Dabba Mallaputta

Dabba Mallaputta (Pāli; Sanskrit: Dravya Mallaputra) was a disciple of Gautama Buddha, distinguished by his youth and his service to the Sangha.^[1][2] At the age of seven he became an arahant and was accepted into the early Buddhist community as a monk.^[2] He died at an early age after demonstrating a variety of supernatural abilities.^[2]

According to the Therigatha commentary, Dabba's mother died during his birth and he was found alive on her funeral pyre as an infant.^[2] His family lived in the state of the Mallakas (possibly in Kusinara).^[2] When the Buddha visited the Malla country, Dabba asked to be presented before him by his grandmother, and sought ordination.^[2] He was accepted into the order, and was said to have achieved the status of an arahant in the ordination hall.^[2]

Wanting to be of service, Dabba is depicted in the Vinaya Pitaka as having volunteered for a number of duties relating to distributing goods and living quarters to the assembly of monks.^[2] As a result, he was recognized among the Buddha's disciples as being foremost in service.^[1][2] Conflicts between Dabba and followers of the monks Mettiya and Bhummajakā resulted in episodes where Dabba was accused of misdeeds but later exonerated.^[2] Apadāna stories in canonical and commentarial literature attributed these occurrences to Dabba having slandered an arahant in a previous life.^[2]

The Udāna describes Dabba's death.^[2] After returning from an alms round near Rājagaha, he announced his impending parinibbana to the Buddha and displayed a number of supernatural powers, culminating with his rising into the air and bursting into flames.^[2]

Dabba's name is written 陀羅婆摩羅 (pinyin: Tuóluópómóluó) in the Chinese Buddhist canon.^[1] An individual known as Culla Dravya Mallaputra is also recorded, but this is regarded as resulting from a corruption or misreading of the Sanskrit or Prakrit Agama text.^[1]