An eminent Therí. She was born at Devadaha in the family of Suppabuddha as the younger sister of Mahámáyá.
Ap.ii.538 says her father was Ańjana Sakka and her mother Sulakkhaná. Mhv.ii.18 says her father was Ańjana and her mother Yasodhará. Dandapáni and Suppabuddha were her brothers; cp. Dpv.xviii.7f.
At the birth of each sister, interpreters of bodily marks prophesied that their children would be cakkavattins. King Suddhodana married both the sisters, and when Mahámáyá died, seven days after the birth of the Buddha, Pajápati looked after the Buddha and nursed him. She was the mother of Nanda, but it is said that she gave her own son to nurses and herself nursed the Buddha. The Buddha was at Vesáli when Suddhodana died, and Pajápatí decided to renounce the world, and waited for an opportunity to ask the permission of the Buddha.
Pajápatí was already a sotápanna. She attained this eminence when the Buddha first visited his father's palace and preached the Mahádhammapála Játaka (DhA.i.97).
Her opportunity came when the Buddha visited Kapilavatthu to settle the dispute between the Sákiyans and the Koliyans as to the right to take water from the river Rohiní. When the dispute had been settled, the Buddha preached the Kalahaviváda Sutta, and five hundred young Sákiyan men joined the Order. Their wives, led by Pajápatí, went to the Buddha and asked leave to be ordained as nuns. This leave the Buddha refused, and he went on to Vesáli. But Pajápatí and her companions, nothing daunted, had barbers to cut off their hair, and donning yellow robes, followed the Buddha to Vesáli on foot. They arrived with wounded feet at the Buddha's monastery and repeated their request. The Buddha again refused, but Ananda interceded on their behalf and their request was granted, subject to eight strict conditions.
For details see Vin.ii.253ff.; also A.iv.274ff. There was some question, which arose later as to the procedure of Pajápatí's ordination, which was not formal. When the nuns discovered this some of them refused to hold the uposatha with her. But the Buddha declared that he himself had ordained her and that all was in order (DhA.iv.149). Her upasampadá consisted in acquiescing in the eight conditions laid down for nuns (Sp.i.242).
After her ordination, Pajápatí came to the Buddha and worshipped him. The Buddha preached to her and gave her a subject for meditation. With this topic she developed insight and soon after won arahantship, while her five hundred companions attained to the same after listening to the Nandakováda Sutta. Later, at an assembly of monks and nuns in Jetavana, the Buddha declared Pajápatí chief of those who had experience (rattańńúnam) (A.i.25). Not long after, while at Vesáli, she realized that her life had come to an end. She was one hundred and twenty years old; she took leave of the Buddha, performed various miracles, and then died, her five hundred companions dying with her. It is said that the marvels which attended her cremation rites were second only to those of the Buddha.
It was in the time of Padumuttara Buddha that Pajápatí made her resolve to gain eminence. She then belonged to a clansman's family in Hamsavatí, and, hearing the Buddha assign the foremost place in experience to a certain nun, wished for similar recognition herself, doing many good deeds to that end. After many births she was born once more at Benares, forewoman among five hundred slave girls. When the rains drew near, five Pacceka Buddhas came from Nandamúlaka to Isipatana seeking lodgings. Pajápatí saw them after the Treasurer had refused them any assistance, and, after consultation with her fellow slaves, they persuaded their several husbands to erect five huts for the Pacceka Buddhas during the rainy season and they provided them with all requisites. At the end of the rains they gave three robes to each Pacceka Buddha. After that she was born in a weaver's village near Benares, and again ministered, this time to five hundred Pacceka Buddhas, sons of Padumavatí (ThigA.140ff.; AA.i.185f.; Ap.ii.529 43).
It is said that once Pajápatí made a robe for the Buddha of wonderful material and marvellously elaborate. But when it came to be offered to the Buddha he refused it, and suggested it should be given to the Order as a whole. Pajápatí was greatly disappointed, and Ananda intervened. But the Buddha explained that his suggestion was for the greater good of Pajápatí, and also as an example to those who might wish to make similar gifts in the future. This was the occasion for the preaching of the Dakkhinávibhanga Sutta (M.iii.253ff.; MA.ii.1001ff.; this incident is referred to in the Milinda p.240). The Buddha had a great love for Pajápatí, and when she lay ill, as there were no monks to visit her and preach to her - that being against the rule - the Buddha amended the rule and went himself to preach to her (Vin.iv.56).
Pajápatí's name appears several times in the Játakas. She was the mother monkey in the Cúla Nandiya Játaka (J.ii.202), Candá in the Culla Dhammapála (J.iii.182), and Bhikkhudáyiká (or Bhikkhudásiká) daughter of Kiki, king of Benares (J.vi.481).
Mahápajápatí was so called because, at her birth, augerers prophesied that she would have a large following; Gotamí was her gotta name (MA.i.1001; cp. AA.ii.774).
There is a story related of a nurse employed by Pajápatí and born in Devadaha. She renounced the world with Pajápatí, but for twenty five years was harassed by thoughts of lust till, at last, she heard Dhammadinná preach. She then practiced meditation and became an arahant. ThigA.75f.