Bà là em ruột của hoàng hậu Ma Ha Ma Da (Mahamaya). Cả hai bà đều là em của của vua Thiện Giác (Suprabuddha – Suppabuddha) trị vì vương quốc Câu Lị. Sau khi sinh thái tử Tất Đạt Đa được bảy ngày thì hoàng hậu Ma Da băng, bà liền được vua Tịnh Phạn tuyển vào cung và đưa lên ngôi hoàng hậu, có trách nhiệm nuôi dạy thái tử (1). Bà đã thương yêu thái tử như chính con ruột của mình. Năm thái tử được mười bốn tuổi, bà sinh hoàng tử Nan Đà (Nanda) (1), và năm sau thì bà sinh công chúa Tôn Đà Lị Nan Đà (Sundari Nanda).

Selā Therī. She was born in Alavi as daughter of the king: therefore she was also called Alavikā. When she was still unmarried the Buddha visited Alavī with Alavaka, whom he had converted, carrying his begging bowl and robe. On that occasion Sela went with her father to hear the Buddha preach. She became a lay disciple, but later, agitated in mind, she joined the Order and became an arahant. After that she lived in Sāvatthi. One day, as she was enjoying her siesta in the Andhavana under a tree, Māra, in the guise of a stranger, approached her and tried to tempt her. But she refuted his statements regarding the attractions of lay life, and Māra had to retire discomfited (S.i.134; Thig.vss.57-9).

1. Somā Therī. She was the daughter of the chaplain of King Bimbisāra. When she grew up, she saw the Buddha on his first visit to Rājagaha and became a lay disciple. Later she joined the Order, developed insight, and became an arahant. One day, as she was spending her siesta at the foot of a tree in Andhavana, Māra, wishing to interrupt her privacy, approached her, invisible in the air, and teased her, remarking on the "two finger" consciousness of women. (The Commentary explains that women, when boiling rice, cannot tell if it is cooked without testing it between two fingers, hence the expression). Somā rebuked him, saying that the fact of being a woman was no obstacle to the comprehension of the Dhamma. (This incident is given also at S.i.129).

Vijayā Therī She belonged to a household in Rājagaha and was a friend of Khemā. When Khemā left the world, Vijayā went to her, and, having listened to her teaching, joined the Order under her, attaining arahantship soon afterwards (ThigA.159f.; her Udāna verses are included in Thig.169 74.). She may be identical with the Vijayā, mentioned in the Samyutta Nikāya (S.i.130) a Bhikkhunī whom Māra, assuming the form of a young main, tried unsuccessfully to tempt.

1. Cālā Therī.-Daughter of Surūpasārī and, therefore, younger sister of Sāriputta. She had two sisters, Upacālā and Sisūpacālā, and all three left the world and joined the Order on hearing of Sāriputta's renunciation. In due course they attained arahantship (ThigA.162ff; DhA.ii.188). It is said (Thig.182-8; cp. S.i.132) that one day, when Cālā was taking her siesta in the Andhavana, Māra visited her, asking her various questions and trying to tempt her. Her son was Cāla.

1. Upacālā.-Sister of Sāriputta (his other sisters being Cālā, Sisūpacālā) and mother of Upacāla. When Sāriputta left the world to join the Order of monks, his three sisters followed his example and became nuns. It is said that when Upacālā was taking her siesta in Andhavana, Māra tried to arouse in her sensual desires, but she vanquished him and became an arahant. Her conversation with Māra is recorded in the Therīgāthā vv.189-95; ThigA.165f. The Samyutta (i.133f) mentions the temptation of all three sisters by Māra and their conquest of him. But in this account, Upacālā's verses are put into Cālā's mouth, Sisūpacālā's are ascribed to Upacālā and Cālā's to Sisūpacālā.

One of the sisters of Sāriputta. Māra once tempted her with thoughts of the pleasures of the Kāmaloka (sensuous world), but she sent him away discomfited (Thig.vss.190-203; ThigA.168f.; S.i.133f). Her story resembles that of Cālā. She had a son of the same name as herself. ThagA.i.110.

2. Vajirā Therī. The Samyutta Nikāya (S.i.134f) relates that one day, when she was taking her siesta in Adhavana at Sāvatthi, Mārā questioned her as to the origin of “being" (satta), its creator, its origin, its destiny. Vajirā answers that there is no such thing as “being," apart from certain conditioned factors, like a chariot, which exists only because of its parts. Māra retires discomfited. Vajirā's verses are often quoted (E.g Kvu. 240, 626; Mil. p.28; Vsm.ii.593) both in the Canon and in later works, but they are not included in the Therīgāthā, nor do we know anything else about her.