Generally known as Nanda Vaccha.
Mentioned in a list of well known leaders of the Ajivakas. They were declared by Purana Kassapa, in his classification of the chalabhijátas, to be paramasukkabhijatas. (A.iii.384; DA.i.162; SNA.i.372, etc.; but see MA.ii.632, where they rank lower than the Ajivakas, who are there considered as the parama sukkkábhijátas.)
There seems to be some uncertainty as to Nanda's name. The list in which the name occurs runs as follows:
The Sutta Nipata Commentary (SNA.i.372.) seems to treat Nanda and Vaccha as two distinct persons. The Majjhima Commentary, (MA.i.463; see also M.i.524) however, says that Nanda was his personal name and Vaccha that of his gotta.
The austerities practised by Nanda Vaccha are detailed in the Mahá Saccaka Sutta (M.i.238)
Elsewhere (Ibid.524) the Buddha is reported as saying that though the Ajivakas had existed for a long time, they had only produced three distinguished leaders: