རི་དགས་འཛིན་གྱི་མ། | Glossary of Terms

Another name for Viśākhā Mṛgāramātā, a lay follower of the Buddha.

The main female disciple of the Buddha, also known as Viśākhā. She was the daughter-in-law of the chief minister of Śrāvastī named Mṛgāra and also his teacher, which led him to call her “mother”.

This is the nickname of an upāsikā (female lay practitioner), actually called Viśākhā, who is sometimes considered the most prominent among female lay followers of the Buddha. She had married the son of a man called Mṛgāra, who was originally a Jaina but went to meet the Buddha and even become a stream enterer thanks to her. Feeling indebted to her, he said that she was like his mother, which is the origin of the nickname.

During the Buddha’s time, a certain lay vow holder in Śrāvastī. Elsewhere there is also the Viśākha who was the son of King Prasenajit’s minister.

Praised as the foremost of female lay practitioners.

A lay follower of the Buddha.