Siga

Siga (सिगा) Sigga (सिग्गा) Shiga (शिगा) is Gotra of Jats found in Ratlam district in Madhya Pradesh.

Origin

Singroha (सिंगरोहा) Siga (सिगा) may be identified with Rigvedic Tribe Shigru (शिग्रु)  : (RV Vll/18/19): This tribe was fighting against Sudas on the Yamuna. This tribe is to be identified with the Sigru/Sigarwal/Sigar clan of the Jats still on the Yamunain Haryana. A Sigru is noted in Luder's list of Brahmi inscriptions.

In Mahavansa

Siggava was a sage, son of a minister, mentioned in Mahavansa/Chapter 5.

Mahavansa/Chapter 5 mentions ....

Now the mighty and believing king and thera Moggaliputta had already in former times been seen by the holy ones.

At the time of the Second Council, the theras, looking into the future, saw the downfall of the faith in the time of that king. Looking around in the whole world for one who should be able to stay that downfall, they saw the Brahmä Tissa who had not long to live (in the Brahma heaven). To him they went and prayed him, the mighty in wisdom, to bring this downfall to nought by being reborn himself among men. And he granted their prayer, desiring that the doctrine should shine forth in brightness. But to the youthful Siggava and Candavajji the sages spoke thus: 'When a hundred and eighteen years are passed the downfall of the religion will begin. We shall not live to see that (time). You, bhikkhus, have had no part in this matter' therefore you merit punishment, and your punishment shall be this: that the doctrine may shine forth in brightness, the Brahma Tissa, mighty in wisdom, will be reborn in the house of the brahman Moggali. As time passes on one of you shall receive the boy into the order, another shall carefully instruct him in the word of the Sambuddha.

There was a thera Dasaka-disciple of the thera Upali. Sonaka was his (Dasaka's) disciple, and both those theras were disciples of Sonaka.

In former times there lived in Vesali a learned brahman named Dasaka. As the eldest of three hundred disciples he dwelt with his teacher, and at the end of twelve years having come to the end of (studying) the vedas, he, going about with the (other) disciples, met the thera Upali, dwelling at the Valika-monastery, after he had established the sacred word (in council), and sitting down near him he questioned him concerning hard passages in the vedas, and the other expounded them to him. 'A doctrine is come after all the doctrines, O brahman, yet all doctrines end in the one doctrine; which is that one?'

Thus spoke the thera concerning the name (of the true doctrine), but the young brahman knew it not. He asked: 'What manta is this?' and when the answer was given: 'The manta of the Buddha,' he said: 'Impart it to me,' and the other answered: 'We impart it(only) unto one who wears our robe.'

And he (Dasaka) asked his teacher and also his father and mother on behalf of that manta. When he with three hundred young brahmans had received from the thera the pabbajjä the brahman in time received the upassada Then to a thousand (disciples) who had overcome the asavas, among whom was the thera Dasaka, did the thera Upali teach the whole tipitaka. Past reckoning is the number of the other Ariyas, and of those who yet stood outside (the religion), by whom the pitakas were learned from the thera.

In the land of the Kasi lived the son of a caravan-guide, named Sonaka. With his father and mother he had come trading, to Giribbaja. He went, youth as he was, fifteen years old, into the Veluvana (monastery); fifty-five young brahmans, his companions, came with him.

When he saw the thera Däsaka there with his disciples around him, faith came to him and he asked him for the pabbajja-ordination. (The thera) said: 'Ask thy teacher.' Afterwards, the young Sonaka, having fasted three meal-times and won his parents' leave to enter the order, came again, and then, when he had received from the thera Dasaka the pabbajja and the upasampada, together with those other youths, he learned the three pitakas. Amid the company of the thousand disciples of the thera, who had overcome the asavas, who were versed in the pitakas, the ascetic Sojiaka was the foremost.

In the city that bears the name of the patali flower there lived the wise Siggava, son of a minister. He, when eighteen years old and dwelling in three palaces fitted for the three seasons of the year, went, in company with his friend Candavajji, a minister's son, and surrounded by five hundred followers, to the Kukkutarama, and visited the thera Sonaka.

