Ucchu

The name given to one of the stories of the Petavatthu. The peta referred to had been a resident near Veluvana. Once he was going along the road eating a sugar cane and carrying a bundle of sugar canes. Behind him came another man of good conduct, with a child. The child, seeing the sugar cane, begged for some of it with great lamentations. The good man wishing to console the child, walked up to the sugar cane-eater and tried to make friends. His efforts were, however, unsuccessful, and when he begged for a piece of sugar cane for the child, the man sulkily threw him a bit from the end of the sugar cane. This man, after his death, was born as a peta. Around him was a forest of sugar canes, but whenever he attempted to eat any of them he got badly bruised and wounded. One day Moggallāna saw him, and having discovered his antecedents told him about his past profitless life. He made the peta get for him a piece of sugar cane, which he offered to the Buddha and the monks. As a result of this, the peta was reborn in Tāvatimsa. Pv., pp.61f; PvA.257ff.

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

Ucchu [Sk. cp. Vedic Np. Ikṣvāku fr. ikṣu] sugar -- cane Vin iv.35; A iii.76; iv.279; Miln 46; DhA iv.199 (˚ūnaŋ yanta sugar -- cane mill), PvA 257, 260; VvA 124.
   -- agga (ucch˚) top of s. c. Vism 172. -- khaṇḍikā a bit of sugar -- cane Vv 3326. -- khādana eating s. c. Vism 70. -- khetta sugar -- cane field J i.339; VvA 256. -- gaṇṭhikā a kind of sugar -- cane, Batatas Paniculata J i.339; vi.114 (so read for ˚ghaṭika). -- pāla watchman of s. -- c. VvA 256. -- pīḷana, cane -- pressing, Asl. 274. -- puṭa sugar -- cane basket J iv.363. -- bīja seed of s. -- c. A i.32; v.213. -- yantra a sugar -- mill J i.339. -- rasa s. -- c. juice Vin i.246; Vism 489; VvA 180 -- vāta, Asl. 274. -- sālā, Asl. 274.

Pali-English Dictionary, TW Rhys Davids, William Stede,