One of the three Kassapa brothers, the Tebhátika-Jatilá (q.v.). On leaving the world with his brothers and becoming an ascetic, he gathered round him a company of two hundred other ascetics. They all lived at Gayásísa, hence his name (Gayásíse pabbajito ti Gayá Kassapo náma játo). When Uruvela-Kassapa was converted, Gayá-Kassapa, with his followers, joined the Order, and at the conclusion of the Adittapariyáya Sutta they all became arahants (Vin.i.33f.; AA.i.165). Gayá-Kassapa is reported (Thag.v.345f) to have said that he used to bathe three times a day at Gayátittha, in order to wash away his sins during the festival of Gayáphaggu.
In the time of Sikhí Buddha he was a householder, and later became a forest-dwelling hermit. One day he saw the Buddha walking alone in the forest and offered him a kola-fruit (ThagA.i.417f).
He is evidently identical with Koladáyaka of the Apadána. Ap.ii.379; see also ii.483.