1. Anulá.-Daughter of Mutasiva, King of Ceylon, and wife of Mahánága, who was brother and sub-king to Devánampiya-Tissa. With five hundred other women she heard Mahinda preach the Petavatthu, the Vimánavatthu and the Sacca Samyutta, and together with the others became a Stream-enterer (Mhv.xiv.56-7; Dpv.xi.8; xii.82). Later, hearing the sermon preached by Mahinda in the Mahámeghavana, she, with others, became a Sakadágámí, and expressed to the king their wish to receive ordination. It was to enable these to be ordained that Sanghamittá was sent for (Mhv.xv.18-19; Sp.i.90ff.; Dpv.xv.73ff). Until the arrival of Sanghamittá, Anulá and her companions observed the ten precepts and lived in the Upásiká Vihára. Mhv.xviii.9-12. The Tiká (p.388) says they took on the ekásanikanga vow as well; see also Mbv. pp.121, 144, 167.
After her ordination Anulá became an arahant (Mhv.xix.65; xvi.41) and was the first woman arahant in Ceylon.
2. Anulá.-Widow of Khallátanága, King of Ceylon, and later wife of Vattagámani (Mhv.xxxiii.35, 36). When Vattagámani had to flee from his enemies, she was the only one of his wives whom he took with him, because she was with child (Mhv.xxxiii.45). Later, when they were hiding in Malaya, under the protection of Tanasiva, Anulá quarrelled with the wife of Tanasiva and, as a result, Vattagámani killed him. (Mhv.xxxiii.62ff).
3. Anulá.-Wife of Coranága and Queen of Ceylon for four months (in A.D. 12-16). She was a lewd woman and killed her husband that she might marry Mahácúla's son, Tissa. She soon got tired of him and poisoned him. Then, in succession, she had as husbands Siva, a palace guard; Vatuka, a Tamil carpenter; Tissa, a woodcarrier; the Damila Niliya, a palace priest - all of whom she removed by poisoning. The last one she killed because she wished to live indiscriminately with thirty-two palace guards.
In the end she was killed by Kutakannatissa (Mhv.xxxiv.16-34; Dpv.xix.50ff).
4. Anulá.-The chief woman-disciple of Kassapa Buddha. Bu.xxv.40; J.i.43.
5. Anulá.-Daughter of Cúlasetthi of Benares. She lived with her husband in Andhakavinda, and after her father's death she fed brahmins in his name, but this pious act was of no benefit to him (PvA.105ff).
6. Anulá.-One of the chief women-supporters of Mangala Buddha (Bu.iv.25).