A township of the Kurús. The Buddha, during the course of his wanderings, stayed there several times; the exact place of his residence is, however, mentioned only once, namely the fire-hut of a brahmin of the Bháradvája-gotta, where a grass mat was spread for him by the brahmin. It was on this occasion, according to the Mágandiya Sutta (M.i.501), that, after a long discussion, Mágandiya was converted.
Several important discourses were preached at Kammásadamma, among them being:
the Mahánidána Sutta (D.ii.55; S.ii.92)
the Mahásatipatthána Sutta (D.ii.290; M.i.55)
the Ánańjasappáya Sutta (M.ii.26)
The Samyutta Nikáya (S.ii.107f) contains a discourse on handling experiences by way of casual relations, and the Anguttara (A.v.29f ) a discourse on the ten noble states (ariyavásá), both preached at Kammásadhamma.
Buddhaghosa (SA.ii.89) says that the people there were full of wisdom and their food was nutritious; it was therefore a compliment to their intellectual calibre that the Buddha should have preached these suttas to them.
Even in Buddhaghosa's day the name of the township had two different spellings, and two etymologies are suggested for the names (DA.ii.483). The place was called Kammásadamma because it was here that the man-eating ogre, Kammásapáda was tamed and civilized by the Bodhisatta. (Kammáso ettha damito ti, Kammásadamam-Kammáso ti Kammásapádo porisádo vuccati.)
The spelling Kammásadhamma is explained on the ground that the people of the Kuru country had a code of honour called the Kuruvattadhamma; it was here that Kammása (already referred to) was converted and made to accept this code, hence the name of the township. (Kururatthavásínam kira kuruvattadhammo, tasmim Kanamáso játo, tasmá tam thánam "Kammáso ettha dhamme játo" ti Kammásadhammam ti vuccati.)
According to the Játakas, there are two places of the same name, called Cúlakammásadamma and Mahákammásadamma respectively, to distinguish one from the other. Mahákammásadamma, which was evidently the original place, was founded on the spot where the porisáda of the Mahásutasoma Játaka was tamed (J.v.411), while Cúlakammásadamma was the name given to the place where Jayaddisa showed his prowess by his spiritual victory over the ogre in the Jayaddisa Játaka (J.v.35f).
In the Divyávadána (pp.515f), the place is called Kammásadamya. It was the residence of the nuns Nanduttará and Mittákáliká (ThigA.87, 89).