Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names by G P Malalasekera
Kosiya:1.Kosiya,Kosiyagotta
The name of a brahmin clan.In the Pācittiya it is given as one of the lower gottas.(Vin.iv.8; but it is also Sakka’s gotta,and is therefore generally regarded as a high one; see e.g.,Thag.415; ThagA.i.452).
Among those mentioned as belonging to this gotta are the brahminKevatta (J.vi.418f),the brahmin who was the father of Sona Kumāra (the Bodhisatta) (J.v.319ff),Bhaddākāpilāni,born in Sāgala (AA.i.99; ThagA.68; SA ii.144),and the banker who came to be known asMacchari-Kosiya.
Kātiyāna’s father was a Kosiyan,but he married a woman of the Kātiyāna family (ThagA.i.452).
The Bhūridatta Jātaka (J.vi.181; Mtu.ii.49) mentions a sage Kosiya,who taught Alambāyana the Nāga-spell.The scholiast says he belonged to the Kosiyagotta.
The Sālikedāra Jātaka (J.iv.278f) mentions a brahmin of Sālindiya,called Kosiyagotta,probably for the same reason.
The Kosiya Jātaka (J.i.465f) speaks of a Kosiya-brāhmanī.All these are either addressed or spoken of as Kosiya in their different contexts.The name Kosiya is also used twice in speaking of Sakka - once by the Buddha (D.ii.270),once by Mahā Moggallāna (M.i.252) - and again by Guttila (J.ii.252) and by Mahā Kassapa (Ud.iii.7; UdA.200; DhA.i.429).
The name means ”belonging to the Kusika family.” It is once used of Indra in the Rg Veda,in what exact sense is not known.Rhys Davids suggests (Dial.ii.296f; see also Dvy.632; Mtu.iii.200,202,315,403) that perhaps we have here a survival from the time when Indra was only the god of a Kusika clan.
The word Kosiya (e.g.,J.ii.208) means ”Owl” and is probably one of the several clan names which are also names of animals (cf.Vaccha).
2.Kosiya.-See Macchari-Kosiya.
3.Kosiya Thera.-An arahant.He belonged to a brahmin family in Magadha and was called by his gotta-name.He often listened to the preaching of Sāriputta and,joining the Order,in due course won arahant ship.He was a gate-keeper of Bandhumatī and in the time of Vipassī Buddha gave to the Buddha a piece of sugar-cane.(Thag.370-4; ThagA.i.431f).
He is probably identical with Ucchukandika of theApadāna.Ap.ii.393.
4.Kosiya.-See Kosika (1).
5.Kosiya.-See Nanda Mānava.
Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names by G P Malalasekera