Mahā Pajāpatī Gotamī untranslated

Mahā Pajāpatī Gotamī. An eminent Therī. She was born at Deva-daha in the family of Suppabuddha as the younger sister of Mahā Māyā. Ap.ii.538 says her father was Añjana Sakka and her mother Sulakkhaṇā. Mhv.ii.18 says her father was Añjana and her mother Yasodharā. Daṇḍapāṇī and Suppabuddha were her brothers; cp. Dpv.xviii.7f.

At the birth of each sister, interpreters of bodily marks prophesied that their children would be cakkavattīs. King Suddhodana married both the sisters, and when Mahā Māyā died, seven days after the birth of the Buddha, Pajāpatī looked after the Buddha and nursed him. She was the mother of Nanda, but it is said that she gave her own son to nurses and herself nursed the Bodhisatta. The Buddha was at Vesālī when Suddhodana died, and Pajāpatī decided to renounce the world, and waited for an opportunity to ask the permission of the Buddha.

Pajāpatī was already a Sotāpanna. She attained this eminence when the Buddha first visited his father’s palace and preached the Mahā Dhammapālajātaka (Ja 447) (Dhp­a.i.97).

Her opportunity came when the Buddha visited Kapilavatthu to settle the dispute between the Sākiyans and the Koḷiyans as to the right to take water from the river Rohiṇī. When the dispute had been settled, the Buddha preached the Kalahavivādasutta, and five hundred young Sākiyan men joined the Saṅgha. Their wives, led by Pajāpatī, went to the Buddha and asked leave to be ordained as nuns. This leave the Buddha refused, and he went on to Vesālī. But Pajāpatī and her companions, nothing daunted, had barbers cut off their hair, and donning yellow robes, followed the Buddha to Vesālī on foot. They arrived with wounded feet at the Buddha’s monastery and repeated their request. The Buddha again refused, but Ānanda interceded on their behalf and their request was granted, subject to eight strict conditions. For details see Vin.ii.253ff.; also AN.iv.274ff.

There was some question, which arose later as to the procedure of Pajāpatī’s ordination, which was not formal. When the nuns discovered this some of them refused to hold the uposatha with her. But the Buddha declared that he himself had ordained her and that all was in order (Dhp­a.iv.149). Her upasampadā consisted in acquiescing in the eight conditions laid down for nuns (Vin-a.i.242).

After her ordination, Pajāpatī came to the Buddha and worshipped him. The Buddha preached to her and gave her a subject for meditation. With this topic she developed insight and soon after won Arahant-ship, while her five hundred companions attained to the same after listening to the Nandakovādasutta. Later, at an assembly of monks and nuns in Jetavana, the Buddha declared Pajāpatī chief of those who had experience (lit. many nights, rattaññūnaṁ) (AN.i.25). Not long after, while at Vesālī, she realized that her life had come to an end. She was one hundred and twenty years old; she took leave of the Buddha, performed various miracles, and then died, her five hundred companions dying with her. It is said that the marvels which attended her cremation rites were second only to those of the Buddha.

It was in the time of Padumuttara Buddha that Pajāpatī made her resolve to gain eminence. She then belonged to a clansman’s family in Haṁsavatī, and, hearing the Buddha assign the foremost place in experience to a certain nun, wished for similar recognition herself, doing many good deeds to that end. After many births she was born once more at Benares, forewoman among five hundred slave girls. When the rains drew near, five Pacceka Buddhas came from Nandamūlaka to Isipatana seeking lodgings. Pajāpatī saw them after the Treasurer had refused them any assistance, and, after consultation with her fellow slaves, they persuaded their several husbands to erect five huts for the Pacceka Buddhas during the rainy season and they provided them with all requisites. At the end of the rains they gave three robes to each Pacceka Buddha. After that she was born in a weaver’s village near Benares, and again ministered, this time to five hundred Pacceka Buddhas, sons of Padumavatī (Thīg­a.140ff.; AN­a.i.185f.; Ap.ii.529-43).

It is said that once Pajāpatī made a robe for the Buddha of wonderful material and marvellously elaborate. But when it came to be offered to the Buddha he refused it, and suggested it should be given to the Saṅgha as a whole. Pajāpatī was greatly disappointed, and Ānanda intervened. But the Buddha explained that his suggestion was for the greater good of Pajāpatī, and also as an example to those who might wish to make similar gifts in the future. This was the occasion for the preaching of the Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasutta (MN.iii.253ff.; MN­a.ii.1001ff.; this incident is referred to in the Milinda p.240). The Buddha had a great love for Pajāpatī, and when she lay ill, as there were no monks to visit her and preach to her – that being against the rule – the Buddha amended the rule and went himself to preach to her (Vin.iv.56).

Pajāpatī’s name appears several times in the Jātakas. She was the mother monkey in the Cūḷa Nandiyajātaka (Ja 222, Ja.ii.202), Candā in the Cūḷa Dhammapāla (Ja 358, Ja.iii.182), and Bhikkhudāyikā (or Bhikkhudāsikā) daughter of Kikī, king of Benares (Ja.vi.481).

Mahā Pajāpatī was so-called because, at her birth, augerers prophesied that she would have a large following; Gotamī was her gotta name (MN­a.i.1001; cp. AN­a.ii.774).

There is a story related of a nurse employed by Pajāpatī and born in Devadaha. She renounced the world with Pajāpatī, but for twenty-five years was harassed by thoughts of lust till, at last, she heard Dhammadinnā preach. She then practiced meditation and became an Arahant. Thīg­a.75f.