary) on the Tipitakas. In order to complete his task, he came over to Ceylon at the suggestion of Revata (Sās.p.29, says he was sent to Ceylon as punishment for thinking himself wiser than his teachers) and studied the Singhalese Commentaries at the Mahāvihāra, under Sanghapāla. When his studies were ended he wrote the Visuddhimagga, and having thereby won the approval of the Elders of the Mahāvihāra, he rendered the Singhalese Commentaries into Pāli. During this period he lived in the Ganthākaravihāra, and on the accomplishment of his task he returned to Jambudīpa. (Burmese tradition says he obtained his copy of the Tipitaka and the Commentaries from the āloka vihāra. But see P.L.C.83, n.1.4).

Besides the above mentioned works of Buddhaghosa, we have also the Samantapāsādikā and the Kankhāvitaranī on the Vinaya Pitaka; the Sumangalavilāsinī, the Papañcasūdanī, the Sāratthappakāsinī and the Manorathapūranī on the Sutta Pitaka. He is also said to have compiled Commentaries on the Khuddakapātha and the Sutta Nipāta (called the Paramatthajotikā) and on the Dhammapada. He also wrote a series of Commentaries on the Abhidhamma Pitaka (the Atthasālinī, the Sammohavinodanī and the Pañcappakaranatthakathā). Some ascribe to him the Jātakatthakathā. For further particulars relating to Buddhaghosa, see Law's "Life and work of Buddhaghosa" and P.L.C.79 ff. The account of his life given here is taken from Cv.xxxvii.215ff . For a list of works ascribed to Buddhaghosa see Gv., pp.59 and 68.

2. Buddhaghosa. Called Culla Buddhaghosa to distinguish him from the greater. He was a native of Ceylon (Gv.67), and two works are ascribed to him (Gv.63) -  the Jātattagīnidāna and the Sotattagīnidāna. The former probably refers to the Jātakatthakathā (P.L.C.126). It was at his request that Buddhaghosa (1) wrote his Commentaries to the Abhidhamma. Gv.68.

Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, G P Malalasekera (1899-1973), which is available as printed version from

Buddhaghosa. A scholarly Theravada Buddhist monk who lived in Sri Lanka in the 4th to 5th c. CE. He is famed for his commentaries on the Pali canon of Buddhist scriptures, being regarded by Theravada Buddhists as their greatest interpreter. According to tradition he was born in India, of brahman caste, but nothing is known with certainty about his origin.

Geddes MacGregor, Dictionary of Religion and Philosophy, New York: Paragon House, 1989

佛音 [py] Fóyīn [wg] Fo-yin [ko] 불음 Purŭm [ja] ブツオン Button ||| Buddhaghoṣa. A renowned Indian Buddhist scholar from Magadha in Central India. Translated a number of Buddhist texts from Singhalese into Pali and explicated them.

[Dictionary References] JE29 [Credit] cmuller(entry)

Buddhaghoṣa

(Sanskrit; Pāli, Buddhaghosa). A monk, born at the beginning of the 5th century and considered to be the greatest of commentators on the Pāli Canon. The hagiographic accounts of his life report that because his speech, like that of the Buddha, was profound and his words spread throughout the world he came to be called Buddhaghoṣa, literally meaning ‘Buddha utterance’. Later tradition ascribes to him an exaggerated number of texts. It is said that while living in India he composed the Ñāṇodaya and the Atthasālinī, and also began to write a concise commentary (Parittaṭṭhakathā) on the Tripiṭaka (Pāli, Tipiṭaka). In order to complete his task, he went to Sri Lanka and studied the Sinhalese commentaries at the Mahāvihāra. When his studies ended he wrote the Visuddhimagga, and having won the approval of the monks of the Mahāvihāra, he rendered the Sinhalese commentaries into Pāli. According to the Theravādin tradition the commentaries came to Sri Lanka with the first Buddhist missionaries in the 3rd century bce. When this task was accomplished, Buddhaghoṣa returned to India. Besides the above-mentioned works Buddhaghoṣa is credited with composing the Samantapāsādikā and the Kaṇkhāvitaraṇī commentaries on the Vinaya Piṭaka, and the Manorathapūraṇī commentary on the Sūtra Piṭaka. He is also said to have compiled commentaries on the Khuddakapāṭha, the Sutta Nipāta and on the Dhammapada. Some also ascribe to him the commentary on the Jātakas (Jātakaṭṭhakathā). In fact the Vinaya commentary is probably not his work, and the author of the Abhidhamma commentary states that he is writing it at the request of Buddhaghoṣa. It is probably safest to attribute to Buddhaghoṣa only the Visuddhimagga and the commentaries on the four Nikāyas or āgamas. The rest is best viewed as the work of the ‘school of Buddhaghoṣa’. Whatever their exact provenance, these works have exerted a major influence upon the doctrine of the Theravāda orthodoxy in Sri Lanka, and the teachings of Theravāda Buddhism as we know them today.

A Dictionary of Buddhism, Oxford University Press, 2003, 2004 (which is available in electronic version from answer.com)