Vaccha

1. Vaccha. A brahmin ascetic of long ago, near whose hut lived some Kinnaras. A spider used to weave his web around them, crack their heads and drink their blood. The Kinnaras sought Vaccha’s assistance, but Vaccha refused to kill the spider, till tempted by the offer of a Kinnara maiden named Rathavatī as his servant. Vaccha killed the spider and lived with Rathavatī as his wife.

This story was among those related by Mahosadha’s parrot Māthara to the mynah bird of the Pañcāla king’s palace, to show her that in love there is no unlikeness — a man may well mate with a Kinnari, a parrot with a mynah. J.vi.422.

2. Vaccha. See Kisavaecha, Nandavaccha, Pilindavaccha, Tirītavaccha, Vacchagotta, etc. Also Ukkhepakatavaocha and the two Vanavacchas.

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

vaccha : [m.] a calf; the young of an animal.

A.P. Buddhadatta Mahathera, Concise Pali-English and English-Pali Dictionary [available as digital version from Metta Net, Sri Lanka]

Vaccha1 [Vedic vatsa, lit. "one year old, a yearling"; cp. Gr. e)/tos year, Sk. vatsara id., Lat vetus old, vitulus calf; Goth. wiprus a year old lamb=Ohg. widar=E. wether] a calf Dh 284; J v.101; Vism 163 (in simile), 269 (id.; kūṭa˚ a maimed calf); DhsA 62 (with popular etym. "vadatī ti vaccho"); VvA 100, 200 (taruṇa˚). <-> On vaccha in similes see J.P.T.S. 1907, 131.
   -- giddhinī longing for her calf S iv.181. -- gopālaka a cow -- herd Vism 28. -- danta "calf -- tooth," a kind of arrow or javelin M i.429; J vi.448. -- pālaka cow -- herd Vv 512.

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

Vaccha2 [=rukkha, fr. vṛkṣa] a tree; only in mālā˚ an ornamental plant Vin ii.12; iii.179; Vism 172; DhA ii.109.

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

vaccha m. and (ā), f. = vatsa, child (esp. in familiar address) Pañcad

Sanskrit-English Dictionary, by M. Monier William