Khujjuttara
Encyclopedia
Khujjuttarā was one of the Buddha
's foremost (Pali
: agga) female lay disciples (Pali: upasika, savaka
).
According to commentaries
to the Pali canon
, Khujjuttara was a servant to one of the queens of King Udena of Kosambi
named Samavati
. Since the queen was unable to go listen to the Buddha, she sent Khujjuttarā who went instead and became so adept that she was able to memorize the teachings and teach the queen and her 500 ladies in waiting. From these discourses of the Buddha, Khujjuttarā, Queen Samavati and the queen's 500 ladies in waiting all obtained the fruit (Pali: phalla) of the first stage of Enlightenment ("stream-enterer," Pali: sotapanna
).
In the Pali canon itself, Khujjuttarā's repute is mentioned in the SN
17.24, entitled "Only Daughter," the Buddha states that faithful female lay disciples should urge their beloved daughters in the following manner:
A similar reference is made in AN
4.18.6. Additionally, in AN 1.14, verse 260, the Buddha declares Khujjuttarā to be his "most learned" female lay disciple.
The Khuddaka Nikaya
book Itivuttaka
, a collection of 112 short discourses, is attributed to Khujjuttara's recollection of Buddha's discourses.
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
's foremost (Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
: agga) female lay disciples (Pali: upasika, savaka
Sravaka
Shravaka or Śrāvaka or Sāvaka means "hearer" or, more generally, "disciple".This term is used by both Buddhists and Jains. In Jainism, a shravaka is any lay Jain...
).
According to commentaries
Atthakatha
Atthakatha refers to Pali-language Theravadin Buddhist commentaries to the canonical Theravadin Tipitaka. These commentaries give the traditional interpretations of the scriptures. The major commentaries were based on earlier ones, now lost, in Old Sinhalese, which were written down at the same...
to the Pali canon
Pāli Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
, Khujjuttara was a servant to one of the queens of King Udena of Kosambi
Kosambi
Kosambi may refer to:*Kosambi, India, an old city and Buddhist pilgrimage site.*Kosambi, Tangerang, a subdistrict of Tangerang Regency, Banten, Indonesia*Kosambi, Jakarta, an administrative village of Cengkareng, West Jakarta, Indonesia...
named Samavati
Samavati
Samavati was one of the queens of King Udena of Kosambi. Her servant Khujjuttara became a foremost female lay disciple when she sent her to hear the Buddha's teachings and tell her about the teachings. Samavati became so gladdened by Khujjuttara's discourse, she invited Buddha and his monks...
. Since the queen was unable to go listen to the Buddha, she sent Khujjuttarā who went instead and became so adept that she was able to memorize the teachings and teach the queen and her 500 ladies in waiting. From these discourses of the Buddha, Khujjuttarā, Queen Samavati and the queen's 500 ladies in waiting all obtained the fruit (Pali: phalla) of the first stage of Enlightenment ("stream-enterer," Pali: sotapanna
Sotapanna
In Buddhism, a Sotāpanna , Srotāpanna , or "stream-winner" is a person who has eradicated the first three fetters of the mind. Sotapanna literally means "one who entered the stream ", after a metaphor which calls the Noble Eightfold Path, 'a stream'...
).
In the Pali canon itself, Khujjuttarā's repute is mentioned in the SN
Samyutta Nikaya
The Samyutta Nikaya is a Buddhist scripture, the third of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka of Theravada Buddhism. Because of the abbreviated way parts of the text are written, the total number of suttas is...
17.24, entitled "Only Daughter," the Buddha states that faithful female lay disciples should urge their beloved daughters in the following manner:
- "Dear, you should become like Khujjuttarā the lay follower and VelukandakiyāVelukandakiyaVelukandakiya is considered one of the two standard-bearer lay female disciples of the Buddha, the other being Khujjuttara. She is known as the mother of Nanda . She is praised as the standard bearer lay female disciple in Samyutta Nikaya17.24, Only daughter....
, Nanda's mother – for this is the standard and criterion for my female disciples who are lay followers, that is Khujjuttarā the lay follower and Velukandakiyā, Nanda's mother."
A similar reference is made in AN
Anguttara Nikaya
The Anguttara Nikaya is a Buddhist scripture, the fourth of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that comprise the Pali Tipitaka of Theravada Buddhism...
4.18.6. Additionally, in AN 1.14, verse 260, the Buddha declares Khujjuttarā to be his "most learned" female lay disciple.
The Khuddaka Nikaya
Khuddaka Nikaya
The Khuddaka Nikaya is the last of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism...
book Itivuttaka
Itivuttaka
The Itivuttaka is a Buddhist scripture, part of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism and is attributed to Khujjuttara's recollection of Buddha's discourses. It is included there in the Sutta Pitaka's Khuddaka Nikaya. It comprises 112 short teachings ascribed in the text to the Buddha, each...
, a collection of 112 short discourses, is attributed to Khujjuttara's recollection of Buddha's discourses.
External links
- "Relatives and Disciples of the Buddha: Royal Patrons," by Radhika Abeysekera.