Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v1.c13.377

v1.c13.377

1. Khemā Therī.—An arahant, chief of the Buddha’s women disciples. She was born in a ruling family at Sāgala in the Madda country, and her skin was of the colour of gold. She became the chief consort of King Bimbisāra. She would not visit the Buddha who was at Veḷuvana, lest he should speak disparagingly of her beauty with which she was infatuated. The king bade poets sing the glories of Veḷuvana and persuaded Khemā to go there. She was then brought face to face with the Buddha, and he conjured up, for her to see, a woman like a celestial nymph who stood facing him. Even as Khemā gazed on the nymph, whose extraordinary beauty far excelled her own, she saw her pass gradually from youth to extreme old age, and so fall down in the swoon of death. Seeing that Khemā was filled with dismay at the sight, the Buddha preached to her on the vanity of lust, and we are told that at that moment she attained arahantship. With the consent of Bimbisāra she entered the Order, and was ranked by the Buddha foremost among his women disciples for her great insight (mahāpaññānaṃ aggā).¹