Migaramata Visakha

The banker Dhananjaya of Saketa got his daughter Visakha married to Punnavaddhana, the son of a banker from Savatthi named Migara. She was sixteen. Visakha had come in contact with the Buddha at the age of seven. Since the Buddha often spent the rains retreat in Savatthi, she got the opportunity to meet the Buddha often and progressed further in Dhamma. She built and donated a huge monastery, Purvarama, to the Sangha. The Buddha conferred upon her the title of ‘the foremost woman lay disciple among donors”. Her father-in-law was not happy with his daughter-in-law. Once he got angry and decided to send her out of the house. The matter was taken to the community jury. The accusations made by the father-in-law were refuted with befitting explanations by Vishakha. Migara became very happy. He invited the Buddha to his home. He listened to the Buddha’s discourse. As he was listening to it, due to past merits, he experienced the flow of impermanence in his body. He was so fortunate! The first thing he did after this was: he bowed to Vishakha and declared that she was his mother! ‘You are the one who has given me new birth today.’ From then on Migara came to be known as Migaramata (Mother of Migara). Later, when she delivered a baby boy, he was named Migara and her new name again became relevant.