Kammasadhamma, 1 Definition(s)

A township of the Kurus. The Buddha, during the course of his wanderings, stayed there several times; the exact place of his residence is, however, mentioned only once, namely the fire hut of a brahmin of the Bharadvaja gotta, where a grass mat was spread for him by the brahmin. It was on this occasion, according to the Magandiya Sutta (M.i.501), that, after a long discussion, Magandiya was converted.

Several important discourses were preached at Kammasadamma, among them being:

the Mahanidana Sutta (D.ii.55; S.ii.92)

the Mahasatipatthana Sutta (D.ii.290; M.i.55)

the Ananjasappaya Sutta (M.ii.26)

The Samyutta Nikaya (S.ii.107f) contains a discourse on handling experiences by way of casual relations, and the Anguttara (A.v.29f ) a discourse on the ten noble states (ariyavasa), both preached at Kammasadhamma.

Buddhaghosa (SA.ii.89) says that the people there were full of wisdom and their food was nutritious; it was therefore a compliment to their intellectual calibre that the Buddha should have preached these suttas to them.

Even in Buddhaghosas day the name of the township had two different spellings, and two etymologies are suggested for the names (DA.ii.483). The place was called Kammasadamma because it was here that the man eating ogre, Kammasapada was tamed and civilized by the Bodhisatta. (Kammaso ettha damito ti, Kammasadamam Kammaso ti Kammasapado porisado vuccati.)

The spelling Kammasadhamma is explained on the ground that the people of the Kuru country had a code of honour called the Kuruvattadhamma; it was here that Kammasa (already referred to) was converted and made to accept this code, hence the name of the township. (Kururatthavasinam kira kuruvattadhammo, tasmim Kanamaso jato, tasma tam thanam Kammaso ettha dhamme jato ti Kammasadhammam ti vuccati.)

According to the Jatakas, there are two places of the same name, called Culakammasadamma and Mahakammasadamma respectively, to distinguish one from the other. Mahakammasadamma, which was evidently the original place, was founded on the spot where the porisada of the Mahasutasoma Jataka was tamed (J.v.411), while Culakammasadamma was the name given to the place where Jayaddisa showed his prowess by his spiritual victory over the ogre in the Jayaddisa Jataka (J.v.35f).

In the Divyavadana (pp.515f), the place is called Kammasadamya. It was the residence of the nuns Nanduttara and Mittakalika (ThigA.87, 89).