The Legend and Cult of Gavampati Its Roots in Pali and Sanskrit Sources
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Abstract
This article examines the legend and cult of Gavampati through Pali and Sanskrit sources, tracing the textual roots of a figure who later became prominent in Southeast Asian Buddhist traditions as the “Fat Monk”. Although briefly mentioned in early canonical texts, Gavampati appears in a wide range of later narratives that portray him variously as an arhat, miracle-worker, forest meditator, and missionary to frontier regions. By analyzing his shifting presence in lists of disciples, his association with the First Buddhist Council, his bovine etymology, and his role in missionary and relic traditions, the study highlights the fluid and multifaceted character of Gavampati and the processes of “syncretism” that shaped his evolving cult.
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References
References to canonical and commentarial Pali texts adhere to the Pali Text Society (PTS)’s conventions. I adopt the abbreviation system utilized and provided by the Critical Pāli Dictionary.
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