The twenty-third in the list of the twenty-four Buddhas and the second Buddha to be born in the Bhaddakappa. He was born in the Subhagavatí Park in Sobhavatí, the capital of King Sobha, his father being the brahmin Yaññadatta and his mother Uttará. He lived in the household for three thousand years, in three palaces, Tusita, Santusita and Santuttha; his chief wife was Rucigattá and their son was Satthaváha. Konágamana left the world on an elephant and practised austerities only for six months, at the end of which time he was given milk-rice by the daughter of the brahmin Aggisoma and grass for his seat by the yavapálaka Tinduka. His Bodhi was an Udumbara tree. His first sermon was preached in the Migadáya near Sudassana-nagara, at the foot of a Mahá-sála tree. He held only one assembly of his disciples, who numbered thirty thousand. His body was thirty cubits in height. He died in the Pabbatáráma at the age of thirty thousand. His relics were scattered. His chief disciples were Bhíyya and Uttara among monks, and Samuddá and Uttará among nuns, his constant attendant being Sotthiya. His chief patrons were Ugga and Somadeva among laymen, and Sívalá and Sámá among laywomen. The Bodhisatta was a khattiya named Pabbata of Mithilá. He held an almsgiving, heard the Buddha preach and joined the Order. (D.i.7; Bu.xxiv; BuA.213ff; J.i.42f; according to the Játaka his body was twenty cubits high; Sp.i.190).
The banker Ugga built for the Buddha a Sangháráma half a league in extent (J.i.94).
On the day of the Buddha's birth a shower of gold fell all over Jambudípa, hence he was called Kanakágamana, Konágamana being a corrupt form of that word (BuA.213-14)
According to the Ceylon Chronicles (Dpv.ii.67; xv.25, 44, 48; xvii.9, 17, 73; Mhv.xv.91-124), Konágamana visited their Island (then known as Varadípa), with thirty thousand disciples, accepted the Mahánoma garden at Vaddhamána, given by King Samiddha, and preached the doctrine. At the conclusion of his sermon, thirty thousand people realised the Truth. At the Buddha's wish, the nun Kantakánandá (v.l. Kanakadattá) brought to Ceylon a branch of the Bodhi-tree. The Buddha also preached at the Ratanamála, the Sudassanamála and the Nágamálaka and gave his girdle for the people's worship. He left Mahásumba and Kantakánandá to look after the new converts.
In Konágamana's time Mount Vepulla was known as Vankaka, and the people living on the mountain were called Rohitassá, their term of life being thirty thousand years (S.ii.191). Konágamana held the uposatha once a year (DhA.ii.236).
In the Northern books (E.g., Dvy.333; Mtu.i.114; ii.265f, 300, 302, 304, 430; iii.240-7, 330) Konágamana is called Kanakamuni, Konákamuni, and Kanakaparvata. A Thúpa, erected on the spot where Konágamana was born, is thought to have existed down to the time of Asoka, who rebuilt it to double its original size and worshipped it in his twentieth year (Hultszch: Inscrip. of Asoka, p.165). Hiouen Thsang (Beal, op. cit., ii.19) says he saw thúpas at Konágamana's birthplace and also at the spot where he met his father after the Enlightenment. Fa Hien (Travels, p.36) saw thúpas at the latter place and also at the place of the Buddha's death.