1. Dhammadinná.-One of the two chief women disciples of Piyadassí Buddha. Bu.xiv.21; J.i.39.
2. Dhammadinná.-One of the chief supporters, among lay women, of Piyadassí Buddha. Bu.xiv.22.
3. Dhammadinná.-An eminent Therí, ranked foremost among nuns who possessed the gift of preaching (A.i.25). She was the wife of Visákha of Rájagaha, and when he, having heard the Buddha preach, became an anágámí, she left the world with the consent of her husband who sent her to the nunnery in a golden palanquin (MA.i.515 says this was provided by Bimbisára). Dwelling in solitude, she soon attained arahantship with the four patisambhidá. (See Thig.v.12 for a stanza uttered by her). She later returned to Rájagaha to worship the Buddha, and there Visákha asked her questions on the Dhamma, which she answered "as easily as one might cut a lows-stalk with a knife." The questions and answers are given in the Cúla Vedalla Sutta (M.i.299ff). Visákha reported this interview to the Buddha, who praised her great wisdom and commended her eloquence.
In the time of Padumuttara Buddha she was a servant, and one day saw the Buddha's disciple, Sujáta, begging alms and gave him a curry (ThigA. p.15 says Sujáta had just risen from samádhi). Her master, seeing this, made her his daughter-in-law. Later, while on a visit to the vihára, she saw a nun declared to be chief of preachers and wished for similar eminence.
In the time of Phussa Buddha she obtained merit by giving to the Buddha's half-brother double the gift prescribed by her husband. (Details of this are given in PvA., p.21).
In the time of Kassapa Buddha she was born as Sudhammá, the sixth of the seven daughters of Kiki, king of Benares; for twenty thousand years she lived in celibacy. (Her story is given in ThigA.15ff; Ap.ii.567f; AA.i.196f; MA.i.515ff; DhA.iv.229ff).
Dhammadinná was the teacher of Sukhá (ThigA.58).