Therigatha and Bhikkhuni Bhadra Kapilani

By Premasara EPASINGHE

On one occasion, while the Buddha was conversing with King Kosala, a messenger broke the news, that a daughter was born unto him. Hearing it, the King was displeased. But, the Blessed One, comforted and stimulated the King, “A baby girl may prove even a better offspring than a baby boy.”

To women, placed under various disabilities before the appearance of the Buddha and the establishment of the Bhikkuni Sasana was a great blessing. Queens, Princesses, daughters of noble families, widows, bereaved mothers and courteasans, despite their caste or rank met on a common platform or footing, enjoyed perfect consolation and peace. Many who otherwise would have fallen into oblivion, distinguished themselves in various ways and gained their emancipation by seeking refuge in the Bhikkhuni Order.

Verses

The Therigatha consists of a collection of verses attributed to some 250 senior Bhikkhus of early Buddhism, renowned for their spiritual achievements. Therigatha has a total of 1279 verses. Similarly, the Therigatha is a collection of verses attributed to senior Bhikkhunis of the same period. The two collection from part of the Khuddaka Nikaya which is part of the Sutta Pitaka of the Buddhist Pali canon.

There are 73 gathas uttered by the elder, senior female Bhikkhunis, who became famous through their virtue, during the time of the Buddha.

The Therigatha verses are held by modern scholars to contain authentic compositions of the earliest Buddhist period. They are valuable sources for reconstructive ancient Indian social history.

Grateful

As Buddhists we are grateful to the Great English Buddhist scholars – Rhys Davids and (Psalms of Bretheran – 1937) Susan Murdock who translated a part of Therigatha into English.

The verses uttered by 13 Bhikkhunis include; Maha Prajapati Gotami, first chief disciple with greatest psychic power, Uppalavanna, best disciplined Bhikkhuni, Patacara best preacher, Dhammadinna foremost Bhikkhuni for meditative power, Rupananda Bhikkhuni with great effort, Sona, with divine eye, Sakula, foremost Bhikkhuni to gain psychic powers, Bhaddha Kundalakesi, foremost Bhikkhuni with remembrance of the past birth, Bhaddha Kapilani with great analytical and psychic powers, Yasodhara who observed difficult precepts, Kisagotami, foremost Bhikkhuni with the greatest faith and Sigalaka Mata, are full of Poetic language and quite fascinating.

Past births

This is the story of Bhadra Kapilani, the great Enlightened Bhikkhuni foremost with remembrance of past births.

Bhadra Kapilani was born to a Brahamin family. The King Brahma was born as the only son. He was named Pipphali. They had no thought of a marriage. Prince Pipphali, who refused to marry just to satisfy the parents caused a beautiful gold image of a pretty maiden and told his mother, he would marry only, if such a beauty could be found.

He though, he could evade marriage as such beauties do not exist. The image was kept by the side of a bathing place. A nurse mistook it for a princess. The retainer knew such a beauty existed. They acted swiftly and ultimately the Bhadra Kapilani and Pipphali were married.

They never lived as husband and wife. They took different paths and later entered the Buddhist Order. It was the billionaire Prince who distributed his wealth to the poor.

He went in search of the Buddha and entered the Order as Kassapa who resembled the Blessed One. As the Bhikkhuni Sasana at that time, had not been established Kassapa's wife Bhadra entered the Jaina Order of Bhikkhunis. After Maha Prajapati established the Bhikkhuni Sasana, she joined the Bhikkhuni Order.

Bhikkhuni Bhadra Kapilani, after the attainment of Enlightenment was also blessed with the four greater knowledges. She also possessed and perfected the knowledge in remembrance of past births. The Buddha elevated her to the rank of the foremost Bhikkhunis with the remembrance of the past.

Looking back at her past, she prasied her husband Pippali, Mahakassapa Maha Thera and uttered the following verses:

The great Enlightened Elder Bhikkhu Maha Kassapa,

Son monk of the Buddha
Attained the four great knowledges
And more power in divine eye
He has a great knowledge
In the remembrance of past births,
He is a noble enlightened Bhikkhu.
Now both of us
Are devoid of all defilements
We have destroyed
All desire, hatred and delusion
We both have reached
noble enlightenment
As such we are happy
We have gained peace of mind
And are happy in our liberation.