suppavaasaa

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Suppavāsā Koliyadhītā

Mother of Sīvalī. Before he was born, she lay for seven days in labour suffering great pain, and it was not till the Buddha blessed her that she was able to bring forth the child. It is said that the child was seven years in her womb, and the reason for this is given in the Asātarūpa Jātaka.

Suppavāsā was the daughter of the rājā of Koliya (J.i.407). Her husband was the Licchavi Mahāli, (Ap.ii.494,vs.28; but see AA.i.244, where her husband is described as a Sākiyan noble) and she lived in the Koliyan village of Sajjanela, where the Buddha visited her and taught her on the efficacy of giving food (A.ii.62f). She was described by the Buddha as foremost among those who gave excellent alms (aggaṃ panītadāyikānaṃ) (A.i.26), an eminence which she had earnestly resolved to attain in the time of Padumuttara Buddha (AA.i.244).

She is included in a list of eminent female lay disciples (A.iv.348), and is mentioned with Anāthapiṇḍika, Cūḷa Anāthapiṇḍika and Visākhā, as givers of gifts that were gladly accepted by the monks. DhA.i.339; in this context she is spoken of as living in Sāvatthi; this was probably after Mahāli went to live there; cf. DhA.iv.193f.

Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names • G.P. Malalasekera