• Rohinī

1. Rohinī Therī. She was the daughter of a prosperous brahmin of Vesāli. When the Buddha visited Vesāli, she heard him preach and became a sotāpanna, taught the Doctrine to her parents, and, with their permission, entered the Order, where she became an arahant.

Ninety one kappas ago she saw Vipassī Buddha begging in Bandhumatī, and, filling his bowl with meal cakes, paid him homage (ThagA.i214f).

The Therīgithā (vss.271-90) contains a set of verses spoken by her in exaltation, when, after becoming an arahant, she recalled to mind the discussion she had had with her father while she was yet a sotāpanna.

It is said (ThigA.219f) that the last stanza of the series was spoken by her father, who later himself joined the Order and became an arahant.

2. Rohinī. Sister of Anuruddha Thera. When he visited his family at Kapilavatthu, she refused to see him because she was suffering from a skin eruption. But Anuruddha sent for her, and when she came, her face covered with a cloth, he advised her to erect an assembly hall for the monks. She consented to do this, sold her jewels, and erected a hall of two stories, the building of which was supervised by Anuruddha. At the dedication ceremony she entertained the Buddha and the monks. At the conclusion of the meal the Buddha sent for her. She was reluctant to go to him owing to her disease, but was persuaded, and he told her the story of her past.

Long ago she had been the chief consort of the king of Benares, and being jealous of a dancing girl whom the king loved, she contrived to get powdered scabs on the girl's body, clothes and bed. The girl developed boils and her skin was ruined.

At the conclusion of the Buddha's sermon, Rohinī's disease vanished and her body took on a golden color, while she herself was established in the First Fruit of the Path. After death, Rohinī was born in Tāvatimsa, at the meeting point of the boundaries of four deities. Because of her beauty, each deity claimed her as his, and they referred their quarrel to Sakka. Sakka, too, became enamored of her, and when he confessed his desire, they agreed to let hint take her, and she became his special favourite. DhA.iii.295ff.

3. Rohīnī. A small river dividing the Sākyan and Koliyan countries. A dam was constructed across the river, and the people on the two sides used the water to cultivate their fields. Once, in the month of Jetthamūla, there was a drought, and a violent quarrel arose between the two peoples for the use of the water. A battle was imminent, when the Buddha, seeing what was about to happen, appeared in the air between the opposing forces in the middle of the river and convinced them of the folly of killing each other for the sake of a little water. It is said that he preached on this occasion the Attadanda Sutta and the Phandana, the Latukika and the Vattaka Jātakas.

To show their gratitude to the Buddha for his timely intervention, the Sākyans and the Koliyans gave two hundred and fifty young men from each tribe to be ordained under him. SnA.i.358; cp. J. v.412; DhA.iii.254ff. The accounts differ in details; the Jātaka account, which is the longest, mentions other Jātakas: Daddabha and Rukkhadhamma. DA.ii.672f. and SA.i.53ff substitute Pathavudriyana for Daddabha. But see under these Jātakas.

The Rohinī is identified with a small stream which joins the Rapti at Goruckpore. It is now called the Rowai or Rohwaini. For details see Cunningham, Arch. Survey of India xii.190ff.

Dhammapāla says (ThagA.ii.501) that the Rohinī flows from north to south and that Rājagaha lies to the south east of it.

4. Rohinī. An asterism (MA.ii.783; SnA.ii.456). The planting of the Bodhi tree in Ceylon was performed under this constellation. Mhv.ix.47 .

5. Rohinī. A city which was the birthplace of Paccaya Thera. v.l. Rohī. ThagA.i.341.

6. Rohinī. A slave woman of Anāthapindika. See the Rohinī Jātaka.

7. Rohinī. See Rohīta.

Rohinī Jātaka (No. 45). Once the Bodhisatta was the Lord High Treasurer of Benares and he had a slave woman named Rohinī. One day, when Rohinī was pounding rice, her mother lay down near her and flies settled on her and stung her. When she asked her daughter to drive them away, the latter lifted her pestle and hit her with it, thinking thus to kill the flies. But instead of the flies she killed her mother.

The story was related to Anāthapindika in reference to a slave girl of his also named Rohinī, who killed her mother in the same way. The mother and daughter are the same in both stories. J. i.248f.