Khujjuttarā was one of the
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...
's foremost (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...
: agra,
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...
: ''agga'') female lay disciples (Pali: ''
upasika'', ''
savaka'').
According to
commentaries of the
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 most complete extant early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from the Tamrashatiya school.
During ...
, Khujjuttara was a servant to one of the queens of King Udena of
Kosambi
Kosambi (Pali) or Kaushambi ( Sanskrit) was an important city in ancient India. It was the capital of the Vatsa kingdom, one of the sixteen mahajanapadas. It was located on the Yamuna River about southwest of its confluence with the Ganges ...
named
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 Khujjuttar ...
. 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'').
[Ireland (1999); Thanissaro (2001).]
In the Pāli 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:
:"Dear, you should become like Khujjuttarā the lay follower and
Velukandakiyā, 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 4.18.6. Additionally, in AN 1.14, verse 260,
[AN 1.14 (trans. by Sister Upalavanna, retrieved 9 December 2008 from "Metta Net" at http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara1/1-ekanipata/014-Etadaggapali-e.html ).] the Buddha declares Khujjuttarā to be his "most learned" female lay disciple.
The
Khuddaka Nikaya book
Itivuttaka
The Itivuttaka (Pali for "as it was said") is a Buddhism, 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 ...
, a collection of 112 short discourses, is attributed to Khujjuttara's recollection of Buddha's discourses.
See also
*
Savaka
*
Sotapanna
*
Khema
Khema (Pali: Khemā; Sanskrit: Kṣemā) was a Buddhist ''bhikkhuni'', or nun, who was one of the top female disciples of the Buddha. She is considered the first of the Buddha's two chief female disciples, along with Uppalavanna. Khema was b ...
*
Uppalavanna
Uppalavanna (Pali: Uppalavaṇṇā; Sanskrit: Utpalavarṇā) was a Buddhist ''bhikkhuni'' (Pali; Sanskrit: Bhikshuni), or nun, who was considered one of the top female disciples of the Buddha. She is considered the second of the Buddha's two ...
*
Vajira
*
Velukandakiya
Velukandakiya is considered one of the two standard-bearer lay female disciples of the Buddha, the other being Khujjuttara
Khujjuttarā was one of the Buddha's foremost (Sanskrit: agra, Pali: ''agga'') female lay disciples (Pali: '' upa ...
*
Visakha
Visakha ( pi, Visākhā; sa, Viśākhā), also known as Migāramāta, was a wealthy aristocratic woman who lived during the time of Gautama Buddha. She is considered to have been the chief female patron of the Buddha. Visakha founded the temple ...
*
Upasika
*
Householder (Buddhism)
In English translations of Buddhist texts, householder denotes a variety of terms. Most broadly, it refers to any layperson, and most narrowly, to a wealthy and prestigious familial patriarch. In contemporary Buddhist communities, householder is ...
References
Bibliography
*
Bodhi, Bhikkhu (trans.) (2000). ''The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya''. Boston:Wisdom Publications. .
*Ireland, John (trans. & intro.) (1999). ''Itivuttaka: The Buddha's Sayings (excerpts)''. Article's "Introduction" is available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/iti/iti.intro.irel.html#intro.
*
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans. & intro.) (2001). ''Itivuttaka: This Was Said by the Buddha''. "Translator's Introduction" is available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/iti/iti.intro.than.html#intro.
External links
"Relatives and Disciples of the Buddha: Royal Patrons,"by Radhika Abeysekera.
Foremost disciples of Gautama Buddha
Buddhism and women
{{Buddhism-bio-stub