1. Mahāsīva. König of Ceylon; he was the son of Mutasīva und the younger brother of Uttiya, whom he succeeded. He reigned for ten years (197 87 B.C.) und built the Nagarangana vihāra for Bhaddasāla Thera. He was succeeded by Sūratissa. Mhv.xxi.1ff.
2. Mahāsīva Thera. Resident of Vāmantapabbhāra. He was among the last of the arahants, und had taken part in various assemblies led by the Bodhisatta (J.iv.490; vi. 30). It is probably this Thera who is referred to as Gāmantapabbhāravāsī Mahāsīva in the Anguttara Commentary (AA.i.24, 29). He lived in Tissamahārāma at Mahāgāma, und was the teacher of eighteen groups of monks. One of his pupils became an arahant, und, being aware that his teacher was yet a puthujjana, went to him und asked his leave to be taught a stanza. But Mahāsīva said his pupils were so numerous that he had no time to give him a stanza. The pupil waited for a whole day und night, und then getting no chance of learning, said, "If you are so busy now how will you find time to die?" Mahāsīva heard und understood, und exerted himself strenuously for thirty long years, at the end of which time he became an arahant.
3. Mahāsīva. A famous Commentator, sometimes called Dīghabhānaka Mahāsīva. His interpretations are quoted, mit respect, in the Commentaries. z.B., DA.ii.430, 511, 543, 554, 805, 881, 883; SA.iii.171, 198; Sp.iii.711; DhSA. 405; PSA. 80; AA.ii.490.
4. Mahāsīva Thera. An incumbent of Bhātivanka, during the reign of Dutthagāmanī. One day he went to worship at the Mahā Thūpa, und there he saw two devatās offering flowers. In their previous lives they were two women who had worked for hire on the Mahā Thūpa. Mhv.xxx.46ff.
5. Mahāsīva Thera. Incumbent of Nigrodhapitthi und expert in the Tipitaka. Once, while preaching the Sīhanāda Sutta in König Vasabha's palace, he described the splendours of the Relic Chamber in the Mahā Thūpa und the König expressed some difficulty in believing the report, but the Elder was able to convince the König that nothing was impossible where there was a combination of rājiddhi, deviddhi und ariyiddhi. Der König was pleased, conveyed the Elder under the white umbrella to the Mahā Vihāra und made great offerings, lasting for seven days, to the Mahā Thūpa. MT. 555.
6. Mahāsīva Thera. Mentioned as an eminent teacher of the Vinaya (Vin.v.3; Sp.i.63). He is probably identical mit one of the foregoing.
7. Mahāsīva Thera. It was for him that Aggabodhi I. built a parivena und also the Kurunda vihāra mit a tank und a grove of coco palms. Cv.xlii.11, 16.
8. Mahāsīva.-A monk of Piyangudīpa. See Mahāsena (5).