1. Upatissa.-The personal name of Sáriputta (q.v.).
2. Upatissa.-Purohita to Vijaya, king of Ceylon. He founded a settlement at Upatissagáma. Mhv.vii.44; Dpv.ix.32, 36.
3. Upatissa I.-King of Ceylon. He reigned for forty-two years between A.C. 362 and 409. He was the eldest son of Buddhadása. He was of very kindly disposition and lived a simple life, eating of the food served in the Mahápáli alms-hall. It is said that once, when the roof of his palace started leaking at night, he lay all night in the wet, being loth to disturb any of the servants. During a period of drought and famine, he organised a religious festival, causing rain to fall. He built the Rajuppala, Gijjhakúta, Pokkharapásaya, Valáhassa, Ambutthi and Gondigáma tanks and the Khandarája Vihára, besides hospitals and almshouses for women in travail, the blind and the sick. He was murdered by his queen-consort, who had an intrigue with his younger brother, Mahánáma. For an account of Upatissa's reign see Cv.i.37, 179ff.
4. Upatissa II.-King of Ceylon. He was the husband of the sister of Moggallána I. and was his general. He killed Síva I, and became king, his reign lasting only one year and a half (A.C. 522-24). He had a son Kassapa, called Girikassapa by virtue of his prowess, and a daughter who married Silákála. Silákála became a rebel and seized Upatissa's kingdom. (For an account of Upatissa see Cv.xli.5f). Upatissa belonged to the Lambakanna clan, and in Sinhalese writing is called Lámáni-upatissa (Cv.Trs.i.52, n.1).
5. Upatissa.-Son of Silákála and brother of Dáthápabhuti and Moggallána II. He was a good-looking young man and was his father's favourite. He was killed by Dáthápabhuti (Cv.xli.33ff).
6. Upatissa Thera.-Called Pásánadípavásí Upatissa. He appears to have written a Commentary on the Mahávamsa, which the author of the Mahávamsa Tíká used for his own work, sometimes criticising its comments. See, e.g., MT.47.
7. Upatissa.-Thera of Tambapapidípa (Ceylon), perhaps to be identified with No. 6 above. He and his colleague, Phussadeva, are often mentioned as being expert exponents of the Vinaya. Upatissa had two pupils, Mahápaduma and Mahásumma, who became very famous as vinayadhará. Mahápaduma "read" through the Vinaya eighteen times with his teacher, and Mahásumma nine times (Sp.i.263f). Buddhaghosa evidently regarded with great respect the explanations of various Vinaya questions as given by Upatissa, for he often quotes him. See, e.g., Sp.ii.456; iii.624, 714; iv.890.
8. Upatissa.-Sáriputta's father and chieftain of Nálaka or Upatissagáma (q.v.). His proper name was Vanganta (q.v.), Upatissa being, evidently, his clan name (SnA.i.326).
9. Upatissa Thera.-Author of the Páli Mahábodhi-vamsa. He lived in Ceylon, probably in the tenth century. For details see P.L.C. 156ff.
10. Upatissa Thera.-He wrote a commentary on Kassapa's Anágatavamsa. Gv.p.72.
11. Upatissa.-A Pacceka Buddha, found in a nominal list (M.iii.69). The name is also found in the Apadána (i.280; ii.454).
12. Upatissa Thera.-Sometimes called Arahá Upatissa, author of the Vimuttimagga (P.L.C. 86). He probably lived about the first century B.C. J.P.T.S. 1919, pp.69ff; see also NidA. (P.T.S.); introd. vi f.
13. Upatissa Thera.-Author of the Saddhammappajjotiká, the commentary on the Mahá Niddesa, written at the request of Deva Thera (NidA.ii.108). His residence was on the western side of the Mahá Cetiya within the precincts of the Mahávihára in Anurádhapura, and it was built by a minister, Kittissena.
Some MSS. give the author's name as Upasena. For his age, see Saddhammappajjotiká.