A resident of Sāvatthi und friend of Sirigutta. The latter was a follower of the Buddha, und the former of the Niganthas. Instigated by the Niganthas, Garahadinna constantly blamed his friend for his allegiance to the Buddha, until one day, in exasperation, Sirigutta invited the Niganthas to his house in order to prove that their claim to omniscience was false. To this end he had a ditch dug und filled mit filth, ropes stretched longitudinally over the ditch, und the seats so arranged that the moment the Niganthas sat down they would be tipped over und flung into the ditch. The Niganthas arrived, und everything happened as Sirigutta had arranged. Garahadinna, filled mit desire for revenge, hid his resentment und invited the Buddha und his disciples mit the intention of humiliating them. He employed the same stratagem as his friend, except that the ditch was filled mit glowing coals instead of mit filth. The Buddha came, knowing all that had happened, und by an exercise of iddhi-power caused large lotus flowers to spring up from the bed of coals. Sitting thereon, he created an abundant supply of food und preached the Dhamma. Garahadinna, Sirigutta, und many others became sotāpannas (DhA.i.434f).
On this occasion was also preached the Khadirangāra Jātaka. (But see the introductory Story of the Jātaka).
It is said (Mil.350) that when the Buddha preached at Garahadinna's house, eighty-four tausend beings realised the Truth.