Abhayā
Abhayā: A Therī. She belonged to a family in Ujjeni and was the playmate of Abhayamātā (Padumavatī). When the latter joined the Order, Abhayā, too, left the world. As she was meditating in Sītavana, the Buddha sent forth a ray of glory to encourage and help her; she thereupon became an arahant (ThigA.33-4).
Two verses are attributed to her in the Therīgāthā (35, 46).
In the time of Sikhī Buddha she was born in a noble family and became the chief queen of the Buddha's father, Arunavā. One day she offered to the Buddha some lotuses which the king had given her. As a result, in later births her body was the colour of the lotus and bore the perfume of the lotus.
Seventy times she reigned as queen of heaven and she was chief queen of sixty-three cakkavattis (ThigA. loc. cit.). She is evidently to be identified with Sattuppalamālikā of the Apadāna (ii.517-18).
