An arahant. He was the son of a very eminent brahmin of Sávatthi, and was so called because the name of his family was Párápara. One day he went to Jetavana to hear the Buddha preach, and the Buddha, seeing him, preached the Indriyabhávaná Sutta.
This probably refers to M.iii.298ff., which deals with the views of the brahmin teacher Párásariya, and then gives the method of developing the indriyas as taught in the Ariyan Vinaya. The sutta, however, was preached at Kajañgalá and not at Sávatthi, the questioners being Uttara, a pupil of Párásariya, and Ananda. See Brethren 295, n.1.
After learning the sutta, Párápariya pondered on its meaning and won arahantship (Thag.vs.726ff.; ThagA.ii.17f). The Theragáthá contains a number of verses (Vs.920 49; ThagA.ii.74ff) spoken by Párápariya after the Buddha's parinibbána and immediately before his own death.