Khujjuttara

Kubjottarā
TitleForemost among laywomen of wide learning
(Sanskrit: Bahuśruta)
(Pali: Bahussuta)
Personal
Bornyear unknown
ReligionBuddhism
Schoolall
OccupationServant of Queen Śyāmāvatī
Senior posting
TeacherSakyamuni Buddha
Translations of
Kubjottarā
SanskritKubjottarā, Kubjuttarā
PaliKhujjuttarā
Chinese久壽多羅、堀述多羅
(Pinyin: Jiǔshòuduōluó, Kūshùduōluó)
Japanese久寿多羅
(Rōmaji: kujutara)
Khmerខុជ្ជុត្តរា
Korean구수다라
(RR: Kusudara)
TibetanRgur 'jog
Thaiขุชชุตตรา
RTGS: khutchuttara
Glossary of Buddhism

Khujjuttarā was one of the Buddha's foremost (Sanskrit: agra, Pali: agga) female lay disciples (Pali: upasika, savaka).

According to commentaries of the Pāli Canon, Khujjuttarā 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).[1]

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."[2]

A similar reference is made in AN 4.18.6.[3] Additionally, in AN 1.14, verse 260,[4] 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.[1]

  1. ^ a b Ireland (1999); Thanissaro (2001).
  2. ^ Bodhi (2000), p. 689.
  3. ^ AN 4.18.6 (trans. by Sister Upalavanna, retrieved 9 December 2008 from "Metta Net" at http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara2/4-catukkanipata/018-sacetaniyavaggo-e.html Archived 20 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine).
  4. ^ 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 Archived 18 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine).