Mahāpitaka Thera

Of Ceylon. He was an eminent Thera and was teacher of Catunikāyika Tissa Thera.

At the time of the great disturbance in the country (mahābhaya, probably the Brāhmanatissamahābhaya) there was only one monk who knew the Mahāniddesa, and Mahāpitaka asked his colleague, Mahārakkhita, to learn it from him. But the latter refused on the plea of the wickedness of the monk possessing this knowledge; but in the end he acquiesced, on condition that Mahāpitaka himself would be present at the lessons. On the day of the last lesson he discovered a woman hidden under the teacher's bed. Sp.iii.695.

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