<b> <c c="#a00149">Vaṅgīsa</c> </b> <br>A monk who was declared foremost in the gift of spontaneous poetic expression. <c c="#3b6bd3">AN.i.24</c> <br>The Theragāthā contains numerous verses spoken by him on various occasions <c c="#3b6bd3">Thag.1208–1279</c> <c c="#3b6bd3">SN.i.183ff.</c> Some of them <c c="#3b6bd3">Thag.1209–1218</c> were uttered about himself, his attempts to suppress desires excited by the sight of gaily dressed women <c c="#3b6bd3">SN.i.185</c> ; others <c c="#3b6bd3">Thag.1219–1222</c> were self admonitions against conceit because of his facility of speech; some were spoken in praise of sermons preached by the Buddha—e.g., the Subhāsita Sutta, <c c="#3b6bd3">Thag.1227–1230</c> a sutta on Nibbāna, <c c="#3b6bd3">Thag.1238–1245</c> and a sutta preached at the Pavāraṇā ceremony. <c c="#3b6bd3">Thag.1231–1237</c> Several verses were in praise of his colleagues—e.g. Sāriputta, <c c="#3b6bd3">Thag.1231–1233</c> Aññā Koṇḍañña, <c c="#3b6bd3">Thag.1246–1248</c> and Moggallāna. <c c="#3b6bd3">Thag.1249–1251</c> One of Vaṅgīsa’s long poems <c c="#3b6bd3">Thag.1263–1274</c> is addressed to the Buddha, questioning him as to the destiny of his teacher Nigrodhakappa. Another verse <c c="#3b6bd3">Thag.1252</c> describes the Buddha as he sat surrounded by his monks on the banks of the Gaggarā at Campā.<br>The Saṃyutta <c c="#3b6bd3">SN.i.185ff.</c> devotes one whole section to Vaṅgīsa, dealing with the incidents connected with his life and giving poems made by him on these occasions.<br> <br> </deftext>
(masc, masc, comp) name of an arahant monk; foremost disciple in spontaneous expression [lit.] lord of Bengal Construction: vaṅga + īsa