And when he perceived that (the thera) sat sunk in a trance with senses restrained' and did not answer his greeting, he asked the brotherhood about this matter. They said: 'Those who are deep in a trance give no reply.' (So he asked) 'How come they forth from (the trance)?' And the bhikkhus said:

'At a call from the master, or a call from the brotherhood, or. when the allotted time is ended, or at the approach of death they come forth (from the trance).'

As they saw, speaking thus, that these (youths) were destined for holiness, they caused the call from the brotherhood to be given; and (the thera) awoke from the trance and went to them. The youth asked: 'Wherefore didst thou not speak to me, venerable one?' The (thera) answered: 'We were enjoying that which is for us to enjoy.' The (young man) said: 'Let us also enjoy this.' He answered: 'Those only can we cause to enjoy it who are like unto us.'

Then, with their parents' leave, the young Siggava and Candavajji and their five hundred followers likewise received the pabbajja and (afterwards) the upasampada-ordination from the thera Sonaka. With him as their master the two eagerly studied the three pitakas and attained to the six supernormal powers.

Thereafter when Siggava knew that Tissa had been born into this world, the thera, from that time, frequented his house for seven years. And not for seven years did it befall him to hear the words 'Go further on' (said to him). But in the eighth year did he hear those words 'Go further on', in that house. As he went forth the brahman Moggali, who was even then coming in, saw him and asked him: 'Hast thou received aught in our house?' And he answered: 'Yes.' When (Moggali) went into his house he heard (what had befallen) and when the thera came to the house again, on the second day afterwards, he reproached him with the lie. And when he had heard the thera's words the brahman, full of faith, gave him continual alms of his own food, and little by little did all of his household become believers, and the brahman continually offered hospitality (to the thera), giving him a seat in his house.

So as time passed the young Tissa gradually came to the age of sixteen years and reached the further shore of the ocean of the three vedas. The thera, thinking that he might have speech with him in this way, made all the seats in his house to vanish, save the seat of the young brahman. Being come from the Brahma-world (this latter) loved cleanliness, and therefore were they used to keep his chair hung up for better care thereof.'

Then the people in the house, finding no other seat, full of confusion, since the thera had to stand, prepared the seat of the young Tissa for him. When the young brahman returned from his teacher's house and saw (the thera) sitting there he fell into anger and spoke to him in unfriendly wise. The thera said to him: 'Young man, dost thou know the manta ?' And the young brahman (for answer) asked him the same question again. Since the thera replied: 'I know it,' he asked him concerning hard passages in the vedas. The thera expounded them to him; for, when leading the lay life, he had already studied the vedas even to the end. How should he not be able to expound them since he had mastered the four special sciences?

'For him whose thought arises and does not perish, thought shall perish and not arise (again); but for him whose thought shall perish and not arise, thought shall arise (again) and not perish.'

The wise thera asked this question from the (chapter called) Cittayamaka. And it was as the (darkness of) night to the other, and he said to him: 'What kind of manta is that, o bhikkhu?' 'The manta of the Buddha,' answered (the thera); and when the other said: 'Impart it to me,' he said:

'I impart it (only) to one who wears our robe.'

So with the leave of his father and mother (the young man) received the pabbajja-ordination, for the sake of the manta, and the thera, when he had ordained him, imparted to him duly the (method of the) kammatthanas. By practice of meditation this highly gifted man soon won the fruit of sotapatti, and when the thera was aware of this he sent him to the thera Candavajji that he might learn the suttapitaka and abhidhammapitaka of him. And this he learned (from Candavajji).

And thereafter the monk Siggava, having conferred on him the upasampada, taught him the vinaya and again instructed him in the two other (pitakas). When, afterwards, the young Tissa had gained the true insight, he attained in time to the mastery of the six supernormal powers and reached the rank of a thera. Far and wide shone his renown like the sun and moon. The world paid heed to his word even as to the word of the Sambuddha.

Here ends the Story of the them Tissa, the son of Moggali.

Distribution in Madhya Pradesh

Villages in Ratlam district

Villages in Ratlam district with population of this gotra are:

Mundari 1,

Villages in Dhar district

Manasa Dhar,

Notable persons

• Dashrath Jat (Sigga) - Panchayat Samanvayak Adhikari, Dhar,Sigga Krishi Farm, Manasa Dhar, Mob:9425968246.

References

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