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Mahāsoṇa
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1. Mahāsoṇa.– An evil-natured horse of Brahmadatta, king of Bārāṇasī.
See the Suhanu Jātaka.
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2. Mahāsoṇa.– One of the ten chief warriors of Duṭṭhagāmaṇī. He was born in Hunadarīvāpī in the Kuḷumbarī district as the eighth son of a man named Tissa. He was as strong as ten elephants, and took a prominent part in the attack on Vijitapura. Mhv.xxiii.2, 46 ff; xxv. 27 f; 44 f. See also Ras.ii.86 f.
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3. Mahāsoṇa.– A monk in the time of Vaṭṭagāmaṇī-Abhaya. During the troubles caused by the brigand Brāhmanatissa, he travelled about in the company of Isidatta Thera, maintaining themselves on whatever they could find. One day a maiden made three balls of food, gave one to Isidatta, the second to Mahāsoṇa, and wished to give the third to Isidatta; but her hand turned, and the food fell into Mahāsoṇa’s bowl. Later, he lived with five hundred others in Maṇḍalārāma-vihāra. One day, while in Kālakagāma for alms, they were entertained by a pious devotee. The latter asked for Mahāsoṇa and showed him special honour, though Mahāsoṇa was only a junior monk. Some time after, Mahāsoṇa returned to the Mahāvihāra in Anurādhapura and received many gifts, which he distributed among the Saṅgha. VibhA.446 ff.
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