Sukkadanta

Sukkadanta Ruesi
Statue of Sukkadanta Ruesi at the Khao Samo Khon hermitage, Wat Khao Samo Khon, Lopburi province
Affiliation	Hariphunchai founding traditions
Region	Northern Thailand

Sukkadanta Ruesi (Thai: ฤๅษีสุกกทันตะ; also written Sukadanta or Suktanta) is a legendary hermit associated with the traditions of Hariphunchai, an ancient Mon kingdom in what is now Lamphun province, Thailand. According to local chronicles and legends, he resided at Dhammika Mountain, Khao Samo Khon in the area of Lopburi, where he was associated with the teaching of arts and sciences. In the Camadevi legends, he is described as a companion of Vasuthep Ruesi and is associated with the selection of Camadevi as the ruler of Hariphunchai.

Legendary accounts

Sukkadanta is cultivated at Khao Samo Khon in the area of Lopburi, a region historically related to Lavo. According to a Hariphunchai founding tradition, Vasuthep, who lived in the area of present-day Chiang Mai, communicated with Sukkadanta and asked him to help identify a suitable ruler for the city that Vasuthep had established in the Ping River valley.

According to one version of the legend, Sukkadanta recommended Camadevi, described as the daughter or adopted daughter of the ruler of Lavo, as the ruler of the new city. She was said to observe the five Buddhist precepts and to be knowledgeable in various arts and disciplines. The ruler of Lavo accepted the proposal and permitted her to travel to Hariphunchai.

Some accounts state that Sukkadanta accompanied Camadevi on her journey from Lavo to Hariphunchai. In one version, he travelled with Kawayya, an envoy sent by Vasuthep to invite Camadevi to rule the city. Accounts of the journey differ in their descriptions of Camadevi's family background and the circumstances of her appointment.

A version of the legend recorded in the Camadevi Chronicle names Sudeva, Sukkadanta, Anusisa, Jalita, and Suphrom as five men who entered the Buddhist monastic order during the Buddha's lifetime and later became hermits. The account associates the five hermits with the traditions concerning Camadevi and Hariphunchai.

The Thailand Cultural Encyclopedia also records that Vasuthep consulted Sukkadanta about the choice of a ruler. In this account, Sukkadanta proposed Camadevi because she was said to observe the five precepts, after which the two hermits arranged a delegation to Lavo to invite her to rule Hariphunchai.

According to Lanna documents, Sukkadanta Ruesi was a teacher of Ram Khamhaeng of Sukhothai and Ngammueang of Phayao.

Sukkadanta Ruesi has been credited with originating Muay Lopburi, which is described as a foundation of Muay Thai.

Interpretations of the name

The origin of the name Sukkadanta has been interpreted in several ways. Pensupha Sukkhata and the scholar Phongkasem Sonthithai have proposed that it may be related to Skanda, also known as Kartikeya, a Hindu deity associated with Shiva. They therefore associate the name with Shaivite traditions.

The folklorist Withun Buarada proposed a different derivation from sakka and daṇḍa, associating the name with a story involving Indra and Krishna. He linked this interpretation to Vaishnavite traditions.

A third interpretation, attributed to Hariphunchai researcher Akkarin Phongphanpandecha, derives the name from sukka and danta, interpreted as “bright” or “white tooth”. He suggested that the name may refer to an ethnic group that did not chew betel, such as the Lawa.