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THE INDIAX ANTIQUARY
[ MAY, 1928
BUDDHIST WOMEN. By DR. BIMALA CHURN LAW, M.A. BL., Ph.D.
(Continued from page 68.) Mallikd was the daughter of a Brahman steward of the Sakya Mahânâ man. On her father's death she was taken by Mahânâman to his house. She was at first named Chandra. She made a wreath which satisfied Mahânâman so much that he changed her name to Mallika. One day Mallika went to the garden with her food, and just then the Blessed One passed them collecting alms. Mallika thonght of offering her food to the Buddha, and the latter knowing her thought held out his bowl. She put her offering in it and wished at the same time that some day she might be free from slavery or poverty. One day Pasenadi carried away by his horse in the heat of the chase came to Mahånâman's garden. There he saw Mallika. Requested by the king, Mallika rubbed his feet with a towel. As soon as she did so the king fell asleep. When he awoke he found out who she was, went to Mahânâman and married her. She was then taken to Srâvasti and in time she brought forth a son named Virudhaka (Rockhill, Life of the Buddha, pp. 75-77), and also a daughter. (S.N.. I, p. 86). This story is nothing but a Tibetan version of the story of Pasenadi and Vasabhakhattiya. (F. Svapna. vasabhadatta of Bhâşa.
Again we read that Mallikadevî went to the Buddha and asked him thus, "What is the cause of a woman's getting an ugly appearance. bad habit, wretched state and poverty in this world? What is the cause of a woman who is of this nature becoming very rich and influential? What is the cause of a woman who is of good appearance and lovely becoming poor and uninfluential, and vice versa?" The Buddha answered thus: "The woman who is very hot - tempered and who gets angry for slight reason becomes poor and ugly if she does not offer any charity to the Samaņas or Brahmanas, but if she offers charity to the Samaņas or Brâhmaņas, she becomes rich and influential although she is hot-tempered." The Buddha further said “She who is not hot-tempered and does not become angry for slight reason becomes poor and influential if she does not offer any charity to the Samaņas or Brahmaņas." Mallika admitted that on account of her hot temper and peevish nature she had an ugly appearance, but she, on account of her previous charities, became a queen. She further said that she would treat properly the daughter of the Ksatriyas, the Brahmanas and the other householders who were subordinate to her. She became a devotee of the Buddha, being very pleased with him. (Anguttara Nikaya, 11, pp. 202-205). It is noteworthy that once Mallika was asked by Pasenadi whether she had anybody dearer to her than her own soul. She replied in the negative. Pasenadi was asked the same question by his wife, and he too answered it in the negative. She then went to the Buddha and related the matter to him. The Buddha said that they were right in holding that there was nothing more favourite than one's own soul. (Udana, p. 47;cf. also S.N., 1, p. 75.) Once Pasenadi invited Buddha to teach Dhamma to queens Mallikå and Vasabhakhattiyâ as they were desirous of learning it. Buddha asked the king to engage Ananda for the purpose as it was not possible for him to go every day. Mallikadevi learnt it thoroughly, but Vasabhakhattiya was not so mindful of learning Dhamma. (D.O., 1, 382). It was Mallika who saved the life of many living beings who were brought for sacrifice to save Pasenadi from the evil effect of hearing four horrible sounds at midnight by inducing him to go to the Buddha to take instructions from him. (D.C. vol. 11, pp. 7-8). After her death, Mallikadevi had to suffer in the Avici hell because she deceived her husband by telling a lie about her misconduct. (D.C., 111, 119 f.).
Mallikâdevî made the following arrangements on the occasion of Pasenadi's offering a unique gift to the Buddha and the bhikkhus :
1. She made a canopy with Sala wooden parte, under which five hundred bhikkhus could sit within the parts and five hundred outside them.
2. Five hundred white umbrellas were raised by five hundred elephants standing at the back of five hundred bhikkhus.
